Israel Declares 'Victory' After 40,000 Casualties, Cites 'Imminent' Prisoner Swap
Netanyahu’s government, responsible for over 40,000 Palestinian casualties and the displacement of nearly two million, now claims a 'victory' (The New Arab). This follows a familiar pattern: 'victory' declared after devastating military campaigns, always followed by a prisoner exchange repackaged as a diplomatic triumph. We heard similar declarations after Operation Cast Lead in 2008-09 and
Protective Edge in 2014, yet Gaza remains under siege, and the underlying issues remain unaddressed. The 'imminent' prisoner swap, where Palestinian prisoners are exchanged for Israeli captives, is presented as an act of goodwill, not a necessary condition of past agreements often disregarded. This cyclical 'victory' narrative, amplified by a media that rarely questions how many times one can
'win' the same conflict, conveniently sidelines the ongoing civilian suffering and the continued expansion of settlements. It’s an exercise in geopolitical theater, designed to sanitize a brutal occupation while maintaining the illusion of a resolution. How many 'victories' does it take before the world recognizes the consistent defeat of peace?