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Israel has continued its aggression against innocent Palestine since the past week as the death continues to rise sharply amid air strikes and artillery fire pounding homes in Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli airstrikes have killed 119 Palestinians while seven Israelis have also been killed in retaliation particularly by Hamas fighters who have repeatedly sent a barrage of rockets into Israeli towns and cities. The conflict in the Middle East is decades old and has escalated in recent days
Cause of dispute
The ancient city of Jerusalem is a source of contention between Palestine and Israel. The city has religious, diplomatic and political significance for three of the world’s greatest religions – Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
The state of modern-day Israel was established in 1948 after the Jews settled in from across the world aided by the British imperialist forces. During the Six Day War in 1967, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israelis regard undivided Jerusalem as their capital rather than sharing with the Palestinians.
One-third of Jerusalem’s population is Palestinian, and many families have lived there for centuries. The construction Israeli settlement and forces evictions of Palestinians in the eastern part of the city is also a major source of controversy. The construction is illegal under international law but Israel has refused to accept them and continue the occupation.
Recent tensions
Recent tensions with the Palestinians have been exacerbated by the harsh attitude of the Israeli police during the month of Ramadan. Israeli police also used tear gas and stun grenades inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and attack worshippers.
In an unusual move, Hamas issued an ultimatum to Israel to immediately withdraw its security forces from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. An Israeli court is set to rule on evicting in Sheikh Jarrah which ignited the most recent conflict.
Riots in Israel
As Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza, rival Jews and Arabs living in Israel attacked businesses, cars and stabled people in various cities across the country. Seven people have been killed inside Israel since and over 1,000 police officers have been deployed to stop the violence.
The Israeli prime minister called the current situation in the country intolerable and said that violence against Israelis by Arab citizens and Arabs living in the country by Israelis is not acceptable in any way. The situation is tense in the Israeli city of Lodz which has a sizable proportion of Arabs while the mayor of the city has warned of civil war and ethnic strife.
Signs of war
Tensions have risen to the brink of war following recent clashes between Israel and Palestine. A new front is emerging on Israel’s northern border with rockets fired by Lebanon, This reminds us of the 2014 conflict when Israel bombed Gaza and the 2009 month-long war with Lebanon-based Hezbollah.
At least 119 people, including women and children, have been confirmed killed by Israeli forces while seven people have been killed in Israel. Dozens of people been injured on both sides with no signs that the tensions may end anytime soon. Israel has started deploying troops to the Gaza border and warned to launch a ground operation which seems unlikely any time soon.
UN meetings
The United Nations Security Council has convened an emergency meeting on Sunday to address ongoing tensions between Palestine and Israel. The US, a staunch ally of Israel, had attempted to halt a meeting, saying it will not help de-escalate the situation.
An emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also been convened at the request of Saudi Arabia, while Egypt and Qatar have called for peace and are attempting to mediate in the conflict. Egyptian mediators have arrived in Israel for a ceasefire but so far there are no signs of progress while the UN has sent its Middle East envoy to the region.
Unacceptable violence
Jerusalem has sanctity for all three Abrahamic faiths and their holy sites of Muslims, Jews and Christians are there within touching distance of each other. These holy site cannot be safe as long as the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues.
The efforts for peace in the Middle East have failed for decades. They came closes during the 1992 Campt David Accords brokered by the US signed by Palestine President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yithzak Rabin. They were sabotaged by extremist forces when Rabin was assassinated and Ararat died from alleged poisoning. The air of mistrust and hostility remains between Israeli and Palestinians ever since.
The leaders of the two sides must take responsibility for reducing tensions. At the moment, there is a need for both sides to renounce violence and pursue a path of dialogue, as rising tensions in the region will lead to further unrest.
