Truth is always the first casualty in a war

By Dr. Ameer Ali

“For 4000 years, the Gaza District was a thriving and bustling spice hamlet along the Silk Road. Pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves … all passed through Gaza … This once thriving spice capital in now barely recognizable in the emaciated strip that is actively being starved, scorched and sealed by the Israeli military.” (Lila Sherif)

The title of the article comes from a comment made by Donald Rumsfeld when he was US Defense Secretary for President George Bush and when they learnt that the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission chaired by Dr. Hans Blix found no evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. Rumsfeld was petrified and in sheer desperation to find a rationale for a preplanned invasion of Iraq he came out with that hocus-pocus, similar to the infamous “unknown unknowns”. He was an expert in camouflaging untruths. The US then went on to drop over 100,000 bombs and missiles on Mosul in Iraq, Raqqa in Syria and other areas occupied by ISIS. In Mosul alone, US killed over 40,000 men, women and children. Even before that invasion and under the previous Clinton administration his foreign secretary Madeline Albright was asked by a journalist about her views on the death of nearly 600,000 Iraqi children caused by US imposed economic strangulation of Iraq. Her response shocked humanity. “We believe the fruits of the siege are worth it,” she said.  It is the same type of reasoning and explanation that is now being dished out by Hitlerite Netanyahu and his Gestapo commanders to justify their savagery in Gaza.

A regional intifada, if not another Arab Spring, cannot therefore be ruled out unless the carnage is halted

Having bombed and pulverized nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s homes and buildings including schools, hospitals, places of worship and refugee camps, having killed more than 13,000 Gazans including over 3,000 children and women; having killed 45 journalists so far and having made at least 1.2 million Gazans homeless, the Israeli military is now hunting for weapons and terrorist hideouts to justify to the world what it had done. In the name of a “specifically targeted operation” based entirely on Israeli and US intelligence, Israeli soldiers had raided Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, to show the world how Hamas had used that hospital as its command center and a bunker for weapons. According to one doctor there they came out almost empty handed. According to a CBS news reporter, who was taken along with the troops in the armored vehicle, Namer, the evidence produced so far had been, in his word, “underwhelming”. Having seen what the troops displayed to the journalist his report concluded that it was no “unequivocal proof” of Netanyahu’s claim that his “theological mad cult” Hamas was using that hospital as a hideout. But the soldiers had told him that it would take time to display everything.

In the meantime, IDF posted the picture of a weekly roster time table of the hospital written in Arabic and showed to the world that and said that it contained the names of terrorists on daily duty there. In the absence of hard evidence, there are only two options for the military to justify its operation. Either plant their own weapons secretly and claim that they belong to Hamas or repeat Rumsfeld’s rigmarole and say absence of evidence is no evidence of absence. It has now been revealed that Hamas did not even plan to attack the Supernova music festival. Truth is always the first casualty in a war.

Voices of support to Palestinians in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are quietly being silenced.

Where do all this leading to? There is no call for a cease fire from the so-called democratic and civilized Western governments except to propose extended pauses to allow a meagre amount of humanitarian aid to filter through to the comfort of the starving, wounded and dying. Netanyahu himself has shown extraordinary generosity to send two trucks of fuel daily just to keep the water and sewage system operational. But the Arab world with all its fuel stock is absolutely powerless to drop even one liter of fuel into Gaza while carrying business with Israel as usual. Like the Western governments the Arab rulers too have blood on their hands.

Once the genocide is completed and another Nakba set in motion Netanyahu would demand “security control” – a euphemism for total control – over Gaza before annexing it to Eretz Yishrael Hashlema or Greater Israel. What is unfolding from forty days of savagery and genocide is the violent removal of yet another hurdle to realize the eternal dream of Zionist forefathers such as Theodore Herzl (1860-1904) and Ben Gurion (1886-1973) to conquer Palestine, get rid of the Palestinians and create Greater Israel with the name Palestine erased out.

