The Guardian view on Israel’s political strategy: it cannot just be unassailable military strength | Editorial

The country's approach to the Palestinians has been shaped by the political right for a decade. It's not working

Israel has some of the most advanced armed forces in the world, but in its war against Hamas it lacks an equally sophisticated political strategy. The humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Gaza is taking on frightening dimensions. Bread is running out. Scabies and diarrhoea rip through overcrowded shelters. Brackish water is making people sick. Even US officials now admit the civilian death toll is likely to be far higher than the 10,000 reported. It is talking, not fighting, that will end the war.

The absence of a sustainable peace plan divides Israel and its allies. When Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Israeli forces could be in Gaza indefinitely, Washington made it clear it wanted no permanent reoccupation. Mr Netanyahu backed down. But he has not ruled out shrinking Gaza's territory to create a buffer zone" or forcibly displacing Palestinians. Mr Netanyahu leads the most rightwing government in Israel's history: one minister recently suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza.