As a ground assault looms, President Joe Biden issues a stern warning to Israel: refrain from re-occupying Gaza after neutralizing Hamas.

The rationale is clear: a Gaza re-occupation could play into Iran and other Arab states’ hands. Israel’s adversaries seem to be following a calculated playbook, exploiting the Israeli-Hamas conflict as a pretext for a broader regional war, contingent on Israel remaining in Gaza after erasing Hamas’s authority.

Many, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are closely monitoring Israel’s actions. Israeli rhetoric, driven by Hamas’s heinous attacks, sparks a desire for retribution, with comparisons drawn to the Holocaust and ISIS’s brutality.

Reports of beheaded soldiers, attacks on women and children, and the ensuing global anger are widespread. However, there’s a crucial need to avoid framing this conflict as a colonial invasion. Israel’s aim is to eliminate Hamas, but Gazans must also act if they wish to change the situation. Currently, they suffer the brunt of Israeli offensives.

The perception arises that Gazans are being exploited by Israel’s enemies to portray Israel as an occupier. Escalating this conflict through ongoing discourse could lead to a regional war with no apparent solution.

The world should never allow this conflict to engulf and enflame the entire human community to anger.