People who call themselves supporters of Israel are actually supporters of its moral degeneration and ultimate destruction.
– Noam Chomsky, American professor
As I am writing this column, I am suffering from a severe bout of stomach flu. I have never missed a column since I began writing and I am not going to miss my column today. The editors have been very kind and given me more time to complete this column.
I have decided to write on the ongoing Hamas-Israeli conflict. Please note that I am not siding any party, least I am accused of taking sides. I hate wars because the groups that will suffer most are the women, the elderly and the children.
The ongoing conflict started when Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas started on October 7 with a surprise attack on Israel. It all started with a barrage of rocket attacks of at least 3,000 rockets launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip against Israel.
Simultaneously some 2,500 militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, launching attacks on military bases and massacring Israeli civilians – reportedly 1,400 Israelis were killed, including 260 people who were massacred at a music festival
Unarmed civilian hostages and captured Israeli soldiers were taken to the Gaza Strip, including women and children The surprise attack was met with Israeli retaliatory strikes, and the Israel formally declared war on Hamas a day later.
What do you expect the Israelis to do? Sit back and let Hamas to get away with it? The militants should have known Israel will come down hard on them, no doubt about it! The have awaken a sleeping dragon and the recent retaliatory revenge attacks are what they have to face.
The Palestinians can argue that their land have ben illegally occupied and they justified it by the latest surprise attacks on the Israelis – attacking and killing innocent unarmed citizens, including children and the elderly; so what difference that make between the Israelis and the militants.
Israel began attacking Hamas forces and launching airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, which have killed more than 2,339 Palestinians as of October 15, and poor women and children are the victims. According to the United Nations more than 1 million Palestinians, nearly half of the population of Gaza, have been displaced.
Israel has cut off food, water, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza, which had already been blockaded by both Egypt and Israel. The Israelis have airdropped millions of leaflets ordering the evacuation of 1.1 million Gazans within 24 hours. This is sheer madness! How is it possible to move out one million people with that period?
And Hamas are known to use women, the elderly and children as human shields. This is a cowardly act by the militants. The innocents are the ones that suffer the most. And knowing Hamas, they will accuse the Israelis of massacring the poor children and women.
It’s unlike the Tamil Tigers who fought the marauding Singhalese army when the former were fighting for a homeland. They ordered their women and children to escape while they stayed back to fight the Singhalese army and were eventually wiped out. Unlike Hamas who were hiding behind their women and children.
Hamas have urged residents to remain in their homes and set up roadblocks. There were widespread deaths of civilians, with human rights groups accusing both Hamas and Israel of committing war crimes during the conflict.
Many nations have denounced Hamas and labelled its conduct as terrorism, while countries across the Middle East called for de-escalation and have attributed the root cause to Israel’s decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories.
I don’t see an end to the war in the near future. Though many Arab states have called for a de-escalation, a conflict was reported between militants in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, and Israeli forces October 8 and 9.
Perhaps, Hamas could offer to release the 100 or so Israeli hostages. That could soften the Israeli onslaught.
The United States deployed two aircraft carrier battle groups to the Mediterranean, the United Kingdom declared it would send warships and aircraft, and Germany is supplying military aid to Israel.
In the meantime, what is going to happen to the millions of refugees? The Arab nations should be taking in the refugees but it’s unlikely they will, judging from past experiences. The likely concern among these countries is that the fear of these refugees creating problems later in the future.
Again the western countries will take in some of the refugees on humanitarian grounds. And in no time as is happening now, these people will create problems like making unnecessary demands, creating unrests and causing strikes and riots as is happening in Italy, Germany, France and London.
Sanity has to prevail!
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
