The Observer view on Middle East: a year on, there is only one way to a credible peace | Observer editor

Israel has a right to defend itself, but not over the bodies of thousands of civilians. A two-state solution is the only way to stop the bloodshed

Tomorrow’s first anniversary of the 7 October Hamas terror attacks on southern Israel in which more than 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage is a grim milestone. It’s a moment to remember those Israelis, mostly civilians, who were brutally tortured, sexually abused and murdered. It’s a time to imagine, if possible, the agony endured by the hostages’ relatives. Many have since lost their loved ones. About 100 hostages remain unaccounted for. It’s a moment to reflect on – and unreservedly condemn – the unfathomable hatred that led the young Palestinian men of Gaza to perpetrate such appalling, inhuman acts.

The anniversary is also an opportunity to examine the response to the massacre of Israel’s government and people, and of Israel’s friends and enemies. The country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was accused of presiding over an unprecedented security failure. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and intelligence agencies also faced harsh criticism. Netanyahu, urged on by his far-right coalition partners and fearing for his job, decided only blood could pay for blood. He vowed, unrealistically, to destroy Hamas. From that decision, many more massacres flowed.

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