In the fog of war and amidst the intense pain of loss and destruction, it is hard to see a world where this ends. But end it must.
With every day that passes, the humanitarian and political disaster unfolding in the Middle East demands both immediate and permanent resolution.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. The World Health Organization has said that an unprecedented 93% of the population is facing crisis levels of hunger and that the few hospitals that are partially functioning are overwhelmed with trauma cases. There is an absolute imperative for more aid to enter Gaza.
The potential for a two-month ceasefire in exchange for complete hostage release was the subject of a meeting in Paris last week between Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt, which is said to have been “constructive”.
The time has come for a permanent political settlement to this most intractable of conflicts which is now entering its eighth decade.
Both sides face two inescapable truths. First, they are going to have to find a way to live alongside each other. Second, that they have common objectives.
Israel has a legitimate right to live not just securely, but in circumstances where its citizens can have normal productive lives free from fear. But so do the Palestinians. They have a right to a state, to self-determination, to dignity and also to safety.
The two sides came tantalisingly close to such an agreement in the 1993 Oslo Accords. Even if the Oslo paradigm is now dead, it is a reminder that both sides have shown mutual respect for one another’s rights and a willingness to work towards them in the past.
Finding a way through this does not mean appeasing terrorists. The events of October 7th were truly appalling and have profound implications. There is no place for Hamas within future Palestinian political leadership and it will be the duty of the Palestinian authority to find an alternative. But the events of October 7th also show that no walls, military might or surveillance domes can keep the Israeli people safe.
There is now a need for the intense involvement of trusted allies in the region and beyond, in the facilitation of peace talks, framing of the political future and to support security arrangements on the ground. This is a point I discussed with the Foreign Secretary David Cameron earlier this month, who said this week the UK had “a responsibility” to set out what a future Palestinian state would look like and could recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations as part of a contribution towards a peaceful outcome.
The conflict in Northern Ireland may not be an exact comparator but was similar in its intensity. The Good Friday Agreement was a triumph of statecraft and diplomacy made possible by the direct involvement of trusted allies. I hope that it might provide a model for the Middle East, and an end to the bloodshed once and for all.