- Humankind is blessed with humongous amounts of patience, resilience, a never-say-die attitude, and forbearance to face one crisis after another is well documented and acknowledged. Since time immemorial, history is replete with umpteen instances of human tolerance coming to the fore to take on challenges adroitly. Of course, sometimes one may succeed and many other times, the endeavours may fall flat. As the popular saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. Whatever we mere mortals deem necessary may not be acceptable to Mother Nature, whose plans are not easily decipherable. Humanity may have progressed admirably over millennia, but certain aspects are still considered unfortunate. Look at the suffering being endured by people in Gaza.
PC: France 24
- The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has ensured there is no respite for scores of people who must be cursing their fate on destiny for there appears to be no end in sight for their miseries. It keeps piling up by the day. As we know, Israel is tearing apart Palestine from all corners. And the US is siding with the measure as well. Most disconcertingly, other countries are merely saying nice things but without initiating earnest efforts to stop the mayhem. As Israel begins its operation to occupy Gaza City with its 1mn residents, the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave can only get worse. The situation in Gaza is already dire after nearly two years of conflict. Mass starvation deaths, including those of children, are being reported.
PC: The Economist
- Almost all of Gaza has been flattened by the Israeli military, which now occupies 75% of the enclave. Aid into Gaza is down to a trickle thanks to Israel’s restrictions. Yet, the Israeli war cabinet voted earlier this month to authorize the operation against Gaza City despite reservations by Israel’s military chief. This clearly shows that Netanyahu and his ultra-right-wing coalition will stop at nothing to demolish the idea of a Palestinian state. Worryingly, troubling measures are afoot in the West Bank too. Last week, a controversial construction project that would see the building of 3,400 housing units and practically bisect the West Bank was approved by Israeli authorities. The Israeli finance minister called the project a significant step that erases the two-state delusion.
PC: Council on Foreign Relations
- Notably, all of this is being done with the concurrence of the US. Hamas recently accepted a new ceasefire proposal that would release 10 living hostages. But Netanyahu has decided to ignore this and move ahead with the Gaza City operation. Of course, Trump can bring Tel Aviv to heel if he wants to. But his MAGA base is against this. Arab leaders, meanwhile, appear to be only expressing concern for Palestinians. Some Arab regimes may not be too unhappy if Tel Aviv makes the Palestine issue go away. The US is using Israel to make strategic gains in West Asia at the expense of Russia, which is stuck in the Ukraine war. Palestinians are bearing the brunt of IDF attacks. They have been reduced to subhuman conditions as the world sheds tears but professes helplessness.
