The Israeli government does not want a ceasefire in Gaza and neither does the Biden administration. The Aug. 20 AP article “Blinken ends latest Mideast visit without a cease-fire, warning ‘time is of the essence’” makes Hamas appear to be the obstacle to peace. Hamas agreed to the ceasefire President Biden announced as “Israel’s plan” on May 31, which included the release of the Israeli hostages. Curiously, Israel dismissed its “own” plan. Reports now claim Hamas is the holdout.

Biden and Congress could have ended the offensive three months ago. Stopping the flow of deadly weapons to Israel is the solution they reject. Our government wants the decimation of Gaza to continue. Maine’s congressional delegation is part of the cheering squad. Apart from the token gesture of skipping Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress by Sen. King and Rep. Pingree, Maine’s Congress members remain silent. No condemnation was voiced over Israel’s assassination of Ismael Haniyeh, a key ceasefire negotiator, on July 31. No negotiators means no negotiations; that’s the plan.

Hearing no objections to the 40,000 civilian deaths, 115 journalists, nearly 300 aid workers (200 of them UN employees) or the 500-plus health workers killed, considering Israel’s noncompliance with the legally binding UN Security Council Ceasefire Resolution of March 25, use of starvation and and water deprivation as weapons, the UN’s July 31 report on the abuse and torture of Palestinian detainees, the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, and how the invasion continues unhindered, one can only conclude that a ceasefire is not the plan.

Paul Cunningham
South Portland