Hamas launched an attack inside Israel on 7th October, which resulted in killing more than 1400 person and taking more than 200 others as hostages. Israel has been retaliating since then and it inflicted a big loss to civilians in Gaza, where more than 10,800 dead people and destruction of many buildings, especially in north of Gaza.
Killing civilians, Israelis and Palestinians, is condemned all over the world. No justification for killing innocent people and it violates all laws. So, there is an urgent need to implement a ceasefire in order to help the affected people in Gaza.
All calls and petitions to pause the fighting in order to allow opening humanitarian corridors were so far refused by Israel. Israel insists that a cease fire serves Hamas to regroup and carry on attacking its territories. The Israeli military said ‘there are tactical local pauses for humanitarian aid for Gazan civilians’ and made clear ‘there is no ceasefire.’
Israel announced that its air strikes and other land and sea operations aim at crushing Hamas’s tunnels and eliminating its forces. Civilians in Gaza pay the price and they face the wrath of the Israeli rage.
Looking at the Israeli claims that continuing fighting will end Hamas did not materialise so far. Tunnels used by Hamas’s fighters are still intact, even Israel announced destroying some of those underground hideouts. The main victim of the Israeli operations is the helpless people who are not safe in any place inside Gaza according to international organisations.
They were cases of bombing buildings in the south even Israel has been urging inhabitants to move from north to south. Footages and stories from inside Gaza tell the tragedy of human beings there. According to the WHO, 160 children die on daily basis and the health ministry in Gaza said that more than 4400 children died since 7th Oct, which means about 40% of the dead people are children because of the Israeli bombing. In addition, most of the bakeries in north Gaza were closed because of lack of fuel and flower.
In this context, John Kirby, the United States National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said that Hamas is putting those children and their families in danger. He said that in response to what is said about Gaza as becoming a graveyard for children by the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres.
Moreover, 15 hospitals out of 35 hospitals in Gaza were shut down because of lack of fuel or they were affected by the Israeli air strikes. The rest of those hospitals work under very difficult conditions. Furthermore, Hamas’s militants have been launching missiles targeting several areas inside Israel, so the capabilities of Hamas after more than one month were not crippled.
Also, Houthis announced their responsibility for some drones and missile against Israel. Some targets in Iraq were hit in solidarity with the situation in Gaza. In a recent interview with BBC, Naim Qassim, the deputy leader of Hizballah, said “because Israel is increasing its aggression against civilians and killing more women and children. Is it possible for this to continue and increase, without bringing real danger to the region? I think not."
It means that there is a risk of spreading the conflict and its repercussions will be catastrophic. Israelis who live close to the borders with Gaza and Lebanon moved away. Those above developments show that this conflict will last for a while. Israel said that its troops moved inside Gaza and controlled part of it.
But will this Israeli operation will end Hamas? It seems very difficult task to see victory over Hamas without destroying the tunnels or what Israel calls ‘Gaza Metro’. The route of removing Hamas from the equation seems almost impossible to happen anytime soon.
So, what other alternatives to end the current conflict once and forever?
Re-activating the peace process aiming at establishing the independent Palestinian state is the only solution for this dilemma. This will achieve the security for Israel as well as its neighbours. King Abdullah II of Jordan repeated this call for a Palestinian state and East Jerusalem as its capital as the only exit of the vicious circle of blood and violence.
But is this scenario conceivable? It is possible to be a reality if Israel is convinced that its security hangs on this option. Israel lost some soldiers in Gaza lately and it might lose more because this is the nature of wars. It can be argued that there are some factors which could influence Israel’s decision to follow the peace process path.
First, the unity of the Arab world is a crucial element to put pressure on Israel. Israel is keen on normalising its relations with Saudi Arabia and others in the Arab world. Normalisation could be used as a bargain chip in negotiating with Israel this option.
Second, releasing the Israeli hostages could be another component of the negotiation package to convince Israel to sit on the table, especially there have been calls from the hostages’ families for their release. This is a pressure on the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Third, the US is the only country which can convince Israel of the importance of establishing a Palestinian state. When Palestinians enjoy the citizenship, there will be no reason or excuse to be hostile towards Israel. Hamas will lose its legitimacy which is based on fighting against Israel. Even the Hamas’s ideology is based on destroying Israel, the Palestinian people will turn against Hamas or any act of violence under an independent Palestinian state. The talk by the Israeli prime minister to take responsibility for Gaza security will not help and rejected.
There are other suggestions to administer Gaza Stripe after the end of the current fighting by the UN and Arab countries, but this will not help and could damage the transitional period.
Anything less than a Palestinian state will open the door for more violence and instability. Until starting the peace process, an urgent move by the international community to protect civilians in Gaza is required immediately.
There is an anger in many countries around the world when TV channels and social media platform display the destruction and killings of children, women, elderly people and others.
The spread of the current conflict will bring chaos and losses for the region. War brings ruins and tragedies. Peace is the door to prosperity, stability, security and coexistence.
* The writer is a Lecturer in Middle East Politics and International Relations
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