The case for a Gaza ceasefire

The explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza city that is believed to have killed an indeterminate number of people (from scores to hundreds, depending on the source of information) is an incident that could send the situation in West Asia spiralling out of control. There is a groundswell of anger on the streets of the Arab world.

In a polarised environment, what caused the deaths in the Anglican-run hospital will be contested for a long time, and the incident proves the axiom that truth is often the first casualty of war. Hamas has blamed the deaths on an Israeli airstrike while authorities in Tel Aviv said the explosion was caused by the misfire of a rocket launched from Gaza.

While the continuing anger in Israel over the brazen terrorist attacks by Hamas is understandable, the support offered by the West for Tel Aviv’s right to self-defence cannot be carte blanche for an unrelenting campaign of bombardment and air strikes that only results in more civilian deaths. Already the toll on both sides is far too high — 1,400 in Israel and almost 3,500 in Gaza.