Alert – Waleed Aly’s chilling prediction about the war in Gaza – and the five words that will strike fear into anyone hoping for an Israeli ceasefire

Waleed Aly has made a terrifying prediction about the Israel-Hamas war, saying the conflict could potentially last for ‘months’ or even years and spell disaster for the entire region.

Speaking on The Project on Monday, Aly said there was no hope of an end to the conflict, which began when terrorist group Hamas launched a series of coordinated attacks on Israel on October 7, because of Israel’s refusal to consider a ceasefire.

The journalist and academic, 45, who is a Sunni Muslim, summed up the Jewish state’s attitude to a potential ceasefire in five words: ‘That is not an option.’

Aly also described the trajectory of the war – the latest bloody chapter in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that first started in 1948 – as ‘scary’ and ‘chilling’.

The Palestinian death toll has passed 8,000, most of them women and children, due to Israeli retaliatory strikes, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, the majority of them civilians slain in Hamas’ initial land, air and sea assault on October 7.

There are growing calls from governments and peace organisations around the world for a ceasefire to stop civilian deaths in Gaza.

But Israel isn’t backing down, and remains determined to bring back the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas during its deadly rampage three weeks ago.

‘It is the scariest and the most chilling thing for me,’ Aly began.

‘I don’t see a way that it doesn’t actually get worse – as unimaginable as that might be – because even the idea of a ceasefire, as far as Israel is concerned, that is not an option, because they will just say, “Well, that just means Hamas will regroup.”

‘So if that’s their attitude, then a ceasefire is like telling them that they can’t defend themselves and they will never accept that because that’s their interpretation of those events.’ 

He continued: ‘This just feels to me that it could easily just become a profound escalation that will go on. This will go for months, it could go for a year, and the whole region ends up on fire.’

Aly’s commentary comes after the Albanese government sparked backlash for abstaining from a United Nations motion calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The non-binding resolution, drafted by Jordan, called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the bloody conflict between the Jewish state and the terrorist organisation.

A UN General Assembly vote in New York saw the measure pass with 120 countries backing it, 14 countries voting against, and 45 abstaining, including .

The move has sparked backlash on both sides of the political party with members of the Jewish and Muslim community also left unhappy.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s leadership as ‘weak’ for not backing the US and Israel who voted against the motion.

‘The prime minister had an opportunity here in the United Nations to send a clear message about our values and where we stand, and he failed that test,’ Mr Dutton told Sky News.

‘And I think it was an incredibly weak display of leadership from the Prime Minister.’

The n Jewish Association also accused Mr Albanese of ‘weak’ leadership.  

‘The Albanese government should have stood with Israel, the USA and the 14 countries who voted against the shameful resolution, including many in our region,’ the lobby group wrote on X.

From the other side of the political spectrum Greens leader Adam Bandt was equally as scathing.

‘Labor’s failure to vote with most of the world for a ceasefire is unacceptable,’ Mr Bandt wrote on X. 

‘Labor needs to work towards peace, not war, in Gaza and the Middle East.’

Former n Craig Forster expressed similar sentiments calling ‘s position ‘deplorable’.

‘News overnight that abstained from a United Nations vote on the protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations is deplorable and deeply, deeply sad,’ he said. 

‘Commitment to international human rights and humanitarian law by should be a given.’

‘s Muslim community is also signalling its displeasure with the stance. 

Federation of Islamic Councils Chief Executive Kamalle Dabboussy said there was even talk of blocking Labor MPs from mosques and community centres.

‘There is anger in the community and there is talk of questioning the value of engagement,’ Mr Dabboussy said. 

Islamic Council of Victoria’s Adel Salman said Labor’s ‘one-sided’ support of Israel was rankling community leaders to the extent that centres were closing their doors to government MPs.

The General Delegation of Palestine in , which represents the Palestinian Authority that rules over the West Bank, also called ‘s decision ‘deeply disappointing’.

n Palestinian Network President Nasser Mashni also expressed his disappointment calling the fighting in Gaza is ‘catastrophic’. 

However, there was a rare show of support for ‘s position by Zionist Federation of President Jeremy Leibler.

‘ made the right decision not to support a UN General Assembly resolution on Gaza that failed to condemn the barbaric terrorist attack… or call for the release of more than 229 hostages,’ he said. 

‘s UN ambassador and permanent representative, James Larsen, told the Assembly that ‘abstained with disappointment’ because the motion was ‘incomplete’. 

 ‘The way Israel chooses to defend itself matters,’ he said echoing comments by Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

‘We can affirm Israel’s right to defend itself, while also saying the way it does so matters,’ he said.

While abstaining from voting for the ceasefire called ‘for humanitarian pauses on hostilities, so that food, water, medicine and other essential assistance can reach people in desperate need, and so that civilians can get to safety’.