Renewed conflicts between Hamas and the Israeli military forces have led to a global concern. According to multiple television channels and newspapers including the BBC, the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood of Hamas on Israel and counterattacks of Israel in the Gaza Strip have led to a state of war between Israel and Palestine with the continuation of fighting, involving another party including Lebanon-based Hezbollah. While the deadly attacks of Hamas —which killed more than 600 Israelis — are regretful, the indiscriminate retaliatory attacks of Israel that killed more than 500 hundred Palestinians are also regretful. But it remains unclear whether armed conflicts will end unless the Israel-Palestine crisis is resolved.
Measures have definitely been taken many times to resolve the Israel-Palestine crisis, which resulted from the 1947 Partition Plan and deteriorated by the lack of its full implementation, subsequent conflicts and other causes. Different countries and international organizations have facilitated dialogues between the parties to reach peace. Consequently, peace plans have been proposed and peace agreements including the 1993 Oslo Accords were reached, aiming to address core problems including borders, settlements, security, the return of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem and establish a two-state solution that respects the rights and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians. Though peace efforts have led to peace agreements including ceasefires, they have failed to resolve the crisis, leading to repeated forced occupations, attacks and counter-attacks and avoidable killings for decades.
But the current attacks and counterattacks of the parties may unsurprisingly lead to a full-scale and larger war — given that there is no effective and immediate mediation effort. Israel has already deployed around three hundred thousand fighters and armored vehicles near the border and is carrying out aerial attacks on different targets in Palestine, while Hamas and Hezbollah are carrying out rocket attacks in Israel. The continuation of attacks and counterattacks will deteriorate the situation and may result in a full-scale and larger war unsurprisingly involving other regional parties including Iran, which supports Lebanon based Hezbollah. The involvement of global powers in the support of their respective sides is also not unlikely altogether, indicating a potentially catastrophic war.
There are definitely territorial, historical and other challenges to resolving the Israel-Palestine crisis. Deep-rooted historical and religious tensions, competing national aspirations and the lack of a mutually agreed-upon solution for the status of Jerusalem are crucial challenges. Additionally, the lack of trust between the two parties and their unwillingness to compromise have hindered progress towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis. But the failure of regional and global peace efforts is also not less significant. Indifference to resolving the crisis, the polarization of the crisis and the geopolitical interests of regional and global powers further complicate the resolution process, as they often prioritize their own agendas over the solution to the crisis.
Any catastrophic war is desired to be averted. The role of regional and global actors is imperative for reaching a ceasefire and averting a potentially catastrophic war. But further efforts of global and regional actors are crucial to secure a solution to the Israel-Palestine crisis by addressing the root causes of the conflict including territorial expansion/settlements, the status of Jerusalem, security threats and mutual recognition that can end repeated attacks and counterattacks and establish a lasting peace. Strengthened mediation steps and compliance mechanisms are also imperative to facilitating effective resolutions.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
