Over two weeks of escalating crisis between Israel and Palestine, engineered by an unprecedented terror attack against Israeli civilians on October 7, is threatening to expand in the wider Middle East. One has witnessed the vandalisation of mosques, churches, hospitals and synagogues and the death and destruction of over 1400 Israelis and thrice as many Palestinians with thousands injured on both sides. Human suffering and constant fear among civilians on both sides of the wall is rampant as religious colouring to the conflict is being extended at the expense of a political cause and issue.
The world appears to be vertically divided as powers, both regional and major ones, have chosen sides as expected while rendering lip service to any major efforts to ceasefire and cessation of hostilities while ensuring the safe release of over 200 hostages with Hamas in Gaza, which is being flattened by the day. Regional powers are worried about the threat of the conflict expanding to other theatres including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and eventually Iran. Superpowers are busy undermining the UN even more for their geopolitical games.
Egypt, which has been hesitant to open the Rafah border due to the possible influx of Hamas fighters who follow the philosophy and are said to be an offshoot of the banned and even feared Muslim Brotherhood by the current Cairo establishment, eventually opened the border for sending relief supplies and letting foreign passport holders out. A flood of refugees from Gaza would add to the economic and political woes of Egypt besides the fact that displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza would entail succumbing to the desire of many Israeli right-winger leaders which would do a greater disservice to the Palestinian cause. Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi hosted a Peace conference in Cairo with the participation of dozens of leaders from the region and several from the West as well as Special envoys of China and Russia. However, as expected, the West and the regional powers could not be on the same page and no joint statement could be issued which has been the real plight of the Palestinian issue.
While the regional countries wanted an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded supplies of humanitarian assistance and resumption of peace talks for a two-state solution, the Western countries expressed their full support and solidarity with the Israeli right to defend as well as the immediate release of hostages and facilitating relief supplies. Anger and angst of the Arab and Israeli leaders has been evident in their furious speeches for different reasons even as the fake news and social media campaigns on both sides are rampant, obfuscating the ground reality. UN Secretary-General, António Guterres’s reaction that attacks by Hamas, though condemned, ‘did not happen in a vacuum’ provoked calls for his resignation.
President Sisi kicked off the summit by emphasising the need for cessation of hostilities and a just and lasting solution for the Palestinian issue. A press release said that the ongoing war has also disclosed a shortcoming in the values of addressing crises. “While we see one place rushing and competing to promptly condemn the killing of innocent people, we find incomprehensible the hesitation in denouncing the same act in another place. We even see attempts to justify this killing as if the life of the Palestinian human being is less important than that of other people,” it stated.
King Abdullah II of Jordan was categorical in his denunciation and has been actively pursuing shuttle diplomacy. He is also the custodian of the Al Aqsa mosque. Both Egypt and Jordan have peace treaties with Israel. Jordan has had huge demonstrations given that over 3 million of its population is of Palestinian origin. Even Queen Rania is of Palestinian descent and accusing the Western world of double standards, she lamented, “When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack, but what we’re seeing in the last couple of weeks, we’re seeing silence in the world.” Arab Foreign Ministers at the UN also called for an immediate ceasefire and siege of the Gaza enclave. Prince Faisal said, “We are here with one message: violence is not a solution. The lives of all civilians deserve to be protected and this includes the Palestinians in Gaza. Just peace will never be achieved if the international community does not meet its commitments and resolve the Palestinian situation.”
The British Foreign Secretary tried rather cleverly to play both sides perhaps forgetting that his country has been a major cause of this issue. However, during their visits, Biden, Macron, Scholz and Sunak among others conveyed their fullest support to Israel and its right to defend itself but urged the nation to go slow on the ground invasion and civilian strife and casualties in Gaza, which in the meantime have frittered away a lot of global sympathy for Tel Aviv as Netanyahu is facing increasing frustration at home. Efforts are being made by Qatar to get more Israeli hostages released as Hamas wants the Israeli offensive to be stopped first. Meanwhile, the world is also confronted with a potential escalation and expansion of war fronts with Hezbollah, Islamic Militias and Hamas opening fronts in concert with the guidance and support of Iran which might suck the West into this war. China has already positioned its six warships in the region following the US naval deployments even as Beijing is trying to offer to mediate with their special envoy already in the region. Moscow is also working closely with Beijing to find some solution as it beefs up its presence and acts at the UN.
Peace is what everyone wants but major actors are beset by their limitations and the warring parties justify their reasons to go on the warpath. Ironically, Egyptian organisers of the Peace Summit forgot to invite India, the only country with credible credentials on both sides. India’s position on terror attacks by Hamas against Israel, solidarity with the plight of Palestinians and support for a two-state solution as well as provision of humanitarian supplies to Gazans and ‘Operation Ajay’ to bring back stuck Indians from Israel and Palestine have been consistent as PM Modi spoke to President Abbas and King Abdullah II to ascertain the situation and render assistance.
Peace and durable solutions are a must to stop the recurrence of this cycle of violence and retribution in this volatile region where flashpoints are ever so charged. Inshallah, good sense will prevail and Shalom will follow.
The writer is a former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta and is a Distinguished Fellow with leading think tank Vivekananda International Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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