Member-only story
Has World War Three Already Begun?
The Middle East has once more become the scene of horrific bloodletting. The latest bout of violence erupted on the 7th of October when the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched a surprise invasion into southern Israel. Unexpectedly bursting through the high-tech fence with which the Israeli government has long imprisoned more than 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza, Hamas gunmen attacked military installations, massacred civilians, and took hostages in the hope they might later be used for a prisoner swap.
The response from the Israeli government was wholly predictable and in keeping with their treatment of the Palestinians for many decades. The entire population of Gaza is once more subject to an act of collective punishment that includes the wholesale bombardment and siege of the Gaza strip, leaving millions without food, water, and electricity. As hundreds perished under Israel’s bombardment, we were subjected to the usual dehumanizing language with which Israeli politicians frequently condemn Palestinians. The Israeli Defence Minister Yov Gallant, for example, proclaimed that “We are fighting against human animals”.
Another familiar refrain emanating from the Israeli side was that their arch-enemy, Iran bore some responsibility for Hamas’s vicious attack. As yet no evidence has emerged that Iran knew about or helped plan the attack but the…
