I am reporting from southern Israel on the morning of October 7, 2023. I have witnessed the carnage of Hamas, and I have been covering the ensuing war in Gaza for Fox News for the past 12 months.
The takeaway on the ground is obvious: The hostages who remain in the hands of Hamas must be released and the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip must stop. Each day of additional suffering drives a wider wedge between Israelis and Palestinians, along with those who support each side. Enough is enough.
Hamas’ attacks on Israel, known as Black Saturday, left more than 800 civilians and more than 300 soldiers dead. People were massacred in their homes, kibbutzim were sacked, and many survivors were dragged as hostages to Gaza. Murders and kidnappings are horrific events that deserve blame.
Israel’s response to Black Saturday has left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Based on estimates by the Israel Defense Forces, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about 17,000 were militants. Of the civilian casualties, the majority fell or were wounded by the barrage of Israeli airstrikes, often using American-made bombs. The level of Gaza and its population is a terrible event that should be widely condemned.
Two things can be true at the same time. The October 7 attacks killed more Jews than at any time since the Holocaust. Israel’s response has killed more Palestinians than at any other time in recorded history.
As a war reporter, I have met soldiers all over the world – in Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, as well as Israel – and the best of them do not celebrate death, they die from the enemy. And especially not civilians.
So why are so many outside the war zone ready to glorify the massacre of Israelis on October 7th or willing to dismiss the Palestinian casualties in the war?
My answer is simple: lack of empathy. Lack of understanding and curiosity about the reasons humans do what they do. Along with tribalism that encourages tunnel vision and refuses to see or hear anything that does not support the tribal position.
I consider the normalization of civilian casualties to be one of the most dangerous trends produced by this war. Yes, civilians always die in war. No, we should not be desensitized to it. The distinction between combatants and civilians, although asymmetric warfare can be blurred, is based on international law and the rules of war.
And often it’s not blurry at all.
While some pro-Palestinians claim the killing of American Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin was justified because he had previously served in the Israeli army, they are wrong. Hersh was an unarmed civilian, attending a music festival, when he was taken hostage and later executed by his captors.
While some supporters of Israel claim the killing of journalist Ismail al-Ghoul in a drone strike is justified because he was previously suspected of having ties to Hamas, they are wrong. Al-Ghoul was reporting for Al Jazeera at the time of his death. He and his cameraman were armed only with cameras and are among more than 100 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel during the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Zero-sum thinking after a year of catastrophic conflict creates discord, hatred and absolutism.
Generalizations directed at either side are neither accurate nor helpful. Not all Israelis support the air and ground campaign against Gaza. And among those who do, some believe it should continue until the hostages are released. Not all Palestinians support Hamas and its actions. A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Surveys in September found that 35% of Palestinians in Gaza have returned to Hamas.
Strong leadership on both sides will decide whether violence and bloodshed will continue. Israel and Hamas must define terms for a ceasefire and peace, while being flexible enough to reach an agreement. Any observer knows the basics: Hamas will not destroy Israel and conquer the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. And Israel will never be able to defeat Hamas, an organization and cause that is not limited to Gaza.
End the war, at least temporarily, with diplomacy. By agreement. With an offer. Israel and Palestine can find a way.
So Israel and Hamas, stop this war. The hostages reunite with their families and stop killing civilians.
Don’t destroy people’s humanity. Stop the fire.
Trey Yingst was named chief foreign correspondent for Fox News in August. He is the author of the recently published book “Black Saturday.”
