Bloodbath, disaster are the only achievements from Gaza war

Israeli senior journalist and writer Gideon Levy has covered the Palestine-Israel conflicts, in particular the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, from the ground for more than two decades. Working for the Israel's oldest newspaper Haaretz, Levy is a sharp critic of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. Asjadul Kibria, on behalf of The Financial Express (FE), talks to Gideon Levy through WhatsApp and email. Here are the excerpts of the interview:

FE: After less than three weeks, on October 7 this year to be precise, it will be one year of Hamas’ unprecedented brutal attack inside Israel that killed around 1,200 people. Hamas militants also captured at least 255 people making them hostage. The Hamas attack is followed by Israel’s all-out war in Gaza which is still continuing. The war has already killed more than 41,000 Palestinians and made the strip unliveable. What are the outcomes of the war which is one of the most bloody in the 21st century?
Gideon Levy: It is a total disaster, complete disaster. Thousands of people have been killed including many children. A large number of people are injured now. Almost all physical infrastructures in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli Defence Force (IDF). People in Gaza have been suffering tremendously from lack of food, water and medicine. They are living in an inhuman life. But, Israel has achieved nothing from the year-long war. When the war started almost a year ago, two main goals were declared by the Israeli government: destroying Hamas totally and releasing all the hostages captured by Hamas on October 7 last year. But Israel has failed to achieve any of the goals so far. True that Hamas has been marginalised militarily and it has lost its military power significantly, still Hamas is now stronger politically than any time which means Israel has failed to crash Hamas. Again, Israel is yet to release all the hostages. Of the 255, only 154 have returned. Of the rest 101 hostages, so far 35 of them were declared dead, as reported by Haaretz.
In fact, Israel has begun with the mass killing in Gaza, and now we have turned to the West Bank. Blood will be shed in gallons there too, if no one stops the fighting. The killing is both physical and emotional. Nothing is left of Gaza now. The detainees, the orphans, the traumatised, and the homeless will never return to what they were. The dead certainly will not. It will take generations for Gaza to recover, if it even can. This is genocide, even if it does not meet the legal definition.
FE: After the breakout of the war, a week-long ceasefire was there at the last week of November in 2023. Since then, despite repeated attempts and talks, there is no ceasefire. Now, Do you think there will be a ceasefire soon as United States,, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach a deal for the last few months?
Gideon Levy: I don’t think so. I don’t see any such potential so far. It is because the US is not doing enough to push Israel to accept ceasefire. The US is only talking and urging both the parities to stop war. At the same time, the country has been continuously supplying arms and ammunitions to Israel which means it is backing Israel to continue the war, continue the destruction in Gaza. Moreover, as the US Presidential election is going to take place in less than two months, the US will not take any effective move in this direction.
FE: If Donald Trump gets elected on November 5 election, will the situation worsen further?
Gideon Levy: If Donald Trump wins the election and becomes the next President of the US, it will be a catastrophe for the whole world and not only for our region. Nevertheless, the US policy on Israel will change a little no matter who wins the election, either the Democrat or the Republican.
FE: Israel has also launched strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon in the last week. Even many in Israel, including you, do believe that Hezbollah is much more powerful than Hamas. If so, what will be the ultimate outcome of the new conflict?
Gideon Levy: It will be a serious bloodbath. Lebanon will be damaged and destroyed severely. Part of the country will be turned into another Gaza as IDF strikes heavily and batter the different sites of Lebanon. Israel has already launched strikes that killed at least 500 people and wounded 1,600. The UN said that around 90,000 Lebanese are displaced in five days. More people will be killed and many will be uprooted from their houses and displaced and even may become refugees. Israel will, however, not be safe and protected as Hezbollah will continue to resist and launch rocket attacks. This time, Huti militants and Iran-backed militants in Syria may join Hezbollah. Thus, there will be a regional war on a massive scale which has very serious consequences not only for the regional countries in the Middle-East but also for the whole world. The US is now trying to prevent an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah. I am not sure, whether it will be successful.
FE: You are a sharp critic of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, and Israeli policy to undermine the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people for long. How do your countrymen or the government react to your role?
Gideon Levy: Things are not easy there and we have to pay heavy price. There is an economic price for our newspaper, Haaretz. But it is in the DNA of the newspaper to challenge Israeli government’s narrative and arguments regarding the persistent killings of Palestinians in Gaza. There is anger against journalists like me and media like Haaretz for long. I have covered Gaza for many years, I have also covered West Bank. Now, Israeli government doesn’t allow me to go to Gaza.
FE: We see that there are protests in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding the release of the hostages from Gaza and agree on cease fire. How effective these protests are?
Gideon Levy: Very little. The Israeli government will stick to its policy to destroy Gaza and kill the Palestinian people. Most Israelis do not find this terrible and unacceptable. They live under a systematic denial and brainwashing thanks to Israeli media, the education system and other agencies. Through persistent campaigns they demonise and dehumanise the Palestinians. Most Israelis have never met a Palestinian, never talked to a Palestinian, never sat and met a real Palestinian equal to them. To them, all of the Palestinians are terrorists and Hamas.
FE: Your first book, The Punishment of Gaza, was published 14 years ago. Now, your latest book, The Killing of Gaza: Reports on a Catastrophe, has just published. What the readers will get from the book?
Gideon Levy: In my latest book, I provide the context of the seventh October attack. I categorically argue that it has a context, a background and you can’t ignore them. It is not a matter of justify or not justify the attack, it is a harsh reality everyone needs to accept. You have to start with 1948 as Gaza is the biggest centre of Palestinian refugees since then. Gaza has passed various phases for the next seven and half decades. In 2006, Israel made Gaza the biggest cage in the world, the biggest open prison in the world, by withdrawing from Gaza. Gaza has been under siege for the last 18 years. This is the context, the background. Can you imagine 2.3 million people just closed in a cage? What do you expect from them after keeping them under siege for 18 years? Israel has been humiliating the people in Gaza, killing them whenever it wants and driving them to live terrible lives year after year. How many Israelis have ever been to Gaza? For them, Gaza is only a laboratory for terror. I have been in Gaza. I love Gaza, I love the people of Gaza who are human beings. I love the beaches and foods in Gaza. When I tell these to Israeli people, they think that I’m out of my mind.
Come back to your question, in first part of the book I give the context. In the second part of the book, I provide the description and analyse of the ensuing devastation of Gaza. I have covered Gaza situation for many years. My ground experience is reflected in the book.
FE: Your critics say that you are a Hebrew-spoken only who doesn’t know Arabic. So your communication and conversation with Palestinians and Arabs is faulty as you don’t understand them and they also don‘t understand you.
Gideon Levy: Yes, I am a Hebrew-speaking person who also writes in Hebrew. Almost all my write-ups are translated in English so that people like you can read. Some are also translated in Arabic. Now, there is no problem in communicating with the Palestinians who are Arabic-speaking. Some of them understand Hebrew and there are interpreters also. We can also communicate in English. So, language is not a barrier to understand each other. Moreover, it is the urge to understand the Palestinians, to listen to their never ending stories of sufferings and humiliations, to realise their sorrows and joys that makes the communication easier.
FE: How optimistic are you about the end of the Palestine-Israel conflict and a peaceful situation in the region during your lifetime?
Gideon Levy: To be frank, I am not optimistic and I can’t see any possibility in that direction. Nevertheless, nobody predicted that Soviet Union would fall, Berlin wall would collapse, apartheid regime in South Africa would come to an end. I mean, all those were unpredictable a few years or even months before the events took place. Think about your country, Bangladesh. How many of you thought that the autocratic regime would be ousted in such a manner? So, after a period of time, anything may happen.

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