The brave secretary general of the UN, Antonio Guterres, last week invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to ask for a ceasefire in Gaza in order to preserve international peace and security. This article had not been invoked in more than 50 years. The US single-handedly vetoed it in the UN Security Council.

The US took a big risk by vetoing the call for a ceasefire. The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of one on Tuesday. If the fears of Guterres come true and the humanitarian system in Gaza collapses or if the situation escalates into a regional war, everyone will blame America. The US is sinking with Israel in this war. Israel comes across as the one driving American policy in the Middle East instead of the other way around. The more the Biden administration transfers weapons to Israel, the more it is culpable in this mass murder. On Saturday, President Joe Biden bypassed Congress and used an emergency authority to approve the transfer of tank shells to Israel.

Despite media reports saying that the US has given Israel until January to conclude its military campaign, claims of disputes behind closed doors and the shy American criticism that the Netanyahu government is not doing enough to minimize civilian deaths, what we see today is unwavering American support for Israel’s unbridled behavior. The war is being conducted without any exit strategy or any political vision. Israel accepts nothing but the total defeat of Hamas, which is unrealistic. Hamas fighters will fight to the death if they are cornered and this is not something that is in anyone’s interest.

Time is not on Israel’s side, but it is on Hamas’ side. The more innocent civilians Israel murders, the more global public opinion will turn against it. The more Israeli soldiers that return home in coffins, the more the Israeli public will get angry. Every further day that the Israeli government fails to save the hostages, the more rage will grow among the Israeli people and the more they will mistrust their state. And as time passes and Hamas holds on, it proves its strength and tenacity.

Now, the Houthis are starting to attack any ships heading to Israeli ports. To begin with, these strikes were all intercepted, but a Norwegian tanker was hit by a missile on Monday and, if there is a miscalculation in future, the situation could get out of control. The same can be said on the northern front. Despite the fact that both Israel and Hezbollah want to keep the confrontation under control, an escalation could happen. A ceasefire is in the best interests of everyone. Nevertheless, any ceasefire should be coupled with a plan for the day after.

The US should push for a ceasefire and a plan for Gaza. It should push for it now, before a day-after scenario is no longer possible. Israel is turning Gaza into another Stalingrad; its bombardment is making the Strip uninhabitable. There are mounting fears of a mass exodus from Gaza to Egypt, which would further complicate the problem. An expulsion of Palestinians to the Sinai — a project being touted by several Israeli politicians — would lead to a huge fallout with Cairo. It could destabilize the country and maybe lead to a war. Hence, the US should act before a de facto exodus can take place.

A ceasefire is in the best interests of everyone. Nevertheless, any ceasefire should be coupled with a plan for the day after

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

In order to do this, the White House should be pragmatic and push Israel to give up on its maximalist goals. Biden on Tuesday warned that Israel is losing support, but this is not enough — he should make Tel Aviv come to terms with reality. Even if Israel was to achieve victory, it would be a Pyrrhic one from which it would never recover. The US, instead of acquiescing to the Israelis’ demands, should make them realize that Hamas cannot be defeated militarily. But the group can be decommissioned by a political solution, as has been the case with many other armed resistance movements throughout history.

A ceasefire should be coupled with a deal with Hamas that includes a safe exit for the group’s leaders and an amnesty for its fighters. A deal should be worked out with Qatar and with Iran. Doha can conduct the mediation and possibly offer the leaders refuge. Tehran would need incentives to pull the plug on its military support of the Al-Qassam Brigades. The deal could include Al-Qassam stopping its activities entirely in return for a promise to hold elections within 18 months for a new transitional government. That government would then negotiate on the final status issues for a Palestinian state.

In the meantime, Gaza could be governed by an Arab/Islamic deterrence force under the UN, which would also work on building governance structures in the Strip. It is very important that the forces that take over Gaza have legitimacy among the Gazan population, otherwise they will face resistance. Here also, the US should not cater to Israel’s whims. Washington should make it clear to the Israelis that they are not the ones who will pick and choose who governs Gaza, nor do they have the right to go in and out as they please.

The same should be enforced in the West Bank. Israel’s military should gradually withdraw and be replaced by a multilateral force. It should halt the building of settlements as a first step, before dismantling them in the second place to allow for a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.

Israel would definitely not like this scenario and would use its domestic lobby in the US to repress it. However, the American administration should stand up to such domestic pressure, as a regional war would harm the US national interest and would kill any prospects of Biden’s reelection.

Israel is currently pushing others to the wall. It has just issued a warning to Hezbollah in Lebanon; if it acts on it, will Iran keep quiet? I doubt it. Can it target American interests in the Gulf? Of course it can. Now is the time for the US to show its resolve and coerce Israel into accepting a ceasefire — otherwise it will be too late and it will be Uncle Sam that bears the consequences.

• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.