JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL
Israel's recent resumption of attacks on the Gaza Strip is not only illegal, but also immoral, in the words of Israeli journalist Gideon Levy.
Speaking to Anadolu, Levy said that despite 15 months of destruction in Gaza, Israel has not been able to achieve its goals.
"Resuming attacks on Gaza is not only a crime, but also immoral," he said.
He asked the Israeli government if it will be able to achieve its goals by killing another 50,000 people over another 15 months as it has failed to achieve its goals with over 50,000 victims so far.
Charging that Israel has no plan, Levy cited a belief common to many Israelis and foreign observers, saying the country is carrying out deadly attacks "to maintain the government of (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu."
Levy highlighted that the killing of 174 children on March 18, when Israel resumed its attacks, had nothing to do with "fighting terror, self-defense, (or) releasing the hostages."
"There is a moment in which no words can express the anger, the shame for what we are doing now," he added.
Israel violated ceasefire agreement 'in a one-sided way'
Levy underlined that Israel violated the ceasefire agreement "in a one-sided way," adding that the unilateral responsibility lies solely with Israel.
He stressed that the Netanyahu government refused to start the second phase negotiations or withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor.
Levy said that the Israeli prisoners in Gaza are not Netanyahu's top priority and that he had proven this many times.
He underscored that the resumption of attacks on Gaza is related to Israeli domestic politics, noting: "Netanyahu knows very well that the goals will not be achieved even after another 10 years of killing and fighting.
"It is only about protecting his government."
None of the plans for Gaza ‘is serious’
Levy said the world is currently more preoccupied with Ukraine than Gaza, and that US President Donald Trump, the only person who can stop Israel, has given Israel the green light.
"None of the plans (for Gaza) is a serious one," he said, describing Trump's widely condemned plan to take over Gaza as a "joke."
Over 2 million people in Gaza cannot be displaced – a plank of Trump’s plan – he added.
Stressing that Egypt's plan for Gaza is good, Levy added, however, that he does not see who will replace Palestinian group Hamas, which had provided government to the strip.
There is no alternative to Hamas and in the current situation nothing works without Hamas' approval, the journalist said.
The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing nearly 800 people, injuring over 1,600 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 113,700 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
