‘Following October 7th, many Israelis lost empathy for Gazans, seeing them as complicit with Hamas’

Israel plans to intensify its 22-month-long war against Hamas by launching a ground operation to take control of Gaza City. The move has triggered renewed international appeals for a ceasefire, and deepened fears for the safety of Palestinian civilians and the fate of Israeli hostages still held within Gaza. To discuss the implications of this latest development, FRANCE 24’s Erin Ogunkeye welcomes Yossi Mekelberg, Associate Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Programme at Chatham House in London. Mr. Mekelberg warns Netanyahu is mainly seeking to “serve his own political interests and appease the most extreme elements within his own government.”