Whether it is the Democrats or Republicans the US government is pro-Israel

To Netanyahu and his far right coalition, Gaza invasion is yet another step to scrap the irrelevant 1995 Oslo Accords with its two state solution. To put it bluntly, Palestine or its diplomatic nomenclature “Occupied Territories” has become a nuisance not only to Zionist Israel but also to the US, its Western partners and most shockingly to Arab rulers themselves. The Zionist position needs no further elaboration. But why Palestine a problem to the other two? To the US and its partners, Palestine issue is an obstacle to realize the larger agenda of an American designed Middle East Order (MEO) in which the conservative Arab rulers and Israel would normalize their relations, keep the natural resources at the disposal of the imperial power and protect the region from any radical challengers.

Whether it is the Democrats or Republicans the US government is pro-Israel. America’s continuous opposition backed by the force of arms to former governments of radical Arab rebels such as Gamal Abdal Nasser of Egypt, Muammar Ghaddafi of Libya, Hafiz al-Assad of Syria and Saddam Hussain of Iraq and its support and tolerance to brutal leaders like the one currently in power in Egypt, who came to power after killing 800 Egyptians to put an end to the Arab Spring, demonstrates the true design of America’s MEO. Also, when the Muslim world, inspired by OPEC’s financial clout and a successful mullah led revolution in Iran in 1979, was agitating for an Islamic World Order with the Gulf region as its epicenter, US immediately reactivated the historic Shia-Sunni split in Islam to divide the Muslim world religiously. Wahhabi Saudi Arabia with its giant oil wells became US’ eternal friend replacing Shah’s Iran.

It was to widen the US-Sunni Muslim friendship and bring Israel also into the extended family that a set of agreements were signed on September 15, 2020 between Israel and United Arab Emirates including Bahrain to normalize relations among them. Saudi Arabia too under its modernizer Prince Mohamed bin Salman was ready to join this concert of Middle East before Hamas intruded with its deadly message for independence from Israeli occupation and terror. It reminded the Arab regimes that without an independent Palestine no normalization of relations with Israel is ever possible. Thus, Palestine struggle has become an unwanted distraction to formalize the MEO agenda. The solution therefore is to leave Palestine under the care of Israel, and the conservative Arab regimes in spite of their ineffective condemnation of the present tragedy seem to be prepared to go along with the US plan. But this is bound to fail and will escalate the violence beyond the borders of occupied territories. Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Houthis from Yemen had already joined the fray. Above all, millions of peace loving people from all parts of the world are demonstrating and calling for an immediate ceasefire and to bring Netanyahu and his war mongers before an International Court of Justice.

Once the genocide is completed and another Nakba set in motion, Netanyahu would demand “security control” – a euphemism for total control – over Gaza before annexing it to Eretz Yishrael Hashlema or Greater Israel

But there is one unknown or hidden factor in this macabre tragedy. What is hidden by the corporate media is the reaction of ordinary people in the Gulf countries. Television pictures have shown demonstrations against Israeli genocide from all parts of the world but not from Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries. Uncorroborated messages from there reveal that voices of support to Palestinians in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are quietly being silenced. Obviously, the Arab regimes feel that they are sitting on a volcano. The kings, emirs, sultans and presidents of that region know very well that their subjects are not seeing eye-to-eye with the rulers on the question of Palestine. A regional intifada if not another Arab Spring cannot therefore be ruled out unless the carnage is halted. US’ Middle East concert like the 19th century European counterpart is therefore bound to fail.

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Courtesy: Groundviews – Colombo, Sri Lanka (Posted on Nov 21, 2023)

The post Gaza War: Absence of Evidence is Not Evidence of Absence first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Egypt

President, Asia Journalist Association (AJA)

This year, on 15 May, the Middle East region marked the 75th anniversary of the Nakba in two different ways; Arab and Palestinian peoples commemorated the colonization of their homeland, while the occupying State of Israel celebrated the establishment of their country. One date, two opinions, and a lot have been written on how to bridge the gap between them.

The Nakba is an Arabic word, similar to defeat, or setback, so it is not something that Arabs celebrate as they have been living many of setbacks, generation after generation.

