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Today marks the second anniversary of Hamas’ deadly incursion of Israel that claimed 1200 lives and saw 250 Israelis taken hostage – 20 of whom are still believed to be alive.

In the two years since the attack, the Israeli Defense Force has flattened much of the infrastructure in Gaza, killed more than 64000 Palestinians, and imposed a blockade that has denied Gazans access to food, water and medical treatment. Israel’s vengeance has been characterized by many, including South Africa’s government, as genocide.

To be clear, Palestinians have the right to struggle for equal rights and freedom, and Israelis have the right to protect their population from harm. But these rights do not extend to killing civilians. Much of the righteous sympathy for Israel that followed events on 7 October 2023 has dissipated and turned to anger as genocidal events have unfolded.

Violence begets more violence. The greatest respect that Israel and Hamas could pay the dead, maimed and afraid civilian populations on both sides of the fence would be to declare an immediate secession of violence and the opening of talks that will sustainably defend the rights to sovereignty with sufficient checks and balances to protect every person’s safety.

Each day that the war continues makes the settlement Israelis and Palestinians will inevitably reach more fraught, adding more bodies to the pile and amplifying hatred and division.

Israel must stop its bombing, Hamas must return the hostages it’s still holding, and politicians must sit down to discuss what’s best, not for geopolitics, but for Israeli and Palestinian citizens.

Issued by Brett Herron, GOOD: Secretary-General