Only a ceasefire in Gaza can save Israel from its worst-ever crisis | Observer editorial

The nation must oust its disastrous prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and embrace unpalatable truths

Israel is embroiled in the gravest crisis since its founding as an independent state in 1948. The country has faced dire peril many times since then, but rarely, if ever, have the external and internal threats to its continued existence appeared so dangerous and pernicious. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have often been accused of lack of concern about civilian casualties, notably in the West Bank. But never has the toll of innocent lives been so intolerably high as in the war in Gaza, where more than 33,000 Palestinians have died insix apocalyptic months.

Israeli governments are frequently criticised by UN bodies and aid groups for disregarding human rights, UN security council resolutions and the laws of war. But never before has the country been accused before the world's highest court of perpetrating genocide.

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