The spiralling violence wrought by Hamas atrocities, and Israel’s retaliation in Gaza, cannot be ended by military means

This has been a year of destruction and slaughter for the Middle East. Far from awakening from the nightmare, the region is slipping deeper into war. Israel is planning a “significant and serious” retaliation against Iran for its missile attack. The retaliatory cycle is spinning faster, with the conflagration feared from the first growing closer. Once more, civilians will pay.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas targeted Israelis gathered with their families at home and dancing with friends at a festival. More than 1,200 men, women and children were killed by fighters who had crossed from Gaza: the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, in the country built to guarantee their safety. Another 250 – the youngest nine months old – were taken hostage. Though around half were subsequently released, many have yet to return home. Others never will.