The issue of Kashmir and Palestine began in the 1940s when on one side, India, and on the other side, the Zionist state of Israel, initiated aggression, global terrorism, and oppression. Despite international laws and United Nations agreements, as well as the presence of international courts of justice, and Western countries, including the United States and Britain, turning a blind eye, the cycle of oppression and barbarism did not stop.
It is said that oppression begets oppression, and it only grows until it is eradicated. On October 7th, Hamas conducted 7,000 rocket attacks as a natural response to years of ongoing oppression and barbarism by Israel, a response that has some level of legal support from the international community. However, the series of Israeli settlements in occupied territories continued, with no end in sight. President Biden openly declared that there should be no doubt that the United States stands with Israel.
For the liberation of Palestine, Hamas continued to launch attacks on Israel. In the past 6 days alone, due to savage bombings by Israel, about 2,000 Palestinians in Gaza were martyred, and more than 5,600 were injured.
On the Israeli side, as a result of Hamas’s attacks, 1,300 individuals, including soldiers, were killed, while 3,300 were wounded. According to the United Nations, in Gaza, at least 338,934 Palestinian civilians are now homeless. Israel has mobilized more than 300,000 troops for its war against Hamas. Israeli forces have entered Gaza, albeit in limited incursions, in the name of rescue operations for Israeli citizens. Israel has also warned that the Gaza area should be evacuated.
On one hand, oppressed Palestinians were forced to migrate, and when they left their homes, Israel bombed them, resulting in the departure of at least 70 Palestinians from northern Gaza, with over 200 wounded, including many women and children. Social media has been flooded with viral images and videos of Palestinian mothers, sisters, and children killed, revealing Israel’s cruelty. Attacks are even occurring on mosques during prayer times, and worshippers are becoming martyrs.
Allied countries, including the United States, openly support Israel, while Britain describes the waving of the Palestinian flag as an act of terrorism. However, Jewish residents of New York, living in the U.S., have taken a stand in favor of Gaza, arguing that Israel should stop the massacre in Gaza, as it does not represent the Jewish people, and that promoting Islamophobia is not acceptable.
The member countries of the OIC and the Islamic Brotherhood need to understand that fundamentally, this region belongs to the Palestinians, and Israel’s oppression and barbarism are against international laws. The statements from the United Nations regarding Palestinian rights have not been as strong as they should have been. The Security Council has, through multiple resolutions, already recognized Palestinian ownership of the occupied territory, which demonstrates that Israel’s occupation is illegal. However, instead of the right solution, proposals for a two-state solution are being made.
In the past, the United Nations had told Israel through Resolution 242 that its occupation of Palestinian lands after 1967 was illegal and that they should leave, but Israel, maintaining its obstinacy, has not withdrawn from the occupied areas. The actions taken by Israel to forcibly displace more than 800,000 people from around the world and establish Jewish settlements in Palestinian lands are unquestionably illegal.
According to international law, any occupying nation cannot establish settlements or installations in an unlawfully occupied region, but Israel has already established more than 800,000 settlers, which is entirely illegal. If a population is penalized collectively for any crime, it falls under the category of war crimes. However, most Western governments do not question the actions of Israel and are silent, as they have become allies of the U.S.
In reality, the stance of Russia regarding the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel is clear. Both sides should immediately cease hostilities, and Israel should be compelled to withdraw from the occupied territory as per international laws. The U.S. and Israel tried during the Security Council meeting to have all member states condemn Hamas attacks, but the U.S., often called a superpower, did not manage to get Hamas attacks condemned by all member countries.
The voice against Israel’s oppression and barbarism should have been loud and clear from the OIC, as per Article 9 of their own charter, they should have called for an emergency meeting and made decisions according to international laws to force Israel to evacuate the occupied land. However, the response from the OIC has been timid and soft-spoken, mainly because the properties, bank accounts, and assets of most Muslim countries’ leaders are in the Western countries linked to their illegal activities that infringe upon the rights of the local populations, and direct assistance is also extended, including aiding money laundering, corruption, and malfeasance.
Moreover, the IMF is warning Muslim countries of economic restrictions associated with supporting Hamas through FATF. Russia’s position on the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel is clear that both parties should immediately cease hostilities and Israel should be forced to withdraw from the occupied territory according to international laws. In the Security Council meeting, the U.S. and Israel attempted to have all member states condemn Hamas attacks, but even the superpower, often referred to as the superpower, failed to have Hamas attacks condemned by all member countries.
On the other hand, the biggest issue for the Muslim Ummah is its authoritative regime that sacrifices national interests for its own personal gains. In 1917, there was a 3% Jewish population in occupied Palestine, which has now reached 55%. The Gaza Strip, with an area of 365 square kilometers, is besieged by Israeli forces numbering in the hundreds of thousands. This hints at Israel’s sinister intentions, as they have already stated their aim to eliminate Palestinians. However, the Palestinian people will not leave their land. It will ultimately be the illegal settlers who must vacate this land.
The most significant problem is that the leaders of Muslim countries are complacent and silent when it comes to the rights of their Muslim brothers and sisters. Even though UN General Assembly Resolution 2649 and Article 9 under the Charter of the Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC) call for extraordinary sessions of national leaders to support the Palestinian struggle for freedom and uphold the international laws that affirm the right of Palestinians to self-determination, they hesitate to act. According to Article 1, Section 8 of the OIC, they are expected to support the Palestinian struggle for freedom, and international laws recognize the right of Palestinians to attain power in their own land; hence, their assistance is required.
Global laws cannot stop any member state of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation from aiding Palestine, and this assistance can take various forms, including financial, moral, and diplomatic. Every Islamic country, in its own capacity, should support Palestine to the extent that these 57 OIC member states present a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly.
The Security Council, which has not yet condemned Israel’s actions, could be compelled to do so. If the Islamic fraternity does not raise its voice, after Palestine, Iran could be next, and then other countries might also become targets. Therefore, it is time for OIC member states and their leaders to wake up.
Please note that translations can vary in nuances and interpretations, and the provided translation is a general representation of the text’s meaning.