When Arab armies tried to get their land back, they even got another defeat, and they lost more lands, basically in Egypt (Sinai Peninsula ) and Syria (Golan Heights) when there were occupied by Israel in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in June 1967. United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967, under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, referring to the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East in which every State in the area can live in security”.

Operative Paragraph One in UN resolution 242 said: “Affirms that the fulfillment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:(i) Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict; (ii) Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

For the following six years, the occupying State of Israel didn’t respond to the U.N. resolution. Over those years, the expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, farms and lands constituted a crime against humanity. Arab countries were open for those refugees, not only in neighboring Egypt, Jordan and Syria, but in the other Arab states in the Gulf and beyond.

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) had a proposal for a comprehensive settlement of the Egyptian-Israeli dispute, which was secretly submitted to US foreign minister Henry  Kissinger (1923) in February 1973. Despite the fact that it met most of Israel’s requirements regarding peace, Sadat’s proposal was rejected by Golda Meir (May 3, 1898- December 8, 1978), Prime Minister then, who refused to return the territories occupied in 1967. Meir’s stand did not change even when, in April 1973, Israel’s leadership concluded that the only alternative to the diplomatic process was war – which would break out soon. By making this decision, Golda Meir and her colleagues opted for war rather than peace and turned the October 1973 Yom Kippur War into ‘a war of choice’. On October 6, 1973, the two Arab armies of Egypt and Syria launched their war to get their land back.

After winning the war, on 9 November 1977, Sadat startled the world by announcing his intention to go to anywhere, even to Jerusalem and speak before the Knesset (the unicameral legislature of Israel) to discuss peace. Shortly afterward, the Israeli government cordially invited Sadat to address the Knesset in a message passed to him via the US ambassador to Egypt. Ten days after his speech, Sadat arrived for the groundbreaking three-day visit, which launched the first peace process between Israel and an Arab state.

Although most of Arab states refused Sadat’s act, by boycotting Egypt and shifting the Arab League from Cairo to Tunisia, Sadat signed the Camp David Accords with Israel, under the patronage of USA to comprise two separate agreements: “A Framework for Peace in the Middle East” and “A Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel”. The preamble of the “Framework for Peace in the Middle East” starts with the basis of a peaceful settlement of the Arab – Israeli conflict. The agreed basis for a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Israel and its neighbors is United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, in all its parts.

Along the years, the only country that didn’t respond to the U.N. resolution nor respected it was the occupying State of Israel!

After years of refusal, the Palestinian diplomats tried to follow the path of Sadat. Oslo Accords, which are a pair of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and its leader Yasser Arafat (August 1929 – November 11, 2004), were signed: the Oslo I Accord was signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993; and the Oslo II Accord, was signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995. Both accords marked the start of the Oslo peace process aimed at achieving a peace treaty based on Resolution 242 and Resolution 338 of the United Nations Security Council, and at fulfilling the “right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”. The Oslo process began after secret negotiations in Oslo, Norway, resulting in both the recognition of Israel by the PLO and the recognition by Israel of the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and as a partner in bilateral negotiations.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Palestinian Islamist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is the second largest group in the Gaza Strip, were all representing Palestinian people. After Oslo Accords, Gaza Strip has been dominated by Hamas and Fatah.  Among the notable outcomes of the Oslo Accords was the creation of the Palestinian National Authority, which was tasked with the responsibility of conducting limited Palestinian self-governance over parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; and the international acknowledgement of the PLO as Israel’s partner in further peace talks.

What Hamas fighters did on October 7, 2023 was a direct consequence of two causes; the failure of peace operations and the continuing assault of Israelis

The PLO couldn’t get any positive results other than having the fragile frame of a state with no authority in the West Bank, while Gaza Strip is still dominated by Hamas. The Israelis continued to neglect the recognition of the State of Palestine and its right to self-determination or its people’s right to return to homeland. The government of Israel continued in its plans to build Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands, even in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are one of the most prominent causes of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The international community believes that Israel’s resort to settling its population on lands, occupied during the 1967 war, is not legal.

The United States was a party to this international consensus, and had always indicated that these settlements were “illegal,” but it changed its position, especially after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that his government no longer considered Jewish settlements in the West Bank illegal.

