Israel-Hamas conflict is deepening. What might it mean for America?

I’ve been stuck in limbo watching this escapade unfold in the Middle East between Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and others. The world seems on a tilt and I’m wondering how deeper our country’s involvement will be.

I’ve been watching various newscasts to get all the broad discussions and expert opinions as to how the situation is unfolding and could be handled.

Most recently, a large hospital in the Gaza Strip was hit by rocket fire and some 500 fatalities have resulted, according to reports. Iran and the Arab world have accused Israel of killing innocent civilians. This message has ignited the Arab population and other nations around the globe.

Some college students in America have concluded that the massacre of Jewish civilians, including kids, grandmothers, parents and others, are not necessarily true, and Hamas is not the real enemy.

I think it might have been Winston Churchill who once said, "A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth gets a chance to get its pants on."

It seems this lie has inflamed the already hostile Arab world against Israel and the West. No one on that side wants to talk about the vicious murders or mutilation of young Israeli kids, the elderly, and rapes of mothers and sisters and many other atrocities at the hands of Hamas on Oct. 7.

The truth of the matter, according to Israeli officials and American intelligence, is that a Hamas rocket most likely accidentally exploded over the hospital, killing those innocent civilians. Existing videos of the launched rocket and explosion seem to support this very finding.

The Arab world has accepted the first premise that Israel is the villain. Even some representatives in our own Congress have supported this falsehood.

President Joe Biden who went to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and supports the notion that Hamas, and not Israel, launched the rocket. Those protestors around the globe, however, do not agree with this premise.

As of this writing Thursday afternoon, the Israeli army is still positioned on the perimeter of the Gaza Strip, waiting to enter the enemy enclave and destroy all of Hamas. Israel has been systematically killing some of the leaders of that organization along the way.

The Arab neighbors, including Iran, have suggested that "the time is over" and are preparing to rid the Middle East of the Jewish population, threatening to enter the war.

The United States has positioned warships in nearby waters and are awaiting instructions on how to react when the Jewish military enters the Gaza Strip.

Iran-backed Hezbollah is engaging the Jewish nation on the northern frontier, and Iran might enter the conflict from another direction.

Compounding this situation is the fact that the Hamas terrorists have captured and hold nearly 200 hostages from its Oct. 7 raid across Israel’s border. For sure, some sort of hostage negotiations are occurring, which may be the reason for the delay of Israel’s attack.

In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin is on his way to visit his friend President Xi in China.

Biden looked very tired in his photo-op with Netanyahu. I suspect some aspect of military strategy was discussed with all the respective parties.

In addition to this meeting of the minds, Biden has pledged some $100 million to help the displaced Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.

More: Netanyahu is out and Biden is in. Why Israel is embracing a new 'father figure'

In case you haven’t been watching the news and gathering information, the shock waves of this incident will most certainly affect Americans in a lot of different ways.

The price of oil, the increase in our national debt, putting Americans in harms way on foreign soil, and many other possibilities not even mentioned are apt to occur.

And to add another note on how our government is functioning during this period of stress, have you noticed how the Republican Party cannot even unite to elect a House speaker. Perhaps they don’t see the failure of their behavior in this time of peril.

I am reminded of a fable where two stubborn goats are crossing a deep ravine on a single log from different directions and both refuse to move. Eventually they engage each other and fall off the log to their death in the ravine below because of their stubbornness.

Are there any goats in Congress today?

I’m thinking more than a few!

Pete Waters is a Sharpsburg resident who writes for The Herald-Mail.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: The Arab world says 'time is over.' What’s next for the United States?