In the tumultuous Middle Eastern landscape, October 2023 witnessed a tragic escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, resulting in a devastating toll on human lives. So far, the conflict has claimed over 13,500 Palestinian lives, including at least 5,600 children and 3,600 women, with an additional 30,000 individuals sustaining injuries, 75 percent of whom were women and children. The hospitals and schools were bombed nonstop, caring less for the sick and injured. The Israeli war machine is ordering the helpless Palestinians to move around the enclave of Gaza as if they are not humans but a herd of cattle. These scenes remind us of the holocaust of the 1930s when the Nazi Germany ordered Jews to evacuate to Poland and other places. Dubbed the “Graveyard of Children” by some media outlets, this conflict, characterised as a “war” by biased Western media, lacks the typical conditions of parity, rendering Palestinians vulnerable to the Israeli military. It can be aptly described as either a genocide or a massacre of Palestinians.
Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Joint Arab League/Organisation of Islamic Conference Summit was convened in Riyadh on November 12, 2023, aiming to denounce Israel’s brutal acts and to suggest ways and means to force Israel for a ceasefire. However, discord marred the proceedings as critical members of the Arab League diverged on crucial clauses proposed to tackle the conflict. Among the contentious proposals were calls to prohibit the use of US and other military bases in Arab countries to supply Israel, freeze diplomatic, economic, security, and military relations with Israel, apply pressure through oil and financial capabilities, and issue a joint statement supporting the right of the Palestinian people over the land occupied by Israeli forces. These clauses faced resistance from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, leading to amendments that diluted the original proposals. In this discourse, Pakistan has been nowhere on the spectrum, which used to be a relevant state in the past whenever there has been a conflict in the Middle East. Adopting the original draft could have imposed substantial fiscal consequences on Israel. The altered toothless resolution could only manage to call for a ceasefire, rejected Israel’s claim of “acting in self-defense,” and urged the UN Security Council to pass a “binding” resolution to halt Israeli aggression. In the past, the similar non-committal and weak stance of Arab countries towards the conflict in the Middle East underscored the need for alternative diplomatic avenues back in 2019 when Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohammad took an initiative to call a summit of non-Arab Muslim nations in Kuala Lumpur, which was participated by important countries like Turkey and Iran, but Pakistan, under Saudi pressure, declined to attend at the eleventh hour.
In recent days, the Muslim countries adopted a novel strategy to deal with ongoing Israeli aggression, which is showing no limits. A group of countries got together to present their views on the Gaza massacre to the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. This committee includes foreign ministers and representatives from Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the Palestinian Authority, and the OIC Secretary General. The group aims “for a ceasefire to be announced as soon as possible and for humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza.” The group members made their first visit to China. China was chosen as a first stop because of its growing significance on the world stage, including the Middle East. Secondly, unlike the other members of Western countries, China has been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. The Committee asked for an urgent requirement of an end to “military escalation” in Gaza as well as “hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the blatant violations and crimes in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi responded by saying that the decision of the Muslim diplomats to start in Beijing shows their high level of trust in his nation.
The joint U.S.-Israel strategy aimed at eliminating Hamas resistance and installing Mahmoud Abbas as a compliant leader is viewed skeptically. Historical precedents, such as the Afghan power transition, suggest that external interventions in internal power dynamics often yield unfavorable outcomes. Recent events exposing Israel’s vulnerabilities challenge its perceived security prowess, especially with the combined resistance force of Hezbollah and Hamas, along with Palestinian communities within Israel, becoming a focal concern for both the U.S. and Israel.
Amidst the intensifying conflict, the U.S. has reportedly cautioned Israel against entering Gaza due to the challenges posed by urban warfare. The cautionary advice parallels the historical lesson from the film “Enemy at the Gates”, underscoring the impact of a single sniper in urban battlegrounds.
The absence of consultations with Pakistan during the current crisis raises questions about shifts in geopolitics dynamics. Pakistan, once considered a significant player with nuclear capabilities and a substantial population, being excluded from diplomatic discussions is disconcerting.
Murders, not accidents?
Regional Response to Israeli Slaughter
14
0
22.11.2023
In the tumultuous Middle Eastern landscape, October 2023 witnessed a tragic escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, resulting in a devastating toll on human lives. So far, the conflict has claimed over 13,500 Palestinian lives, including at least 5,600 children and 3,600 women, with an additional 30,000 individuals sustaining injuries, 75 percent of whom were women and children. The hospitals and schools were bombed nonstop, caring less for the sick and injured. The Israeli war machine is ordering the helpless Palestinians to move around the enclave of Gaza as if they are not humans but a herd of cattle. These scenes remind us of the holocaust of the 1930s when the Nazi Germany ordered Jews to evacuate to Poland and other places. Dubbed the “Graveyard of Children” by some media outlets, this conflict, characterised as a “war” by biased Western media, lacks the typical conditions of parity, rendering Palestinians vulnerable to the Israeli military. It can be aptly described as either a genocide or a massacre of Palestinians.
Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Joint Arab League/Organisation of Islamic Conference Summit was convened in Riyadh on November 12, 2023, aiming to denounce Israel’s brutal acts and to suggest ways and means to force Israel for a ceasefire. However, discord marred........
© The Nation
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Mort Laitner
Rami G Khouri
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