What Hamas fighters did on October 7, 2023 was a direct consequence of two causes; the failure of peace operations and the continuing assault of Israelis, not only by building illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian lands but also continuing the attacks and desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque, mosque in Jerusalem, located at the terminal point of the Prophet Muhammad’s Isra’ journey, considered one of the holiest places for Muslims.

After 50 years of October War, Hamas started its own liberating war. And now, Israel is committing war crimes by cutting off water and electricity supplies to Gaza to act out of sheer vengeance in response to those attacks by Hamas. Palestinians needed justice, not revenge, and what Israel is doing now is revenge, sheer vengeance.

Palestinian and Arab casualties inflicted by war or combat started before the establishment of Israel, to change the demography of a country that lived peacefully under the Ottoman Empire. After WWI, and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Balfour Declaration, (November 2, 1917), statement of British support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” It was a gift declared by those who don’t own, to those who didn’t deserve, as Arab historians say,

The Balfour Declaration, issued through the continued efforts of Chaim Weizmann and Nahum Sokolow, Zionist leaders in London, fell short of the expectations of the Zionists, who had asked for the reconstitution of Palestine as “the” Jewish national home. The declaration specifically stipulated that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.” The document, however, said nothing of the political or national rights of these communities!

Israel is committing war crimes by cutting off water and electricity supplies to Gaza to act out of sheer vengeance

The peace initiative by Sadat and the peace accords by PLO Arafat failed. The Arabs have been seeking peace, while the occupying State of Israel is seeking its own benefit on the expense of other people, without thinking to accept peace or international laws for decades. In recent years, other Arab countries normalizing relations with Israel, in an indication understood by Hamas that promises of peace and justice for Palestinian people are collapsed. In 1973, Golda Meir and her colleagues opted for war rather than peace, and after 50 years, history is repeating itself, as current Israeli PM Netanyahu and his colleagues opted for war rather than peace.

As I am writing (Wednesday , October 18, 2023), after its terrorist attack against Al Ahly Hospital, Israeli forces appear to be preparing to launch a ground operation on Gaza, after blockading the region, cutting off water, electricity, fuel and food supplies to its 2.3 million impoverished inhabitants. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, speaking to soldiers near the Gaza fence, said: “Hamas wanted a change and it will get one. What was in Gaza will no longer be.”

We thought that future roles of Russia, China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia could help stopping the war, but four days ago Israeli Air Force jets bombed the two Syrian airports in Damascus and Aleppo while Iran and its alliance in Lebanon Hezbollah; the Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led since 1992 by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, also sent their warnings with some initiative operations, while Egypt is striving to hold a regional summit to restore peace, as the humanitarian aid was prevented from entering Gaza Strip by Israeli forces that hit Rafah crossing with bombs three times, so for. Middle East experts believe the conflict is about to enter a more destructive phase, but the outcome of the war is uncertain, as other parties are invited to join, making it a war with no certain end!

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Ashraf Aboul-Yazid is an eminent poet, novelist, travelogue writer of Egypt who has authored over three dozen books. His poetry has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is Editor-in-Chief of Silk Road Literature Series.   

The post A War with No Certain End! first appeared on Sindh Courier.

New York

Humanitarians expressed deep concern on Friday for all civilians in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s order for the entire population there to leave the north, amid ongoing airstrikes and a deepening crisis. The UN chief told reporters outside the Security Council the world had to unite around the principle of protecting civilians and “finding a lasting solution to this unending cycle of death and destruction.”

The development follows an announcement by UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, just before midnight Eastern Standard Time on Thursday that UN representatives in Gaza had been told by Israeli military liaison officers everyone living north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours.

Some 1.1 million people would be expected to leave northern Gaza, Mr. Dujarric said, adding that the same order applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities, including schools, health centers and clinics.

The UN considers it “impossible” for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences and appeals for the order to be rescinded, he added.

Guterres calls on Israel to avert ‘humanitarian catastrophe’

Briefing journalists in New York on Friday afternoon, Mr. Dujarric said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres had been “working the phones” since Thursday night.

“He’s been in constant contact with Israeli authorities urging them to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.” The UN chief has also been in touch with ambassadors in New York and other key officials in the Middle East.

Mr. Dujarric said it was essential to provide humanitarian access for civilians trapped inside the Gaza Strip to prevent more deaths.

He said it was vital to protect all civilians, including those sheltering in UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) schools.

‘Death sentence’

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) joined the call for Israel to rescind the relocation order, which amounted to a “death sentence” for many, said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.

He told journalists in Geneva, in line with the assessment of health authorities there, that it would be “impossible to evacuate vulnerable hospital patients from the north of Gaza”.

The UN also reiterated its calls for the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza following Hamas’s deadly Saturday attack on Israel, and for the protection of civilians and urgent aid access to the sealed-off enclave.

‘Pushing people into the abyss’

UN humanitarians joined their voices to these calls on Friday, urging the parties to save civilian lives.

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths, tweeted that “the noose around the civilian population in Gaza is tightening”, asking how such a huge number of people could possible move across a “densely populated warzone” in just 24 hours.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, warned that the relocation order “will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into abyss”. He said that over 423,000 people across the enclave have already been displaced, of whom more than 270,000 have taken refuge in UNRWA shelters.

The agency tweeted later on Friday that Gaza was “fast becoming a hell hole and is on the brink of collapse. There is no exception, all parties must uphold the laws of war.”

Briefing reporters in Geneva, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder regretted that the humanitarian situation has now reached “lethal lows”.

He highlighted that the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated places on the planet and people, including hundreds of thousands of children, who are finding themselves “with nowhere safe to go”.

OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke also underscored the impossibility of a relocation, asking, “in the middle of a war zone where people are already at the end of the rope, how is that going to happen?”

Aid ‘locked out’

He also insisted on the urgency of humanitarian access to Gaza as all supplies were rapidly depleting.

“We’re pretty much locked out,” he said.

On Thursday, the UN launched a flash appeal for $294 million for 77 humanitarian partners to address the most urgent needs of 1.26 million people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

“This is a response to an escalation that has put civilians in a situation in which they should never be,” Mr. Laerke said about the appeal. “The most urgent priority is now to de-escalate,” he added.

Health system at ‘breaking point’

WHO’s Mr. Jašarević insisted that the health system in Gaza is at a “breaking point”. The two major hospitals in the north of the Gaza Strip, the Indonesian Hospital and Shifa Hospital, have already exceeded their combined 760-bed capacity and the hospitals in the south of Gaza were also “overflowing”.

Six of the seven main hospitals in Gaza are only partially functioning, he added.

‘Death sentence’ for the vulnerable

He stressed that moving vulnerable patients such as those critically injured and adults, children and newborns depending on life support in intensive care, would be a “death sentence”.

“Asking health workers to do so is beyond cruel,” he said.

Mr. Jašarević painted a very grim picture of the reality in Gaza’s health facilities, saying that health workers on the ground described dead bodies “piling up” as there is no more space in the morgues, and ambulances and doctors have to make a “horrific choice” as to who to save and who to leave behind.

Attacks on healthcare

He added that as of Thursday 34 attacks on health care in the Gaza Strip had been confirmed since the beginning of the current offensive resulting in the deaths of 11 health care workers on duty. The Gaza Emergency Operation Centre, supported by WHO, has sustained heavy damages, he said.

He also cited reports of an attack by Hamas on Ashkelon hospital in Israel over the past weekend, in which one paramedic was killed.

Release hostages, protect civilians

UN human rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani insisted yet again that civilians “must never be used as bargaining chips”. She called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages and their humane treatment.

OHCHR urged Palestinian armed groups to “halt the use of inherently indiscriminate projectiles, which violate international humanitarian law, as well as attacks directed against civilians”. The UN office also urged Israel to ensure full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law “in any and all military operations”.

OHCHR said that rhetoric from Israeli high-level officials “raises concerns that a message is being sent to the members of the Israeli Defense Forces that international humanitarian law has become optional rather than compulsory”.

UNICEF’s James Elder also insisted that in this dire situation, “compassion – and international law – must prevail”.

Rise in hate speech

Addressing the ever-stronger echoes of the conflict across the world, Ms. Shamdasani said that UN rights chief Volker Türk deplored the fact that in many countries, there has been a “proliferation of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate speech”.

Appealing to leaders to stem such hate speech and incitements to violence, the OHCHR spokesperson that faced with this desperate situation, the world should unite.

“This is a time for the international community to come together in solidarity, advocating for the protection of all civilians, no matter where, no matter what,” she insisted.

The UN Security Council is now meeting behind closed doors, to address the situation in Gaza.

Briefing on his way into the chamber, UN chief António Guterres said the situation in Gaza “has reached a dangerous new low.”

He said moving over a million Gazans “across a densely populated warzone to a place with no food, water, or accommodation, when the entire territory is under siege, is extremely dangerous – and in some cases, simply not possible.”

Unending cycle of death and destruction must end – Guterres

Hospitals in the south of Gaza are already at capacity and will not be able to accept thousands of new patients, he stressed.

Morgues are overflowing, 11 healthcare staff have been killed while on duty; and there have been 34 attacks on health facilities.

“Our United Nations staff and our partners are working around the clock to support the people of Gaza. We mourn for our colleagues who have been killed – a number that is increasing by the day.”

He also expressed deep concern over the exchanges of fire across the Blue Line – the unofficial frontier between south Lebanon and northern Israel – demanding that it stop.

‘Even wars have rules’

“We need immediate humanitarian access throughout Gaza, so that we can get fuel, food and water to everyone in need. Even wars have rules. International humanitarian law and human rights law must be respected and upheld; civilians must be protected and never used as shields.

He called for all hostages in Gaza to be released immediately.

His final impassioned plea was for an end to hate speech and dehumanizing language: “I call on all leaders to speak out against Antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry and hate speech of all kinds.

“This is a time for the international community to come together around protecting civilians and finding a lasting solution to this unending cycle of death and destruction.”

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Courtesy: UN News (Posted on October 13, 2023)

The post Gaza: Humanitarian crisis reaches ‘dangerous new low’ first appeared on Sindh Courier.

SHOUKAT LOHAR

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex and multifaceted issue with deep historical roots. Providing a comprehensive analysis would require a significant amount of time and space.

Historical Background

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict emerged from the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during what they refer to as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.” This event, coupled with subsequent wars and territorial disputes, has led to ongoing tensions and violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Reasons for the Unabated Siege

The reasons for the ongoing siege and conflict are numerous and depend on different perspectives. Some key factors include competing national aspirations, disputes over land and resources, security concerns, religious and cultural differences, political dynamics, and the failure of past peace negotiations. There is no single answer to why the conflict persists, as it is influenced by a range of interconnected factors.

Muslims, Jews, and Christians Finding Common Ground

While the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is predominantly portrayed as a religious conflict, it is important to recognize that it encompasses political, social, and historical dimensions. Efforts to find common ground and foster peace have been made by individuals and groups from all religious backgrounds. However, achieving a lasting peaceful resolution requires addressing the underlying political and territorial issues, as well as the concerns and aspirations of all parties involved.

Israeli Actions and Violation of Human Rights

Concerns have been raised by various human rights organizations regarding the actions of Israeli forces and the violation of human rights in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These concerns include issues such as land expropriation, restrictions on movement, settlement expansion, disproportionate use of force, and the impact on civilian populations. International law and human rights standards should guide the behavior of all parties involved in the conflict.

Solution to the Conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is highly complex and deeply rooted, making finding a solution challenging. Historically, various proposals have been put forward, including a two-state solution, a single bi-national state, or a confederation. Ultimately, any resolution would require negotiations, compromise, and a recognition of the rights and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians. International efforts, including mediation and diplomacy, are crucial for facilitating dialogue and working towards a peaceful resolution.

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Shoukat Lohar is Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. He can be reached at Shoukat.ali@faculty.muet.edu.pk

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