Israel’s full-scale war followed 7 October 2023 raids by Hamas. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), through its barbaric air bombing and ground attacks have destroyed Gaza. It has forced unarmed and innocent civilians to flee from their homes and to vacate northern and central Gaza. Indeed, IDF is systematically carrying out genocide and ethnic cleaning of Palestinian Muslims. More than 29,000 people have been killed, over 70,000 are injured, and more than 80 percent of the population has been pushed to southern Gaza. Most of the victims are women, children, including infants and newborn babies, and elderly persons. Israel has refused and defied all appeals, requests, and demands of international community to stop such blatant aggression. United Nations General Assembly, supported by 153 member states, had also adopted a resolution, in December 2023, that demanded an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.
Human history is replete with wars and conflicts. Armed conflicts cause untold misery, loss of human life, and damage to properties. However, religions and civilizations have tried to evolve restrictions and restraints that would limit the havoc and devastation caused by wars. Most societies have praised kindness and compassion towards non-combatants, unarmed and elderly persons, women, children, sick and wounded. Therefore, atrocities against unarmed and defenseless people are called aggression and crimes against humanity. Similarly, deliberate, intentional, and systemic killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or racial, political, cultural, or ethnic group, with the aim of destroying that nation, is called genocide.
Various scholars and organization have made valuable contribution towards preventing genocide and crimes against humanity. The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide, the Geneva Conventions, and International Humanitarian Law are collective efforts towards this end. Many scholars have worked on Islamic teachings regulating the armed conflict. After World War II, the UN was created to maintain international peace and security and to achieve cooperation among nations on economic, social, and humanitarian problems.
The Arab – Israel conflict spans over one hundred years. Palestine and Syria, which was part of erstwhile Ottoman Empire, was occupied by Britian and France during World War I. Jews of Europe were promised of a homeland in Palestine, which was overwhelmingly occupied by Arab Muslims and Christians for many millennia. State of Israeli was established in 1948, while Palestinians were also promised their independent state. Unfortunately, this promise was never fulfilled. Rather, their land was systematically colonized and forcibly occupied by Jews who were settled in Palestine. This was European collective response to their long standing ‘Jewish Problem.’ Israel was legitimized through the UN and was supported by Western countries, especially the US and UK, as their outpost in Middle East to protect and expand their geopolitical, geostrategic, and geoeconomic interests. During different wars in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973, Israel was fully supported by the US, UK, and other Western countries. Palestinian land was occupied and annexed through use of military force and intimidation. Large number of Palestinian were forced to take refuges in various other countries.
After Camp David Accord, Egypt normalized its relations with Israel. Oslo Accord assured an independent state for Palestinian, albeit with no clear roadmap for two states solution. Gaza Strip, earlier controlled by Egypt, was occupied by Israel in 1967. It was brought under Palestine Authority’s control in 2005. Hamas takeover control of Gaza Strip in June 2007. Since then, Israel has imposed an indefinite blockade of Gaza and skirmishes have been taking place. Israel controls supply of all goods and services and movement of Palestinians in Gaza. It has imposed such harsh conditions that international media and independent observers have declared Gaza as the largest open prison in the world. Living conditions in Gaza are inhuman and Gazans live a subhuman life at the mercy of IDF.
The raid of 7 October 2023 by Hamas was aimed at breaking perpetual siege imposed by Israel. Though, rationale of Hams raid has been questioned, yet most independent analysts believe that Hamas had no other choice because Israel had refused all peaceful and negotiated means to end the brutal inhuman blockade imposed for last 15 years. After the Israeli full scale military invasion, following Hamas raid, a short duration cease-fire was agreed and swap over of Israeli hostages with Palestinian prisoners took place. Thereafter, Benjimin Netanyahu, the PM of Israel, who is facing serious political challenges of saving his coalition government, has refused to accept any diplomatic effort to arrive at a negotiated cease-fire.
The US President, the Secretaries of State and Defence departments and other European leaders have visited Israel and neighboring countries to give the impression that they are interested in a diplomatic solution of the conflict. But, most Western countries, particularly the US and UK, have encouraged Israel to kill as many Palestinian as they want. They have supplied modern high-tech weapons, ammunition, and diplomatic support for this purpose. The US has vetoed the UNSC resolution, thrice, consecutively, and shamelessly, that demanded immediate and unconditional cease-fire. Israel and the US demand that all hostages, held by Hamas, should be released unconditionally, which is not accepted by Hamas. Hamas needs credible guarantees and assurances that Israel will cease its brutalities and aggression permanently and will agree to their right of having a Palestinian state. South Africa took the case of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, committed by Israel, to International Court of Justice (ICJ). ICJ decided that Israel must prevent (stop) all such acts. But Israel has refused and defied ICJ’s ruling and decision and continue to commit these crimes unabated.
Civil society activists, all over the world, have protested against Israeli crimes and genocide. Large rallies took place in Muslim countries, the US and Europe as well. Israeli leadership and IDF has blatantly defied all such demands. The UN Secretary General and heads of UNWRA, WHO, WPF, ICRC and other humanitarian organizations have warned that situation in Gaza is extremely precarious. Israel has destroyed all hospitals and have stopped any humanitarian aid reaching over 2.0 million Palestinians who are cramped up in southern tip of Gaza. They are living in near death conditions caused by starvation and constant fear. WFP UN has no food supplies to provide them. WHO has warned against spread of pandemic. The US, the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Canada have suspended funding to UNRWA, the principal organization providing urgently needed aid to Palestinian refugees.
There is no food, no medicine, no water, no sanitation, no fuel, no electricity. No Hope of Help for surviving under such inhuman atrocities and war crimes committed by IDF, and fast spreading starvation and diseases. This is the worst catastrophe in human history. Everyone seems helpless in the face of Israeli arrogance and beastly savagery. Hundreds of Palestinians are being killed every day and the world has failed to stop such genocide and crimes against humanity. More worrisome, shocking, and shameful is the response of the OIC and (so called) Muslim Ummah, a community of over 1.5 billion people and fifty-seven countries, who profess unity and solidarity as a religious obligation.
Whereas, Muslim Ummah has committed a collective crime of not supporting, helping, and protecting their Muslim brethren during their existential crisis, the role of Muslim rulers is more condemnable and deplorable. The OIC was created for the protection and liberation of Al-Quds. It had vouched to carryout Jihad for this purpose. Muslim countries have enormous resources but lack courage, wisdom and will to sacrifice to protect their brothers and sister. Such hypocrisy and cowardice can only be attributed to the self-interests of ruling elites in the Muslim countries. Inability to stop genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza means ‘the Death of Human Conscience.’
The writer is a retired Army Officer and former High Commissioner of Pakistan. His areas of interest are Foreign Policy, Global Security and Conflict Studies. Presently, he is affiliated with Tsinghua University, Beijing, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, and Kashi University, Kashgar, China.
This article was published by Daily Minute Mirror, Lahore, Pakistan on February 24, 2024.
