First and most obviously: The government of Israel needs to rush, in abundant quantities and to immediate and undeniable effect, food and medicine to the places in the Gaza Strip that desperately need them.
This is as much a matter of self-interest as it is of humanitarianism. Few things hurt Israel more than the global perception, however tendentious, that it’s deliberately starving kids. Nothing helps Hamas more, either. Whatever benefits Hamas might derive from the aid pale next to the propaganda boon it has achieved through the starvation narrative — even if it’s Hamas itself that bears the final responsibility for causing and perpetuating Gaza’s misery.
But then what? There are three basic options.
The first is a negotiated settlement. Until just two weeks ago, the prospect of a ceasefire appeared to be tantalizingly close. Then Hamas hardened its stance. It has flatly refused to disarm until a Palestinian state is created.
A ceasefire now lies farther out of reach. France’s feckless and destructive plan to recognize a Palestinian state, along with promises from Britain and Canada to follow suit, was a guaranteed incentive for Hamas to raise the diplomatic price on Israel. What a perverse reward for the terrorist group, and a punishment for ordinary Gaza residents.