Jon Stewart has described Israel's peace plan as a "military siege," mocking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "day after" plan for the Gaza Strip.
The comedian discussed the Israel-Hamas war on the latest installment of The Daily Show, which aired on Monday night, blasting Netanyahu's calls to demilitarize Gaza and take control of the area's entry and exit points.
On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking another 250 captive. Netanyahu vowed to "demolish Hamas," with Israel subsequently launching airstrikes on Gaza, where Hamas is based.
Supplies of food, medicine, fuel and energy to the area were cut off before Israel launched a ground offensive in late October. As of February 27, almost 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Associated Press, while roughly 80 percent of the territory's 2.3 million population have been displaced.
Stewart shared a CNN clip breaking down Netanyahu's plan for peace, which includes retaining security over the West Bank and Gaza, where Palestinians wish to create an independent state.
"So your peace plan is a siege," Stewart said of the footage. "A military siege. You really think a military solution ends this cycle?"
Stewart then cut to a video of Netanyahu, in which the politician states "Victory is within reach."
"You can't have victory until you eliminate Hamas," Netanyahu proclaims in the short clip, to which Stewart replies: "But your plan to eliminate Hamas by destroying all of Gaza, doesn't that just make more Hamases?"
"Palestinian liberation is an idea," the 61-year-old continued, before jokingly adding, "Unless you have a bomb that kills ideas… Do you have a bomb that kills ideas?
Stewart had his own suggestions for achieving peace in the Middle East, including playing tennis at Seeds for Peace's Maine summer camp. The non-profit aims to transform "legacies of conflict into courage," holding annual dialogue sessions and group challenges for teenagers.
"How fast can we make 14 million rackets?" Stewart asked, before moving on to his second option of "just ask God."
"He can tell us who is right," he said. "Is it the Jews? Is it the Muslims? Is it the Zoroastrians?
"If it's the Scientologists, a lot of us are going to have egg on our faces."
Newsweek has reached out to Jon Stewart for comment via email.
Speaking to reporters in New York City on Monday, President Joe Biden suggested a six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could start "by the end of the weekend."
Approximately 40 hostages held by Hamas are set to be released as one of the conditions for the proposed break in fighting, with Israeli officials due to meet with mediators from Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt.
Update 02/27/24 4:52 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include further information on The Daily Show's latest episode and the Israel-Hamas war.
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