2023-10-18 07:47:17
ISTANBUL: After Israel ordered the evacuation of 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza, Israeli tanks and troops began preparing “significant group operations” along the Gaza border amid continuing airstrikes in the besieged Palestinian territory. Yet Israel’s plans have raised concerns regarding further casualties and forced population transfers. Less than a week into the violence, the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 2,400, making it the deadliest of the five Gaza wars already.
Israel has framed its ground campaign as a mission to defeat Hamas and free Israeli hostages, stemming from the October 7 offensive known as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by the Palestinian faction. [1] During this operation, Hamas violated Israel’s security perimeter and blockade, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and dozens of hostages. Cited as one of the worst attacks in Israel’s history, it was deemed to have exposed intelligence failures and caused a psychological trauma to the country.
Israel won significant international sympathy following the attacks by Hamas, and Israel’s invasion plans received tacit approval from the US and its Western allies. She emphasized Israel’s “right to self-defense” following the operation and refrained from calling for restraint as Israel’s security took priority. [2] In a further show of support, Washington and European nations have deployed their naval warships to the eastern Mediterranean, while the Biden administration has promised more military aid to Israel. [3,4]
However, these sentiments persisted despite widespread concerns that Gaza would face collective punishment, which would represent violations of international law. Fears for civilians’ lives have grown since the Israeli government announced it would cut off electricity, food and water supplies to the densely populated enclave of more than 2.2 million residents.
Underlying Western support is a lack of political effort to facilitate Palestinian statehood, largely due to slow international diplomatic initiatives to achieve this. Notably, the Joe Biden administration has not appointed a single US ambassador to Israel, thereby weakening its diplomatic presence in the conflict. [5] This lack of pressure on the Israeli government to ease sanctions and support Palestinian sovereignty is worrisome.
Disadvantages of local agreements
Even before the current violence, the situation in Gaza was clearly unacceptable. Since 2007, a year following Hamas was elected in Gaza’s first and only elections in 2006, Israel has blockaded Gaza’s borders, airspace, and territorial waters and continued its de facto occupation despite its 2005 military withdrawal. This was exacerbated by the multiple conflicts that followed.
The situation in the Middle East is further complicated by the impact of the Abraham Accords, which the Trump administration spearheaded to normalize diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab countries in 2020. Disappointment surrounding the Palestinian question and the “deal of the century” in January 2020 also added fuel to the fire. [7] Although the agreements were hailed as diplomatic victories within Washington, they were criticized for failing to promote sufficient pressure on Israel to ease dire conditions in the occupied territories and facilitate the Palestinians’ right to self-determination under international law. of pressure.
Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which normalized relations with Israel at the time of the deal, were strongly sympathetic to Israel when they condemned Hamas for the October 7 operation. [8] However, as the violence in Gaza escalated, they were obliged to send humanitarian aid to Gaza and de-escalate to avoid criticism that they were not helping the Palestinian people. This balancing act is even more delicate for Saudi Arabia, as further normalization talks hosted by the Biden administration have now been suspended, and Riyadh has embraced the prospect of more advanced weapons and US support for its domestic nuclear program. [9]
Even before the current violence, Saudi Arabia carefully navigated its stance toward Israeli normalization to avoid accusations of neglecting the Palestinian issue. Riyadh’s moves are also aimed at avoiding a backlash from regional divisions, amid concerns that Israel might be drawn into a conflict with Iran-backed groups in Syria and Hezbollah, Tehran’s Lebanese ally. Indeed, hard-line voices in the US have called for sanctions once morest Iran, preemptively blaming Hamas for its actions, thus risking inflaming regional tensions.
On October 12, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi discussed the importance of regional security and Islamic unity, Raisi’s office said. [10] Saudi Arabia, which eased tensions with Iran following China-brokered talks in March, is looking to cool down further with Iran while taking a “wait-and-see” approach to normalization with Israel and deploying additional US weapons. on hold.
Hope the conflict ends
In the grand scheme of things, some may criticize the Abraham Accords for their shortcomings in achieving peace and stability, but it is important to recognize that the primary responsibility for conflict does not lie solely with regional states. Instead, Israel’s Western partners have the most leverage and can therefore play a more targeted role in addressing the conflict.
This is particularly relevant considering that the dire conditions in Gaza have been largely ignored despite the fact that they were in a humanitarian crisis long before the recent outbreak of violence. There is now a legitimate possibility of unrest spreading to the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967 despite the Palestinian Authority’s alignment with Israel.
This raises growing concerns for the safety and well-being of Gazans, even among Western and European circles. Notably, despite the EU’s strong support for Israel, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell criticized Israel’s 24-hour evacuation plan as “absolutely unrealistic” and warned of a “rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation” in Gaza. [11] Additionally, Biden warned on October 15 that Israel’s occupation of Gaza would be a “huge mistake” despite his support for the operation to oust Hamas. [12]
Concerns regarding the welfare of Gazans intensified following reports from humanitarian organizations such as Doctors Without Borders highlighted a severe shortage of medical supplies in Gaza’s hospitals. [13] The Norwegian Refugee Council has gone so far as to warn that “absolutely no humanitarian aid is getting into Gaza” as violence heats up in Gaza. [14]
Ultimately, Palestinians continue to endure immeasurable suffering, and the current situation is untenable even from the prospect of long-term security for Israel and its citizens. Although Israel has cited security concerns, it is important to recognize that even if Hamas is ousted, a military invasion and occupation will only create more hatred for Israel and perpetuate the cycle of violence.
Attack on hospital in Gaza; Strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia
In order to break this cycle and resolve the urgent crisis, it is imperative to take swift action to stop the violence, including advocating for a ceasefire and establishing a humanitarian corridor for the people of the Gaza Strip. Ending the unsustainable situation that perpetuates conflict is also important. Only then can we think of a legitimate and sustainable path to peace and stability for the region and its people.
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