“Fraught”?

In his brief Washington Post column David Ignatius characterizes the imminent return of hostilities following the end of the ceasefire as “fraught”:

Israel faces an agonizing and probably controversial dilemma ahead: After pausing the Gaza war for humanitarian reasons, how will the Israel Defense Forces start it up again to complete its objective of destroying Hamas’s political power?

Friday’s celebrations of the release of 13 Israeli women and children didn’t mask the concern among senior Israeli officials about what’s ahead in this stop-start war as Israel seeks to recover all 240 hostages and also crush the Hamas forces that hold most of them. “It’s bittersweet,” said one senior Israeli official in an interview on the eve of the hostage release. “I’m thinking of those who will not come out tomorrow.”

“Fraught” is an understatement. Agonizing, more like it.

Israel has the choice of either accepting a return to the status quo ante which unquestionably would mean a return of October 7-style attacks or, effectively, leveling Gaza. That appears to be what they’ve done in the north part of the territory and are preparing to do in the south Either way is a distaster: a humanitarian disaster for the Gazans and a public relations disaster for the Israelis.

Over the weekend I watched an interview with the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in which he hemmed and hawed about what why so many UN employees had been killed in the conflict so far. Eventually, it came out that UNRWA facilities were being used as ammo dumps by Hamas. Left unanswered is how that could happen without UNRWA being aware of it. Is there an explanation other than recklessness or indifference?

BTW in case you’re wondering who’s paying for Hamas’s attacks the short answer is we are. Since money is fungible and Hamas has been the legal government of Gaza for more than ten years, part of every dollar paid in humanitarian aid to Gaza ends up in Hamas’s hands. Since we’re the biggest contributor to UNRWA that means we’re paying to keep Hamas in operation. Next up is Qatar, also a major donor. And, of course, Iran is openly on the side of Hamas.