Mass murder in Gaza may be beyond the scope of the US government’s moral comprehension. One thing members of Congress and the White House surely have ample experience to understand is the politics of a threatened government shutdown over a budget stalemate.

Why did the Netanyahu government – with US backing – break the “ceasefire” and kill more than 400 Semites in Gaza yesterday? This action also ups the odds that remaining Israeli hostages will not survive. In the short term, resuming the war helps Netanyahu bring back Zionist support needed maintain his ruling coalition and prevent an election. In the longer run, each day of killing continues a decades-long policy of reducing the size of the Palestinian population and expanding Israeli territory.

Why did Israel resume the war in Gaza? – NPR

Why did the ceasefire break down? Blame Netanyahu’s survival politics and Trump’s volatility – Jewish Forward

Netanyahu returns to war amid mounting political pressure at home – WaPost

Israel’s Ramadan massacre obliterates any remaining western claims of moral leadership – David Hearst/MEE

“At 2:20am on Tuesday local time in the Gaza Strip, Washington inaugurated a new era in world politics. This was the moment Israel timed its attacks on dozens of targets in the enclave to coincide with suhoor, the predawn meal eaten by Muslims in preparation for a day of fasting. The timing was designed to inflict maximum civilian casualties, as families across Gaza gathered to eat and pray during the holy month of Ramadan, even if they had little or no food to consume.

“The mass simultaneous attacks on 100 separate locations achieved their objective, making it one of the worst acts of wanton butchery by Israeli forces during the 15-month war on Gaza. More than 400 Palestinians were killed, including more than 170 children, according to Gaza health officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought and got a green light from Washington before launching these attacks.

“US President Donald Trump thus signalled a new era in global affairs by giving his consent for a wave of attacks that broke every aspect of the ceasefire deal, signed in the presence of international guarantors. In one act, Trump turned the West that his nation claims to lead into the Wild West.”