A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, preserve Israel's security, and create a better "day after" in Gaza without Hamas in power. If Hamas is ready to engage constructively, then the Israeli government must stand behind the cease-fire plan. Hamas must seize this moment and stop the fighting.
Every success on the battlefield should be celebrated, and Israeli forces managed to accomplish an astonishing rescue. Still, Israel must also remember that every victory hardens the hearts of Hamas' terrorist leadership. Israel cannot solely rely on military pressure to win this war, as the diplomatic and international fronts are crucial in defeating Hamas.
It should be clear after almost eight months of grinding brutality that Israel's true goal is to destroy Gaza and starve its people. Israel's "rescue operation" — which the US participated in — killed over 250 people, yet Israel and the US act as if this would somehow improve the situation. Israel is committing daily massacres in Gaza, and the US is fully complicit.