The Israeli-Gaza War: A Familiar Path
The Gaza Strip is once again engulfed in violence, resulting in significant collateral damage. The death toll, particularly among innocent women and children, is rapidly rising on both sides of the conflict. Humanitarian organizations in Gaza are struggling to cope with the crisis as the Israeli Defense Forces continue to target Hamas and its military infrastructure, which has been a constant threat to Israelis in their pursuit to “reclaim” the Palestinian land forcibly taken by the Israeli state. The situation for the people of Gaza, as well as some Israeli citizens, has deteriorated since Hamas seized power in 2007.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by unprovoked killings and hostage-taking of Israeli citizens and others on October 7, 2023, has not seen any concrete intervention by the United Nations to resolve the crisis and establish a permanent solution for Palestinians and their Israeli neighbors. Amidst the airstrikes on Hamas and its war infrastructure, civilians, especially children and women, are suffering due to shortages of food, fuel, electricity, and other essential resources.
Informed sources indicate that the latest war was instigated by Hamas and other Middle Eastern forces opposed to any progress towards re-establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. By initiating this conflict, Hamas aimed to thwart potential diplomatic ties between willing Arab countries and Israel, as it would not be in their best interest in their pursuit of a Palestinian homeland. By provoking Israel, Hamas anticipated a strong retaliatory response, aiming to halt the ongoing efforts to normalize relations with Israel and gain support from the Arab League.
It is perplexing that the Middle East, a region that gave birth to the world’s two leading and most widely subscribed religions, has been devoid of peace and good neighborliness for centuries. The entrenched conflict between the Jews and the Arabs, with both groups claiming historical ties to the disputed land of Palestine, particularly Jerusalem, has persisted despite various occupations and shifts in power. The struggle for dominance over Jerusalem remains at the heart of the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine, with no respite in sight even if a two-state solution were to materialize.
Tehran, a pariah of the West and a staunch supporter of Hamas, along with other Palestinian jihadist groups like Hezbollah, continues to fuel unrest in Gaza and Israel. Israel opposes Iran’s ascendance as a hegemonic force in the region, turning Palestine into a pawn in the proxy war between Iran and the United States. The presence of such destabilizing forces has severely hindered the effectiveness of the Oslo Accords. Hamas and Hezbollah, designated as terrorist organizations by Britain and other Western nations, remain steadfast in their hostile stance toward Israel, obstructing any prospects for peace.
Israel was caught off guard by the security breach on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad carried out “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” resulting in the deaths of 1,400 Israelis and brutalization of many others. Israel’s retaliatory actions are aimed at incapacitating Hamas and reshaping the political landscape in Gaza, but the humanitarian cost has been immense, plunging Gaza into a dire and tragic plight. Despite its claims of being a resistance movement, Hamas’s tactics and agenda do not serve the best interests of the impoverished Palestinians, who bear the brunt of the conflict while Hamas leaders reside comfortably abroad.
In the West Bank, where Mahmoud Abbas leads the Palestine Organization, his leadership is marred by corruption and lacks significant support from the people. Ordinary Palestinians and Israelis endure the dire consequences of the intermittent warfare between the aggressive Israeli forces and Palestinian groups, suffering from cruelty, misery, and crippling poverty amid humanitarian crises.
The United Nations has exhibited weakness and ineptitude in addressing the Palestinian issue since the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948. Every genuine attempt to reconcile the conflicting forces in the Middle East is met with further crises that jeopardize peace. The UN should demonstrate a sustained interest in the Middle East instead of waiting for conflicts to escalate.
In the longstanding Middle East crisis, both Israelis and Palestinians harbor ancient grievances, making it challenging for any party to claim innocence or righteousness. Third-party interventions, such as those from the UN and the United States, are crucial in ensuring that the two-state solution serves the interests of ordinary Palestinians and Israelis. As a practical step towards resolving the current crisis, Hamas must release and repatriate the over 240 Israelis and other nationals kidnapped under humiliating circumstances on October 7. This could pave the way for a ceasefire beyond the temporary four-hour daily pause announced by the Israeli government for humanitarian purposes.
A permanent resolution to the crisis necessitates an all-encompassing international conference on the Palestinian question with the goal of negotiating lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians for the broader interests of the Middle East and the world. From the current outlook, dismantling the war machine of Hamas appears to be an essential step in achieving this objective.
Prof. Uwasomba teaches at the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
