The ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, which never fully came into effect, is now hanging by a thread. Among the many casualties of renewed fighting, especially if it spirals back into full-blown warfare, will be the claims and credibility of US President Donald Trump.
Fighting never really ended between the two sides, with Israel, in particular, having continued military operations. Now major Israeli air strikes have killed more than 100 Palestinians, and they may be set to continue in coming days.
The Israeli attacks were apparently prompted, at least in part, by videos supposedly filmed by Israeli military drones that appear to show Hamas militants digging up and re-burying shrouded remains that Israel insists are the bodies of dead Israelis. The accusation is that Hamas fighters were re-burying the bodies in order to stage a fake recovery, with the remains deliberately left to be found by Red Cross workers.
The accusations are not implausible. A statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross condemning Hamas for “staging” a scene involving the remains of hostages strongly bolsters Israel’s accusations. And while Israel has continued to attack and kill Palestinians, albeit at a much lower rate, during the ceasefire, it’s disturbingly easy to i
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