There will be no let-up for Palestinians in Gaza

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanoan has been widely welcomed. But not in Gaza because there is no complementary ceasefire deal for them and now that israel Defence Forces troops can switch all their efforts back to Gaza, the tiny strip of territory is going to feel the full brunt of Israel's firepower against the Hamas remnants. Many more people are going to die in the crossfire and bombings. Already the figure, according to the Hamas-run health mnistry in Gaza, is 44,000, although at least 15,000 of those will have been Hamas fighters. Hamas has lost all of its key leaders but somehow is still posing a threat to IDF troops and to Israel itself. Of the 30,000 or so Hamas members, probably fewer than half that number are still alive. But with their mass of tunnels and underground bunkers, they are fighting on. The IDF, with Hezbollah shut down, at least for the moment, the order given by Benjamin Netanyahu to annihilate Hamas will be grimly pursued. Gaza over the next few months is going to see more destruction. And the poor hostages who have managed to stay alive face another terrible, desperate winter. It's time this war ended.