TLPOpinion | Unmasking the Brutal Reality: Israel’s Perilous Path to Palestinian Genocide
By Aaliyah Kanan
On October 7, 2023, we saw the start of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian terrorists — Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Hamas launched an air, sea, and land attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, in which approximately 240 people were taken hostage. On the following day, Israel proclaimed war, launching airstrikes on the Gaza Strip to start the conflict. Weeks later, armored vehicles and military units infiltrated the vicinity. From the consecutive attacks from both Palestinian terrorists and the Israeli government since the 7th of October up to the 14th of April, the latest death toll currently stands at approximately 1,139 Israelis dead, while 33,729 Palestinians residing on Gaza Strip have been killed. But, how did this all start, and why did Hamas launch an unprecedented attack on Israel?
This is an intense conflict over territory that has gone out of hand. Basic human rights have been ignored and Palestinians have been brutally tortured and murdered for decades. Standing with Palestinians involves taking a stance for justice against the Israeli government’s decades-long persecution, expropriation, and outrageous violations of their fundamental human rights. In the face of persistent hardship and injustice, it is about reaffirming their claim to dignity and independence.
Hamas described it as “a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people” in its initial disclosure to the media following the incident.
Since 1948, there have been 75 years of escalating animosity between the two, which has culminated in numerous violent and deadly conflicts. To understand the decade-long war happening between Palestine and Israel, It is necessary to look at history to comprehend the struggle.
1940s: The Partition of Palestine
The Holocaust and Nazi persecution during World War II are also mentioned as factors that encouraged hundreds of thousands of Jewish people to move to Palestine during the 1920s and 1930s.
In February 1947, the British suggested that the United Nations examine the prospects of Palestine and take control of affairs in the area amid raging turmoil. Notwithstanding objections from local Palestinian Arabs, the United Nations later endorsed a resolution to divide Palestine into two independent states: a “Jewish State” and an “Arab State,” with Jerusalem placed under UN trusteeship. The city was then designated as an international zone with a special status when Palestine was divided into two sovereign states in 1947: a Jewish state and an Arab state.
This plan was rejected by the Palestinian Arabs because the Jews were supposed to receive the bigger region. The Arabs were unwilling to cede their territory, believing that the Jews should be relocated somewhere else by the western powers.
This posed a serious problem to the Palestinians. After generations of living in these territories, Palestinians were subjected to violence, intimidation, and forced eviction from their houses by certain Jewish factions during the partition of Palestine and the subsequent creation of the state of Israel. This mistreatment included attacks on Palestinian towns, property destruction, forced relocation, and massacres. In addition, legislation pertaining to property seizures, travel restrictions, and the denial of fundamental rights were among inequality that Palestinians have faced.
The Arab-Israeli War broke out shortly after the declaration. It ended with a cease-fire agreement in 1949, giving Israel control of more than two-thirds of historic Palestine, including West Jerusalem.
Revisiting the Unbalanced Legacy of the Six-Day War: Exposing Injustice
More conflicts and fighting broke out in the ensuing decades, including the Six-Day War. Israel enjoyed various advantages over its opponents during the 1967 Six-Day War, which helped them to victory. Israel’s superior military capabilities were one of their significant advantages. Many nations offered Israel military assistance, including the United States and France. Israel’s military was also well-trained and had a well-organized command structure and planning.This helped Israel win over Palestine.
An Ongoing Battle for Self-Determination and Justice
Up to this day, the war between Hamas and Israel has been escalating. Igniting the decades-long war once again, the most recent attack, Operation al-Aqsa Flood, was orchestrated by Hamas and other Palestinian armed organizations into various Israeli border locations, involving air and land strikes. It began on Saturday, October 7, paving the way for yet another violence and chaos between the two states.
The Israeli government had, months earlier, instructed the Palestinians in northern Gaza to relocate to the southern city of Rafah to seek safety. After that, the government bombed and destroyed the Palestinians’ houses as well as institutions like educational institutions and medical centers.
Defying increasing pleas for an end to the ongoing military offensive in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to “finish the job” and declared an invasion of the southern city of Rafah if the remaining Israeli hostages are not released by the approaching Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The prime minister of Israel has openly acknowledged his desire to exterminate the Palestinian people. Where can the Palestinians find refuge if their homes have been turned to dust already? At this point, it is not a war over land anymore, this is an ethnic cleansing.
As reported by Al-Jazeera News, the Health Ministry announced in a statement that since October 7, 75,298 Palestinians have been injured and the dead toll from Israel’s attacks on Gaza has grown to 32,782. In the last 24 hours, there have been 108 injuries and 77 fatalities. No one is safe anymore.
As opposed to watching helplessly as the Palestinian genocide continues, nations need to take proactive steps to put an end to it. In addition to fueling the conflict, the prejudiced support given by some nations has also continued a cycle of injustice and suffering.
It is crucial to understand that in addition to supporting Palestine, one should boycott the businesses that finance or assist the Israeli side of the conflict. For instance, Mcdonald’s company that supports Israel, as they are providing free or heavily discounted meals to Israeli soldiers and rescue personnel. McDonald’s Israel reportedly gave security and rescue troops 100,000 complimentary meals worth 5 million shekels ($1.3 million) on October 22, according to an X post.
Unfortunately, many people continue to support Israel because of their religious beliefs, even if it is evident that Palestinian rights are being violated. It is entirely political, so people shouldn’t approach it from a religious standpoint.
This is not a binary problem. In this case, there is no 100% right or 100% incorrect answer because both sides have undoubtedly inflicted casualties. From a historical standpoint, however, the Palestinians lost everything that made them human — their homes were reduced to dust, and their land was seized from them. Their land division has shrunk over the past seven decades, pushing two million Palestinians into a tiny area of territory that they don’t even have control of. Everyone knows they could be bombed at any minute, therefore they can’t sleep.
It is extremely upsetting to see how hungry Palestinians are as a result of the continuous conflict. Some families have even resorted to using animal feed to make bread in an act of desperation to feed their loved ones due to a lack of resources.
Their life is a never-ending war film.
Not only is the unrelenting quest for Palestinian independence a cry for freedom, but it is also a demand for justice, a rejection of the bonds of unending warfare, and a declaration that every human being has a right to live in peace and prosperity without the constant threat of war. As humans, let us fight for what is humane, let us advocate to fight for the rights of Palestinians — a fearless future — where they live in harmony and optimism.
FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE. FREE PALESTINE.
SOURCES:
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Alfonseca, K. (2023, October 14). Timeline: A look into the long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ABC News; ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/timeline-long-history-israeli-palestinian-conflict/story?id=103875134
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Amnesty International USA. (2022). Israel Palestine Apartheid Explainer [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUGICfaULXA
Zoran Kusovac. (2023, October 14). Analysis: Propaganda, deception, and fake news in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Aljazeera.com; Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/14/analysis-propaganda-deception-fake-news-and-psychological-warfare
DPR 3. (2023, October 20). Briefing for New Delegates. Question of Palestine. https://www.un.org/unispal/history/#:~:text=In%201947%2C%20the%20UK%20turned,Read%20more.&text=After%20looking%20at%20alternatives%2C%20the,(II)%20of%201947).
