Middle East & Africa | Israel in Gaza

The Israeli army is caught in a doom loop in Gaza

And the refusal to plan for the day after the war is fuelling a crisis with America

Palestinians, including children, collect remaining belongings from the rubble of destroyed houses in Rafah after Israeli attacks
Photograph: Getty Images
|DUBAI

IN RAFAH the stakes could not be higher. Supporters see Israel’s military offensive there, which began earlier this month, as a necessary assault on Hamas’s last bastion. Sceptics worry it will doom continuing talks about a hostage deal and, perhaps, the hostages themselves. Much of the world fears it will become a human tragedy, killing thousands of Palestinians and displacing a million more.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Third time unlucky”

From the May 18th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Middle East & Africa

Bottles of Pedro's premium Ogogoro

West African booze is becoming a luxury product

Female entrepreneurs are leading the charge

A Palestinian inspects the damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Al-Maghazi in Gaza

First, the ceasefire. Next the Trump effect could upend the Middle East

Will Israel and Donald Trump use the threat of annexation to secure a new grand bargain?


Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel

After 15 months of hell, Israel and Hamas sign a ceasefire deal

Donald Trump provided the X factor by putting heat on Binyamin Netanyahu, who insists the war isn’t over yet


A hidden refuge in Sudan that the internet, banks—and war—can’t reach

A visit to the Nuba mountains provides a glimpse into the future of the country

Violent jihadists are getting frustrated by the new Syria

Tipsy dancers, Christmas decorations, Shias and women’s rights are in the crosshairs

America concludes genocide has been committed in Sudan—again

The move highlights the magnitude of Sudan’s civil war but does little to end it