While the world talks, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is intensifying, broadening and deepening its bombardment of Gaza by day and night, while simultaneously intensifying its attacks in the Occupied West Bank, where the number of killed and injured continue to rise by-the-day, including increased levels of settler violence against Palestinians.
After six weeks (October 7 to November 18), the IDF continues to pound Gaza with impunity while the world looks on.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a tame resolution this week calling for ‘humanitarian pauses’ and for a member-state that’s always rejected UN resolutions it doesn’t like, to now start obeying.
The diplomats at the UN and national foreign affairs ministries (including the US State Department and the UK’s Foreign Office) and the governments they serve, continue to daily dream-up words and phrases that won’t offend Israel.
But while the politicians and career diplomats bob-and-weave without end, administrations that continue to outrightly support the continued mass-killing and destruction in Gaza face mounting public condemnation at home and abroad.
Arab nations are being particularly criticized in the region for their cautious responses to Israel’s virtual obliteration of Gaza by bombardment, its military occupation of hospitals in both Gaza City and the West Bank and condemned by the UN for using food, water and fuel as ‘weapons of war’.
The UK and USA administrations continue to rock from vigorous public backlash that’s resulting in parliamentarians going against the ruling party and government positions and backing calls for a ceasefire.
In the UK, the leadership of both the ruling Conservative Party and Opposition Labour Party openly endorse the continued merciless killing through collective punishment of Palestinians, in the name of Israel’s right to self-defense.
In the USA, 24 Congressional representatives earlier this week called for the Biden administration to call for a ceasefire, after over-100 congressional staff had mounted an earlier walkout in protest against the administration’s support policy.
In the meantime, Washington, like London, continue to march out-of-tune with how citizens feel, with publication of a public poll on Wednesday indicating 65% of Americans support a ceasefire.
The European Union (EU) is still walking-and waltzing-away from and avoiding calling on Israel to stop the continuing killing, while also backing calls for ‘humanitarian pauses’ the world knows just won’t happen.
The pressure is also mounting on Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially from families of the 240 captives originally held in Gaza – at least 61 of whom Hamas reports as having died under Israeli bombardments.
Israel’s Opposition Leader, a partner in the national war coalition government, has also called on PM Netanyahu to resign, saying he’s not fit for the job.
But Netanyahu continues showing his unrelenting resolve to continue to deny any requests, from any quarter, for a ceasefire — and for whatever reasons — his administration insisting it’s at war in Gaza and there’s no humanitarian crisis there.
The Israeli administration continues attracting world criticism for clear violations of international war and human rights conventions and accused of committing of ‘war crimes’, ‘genocide’ and other ‘crimes against humanity’.
PM Netanyahu is stuck between a proverbial rock and a hard place, as he must remain in power to stay out of jail, awaiting sentencing on outstanding corruption charges whenever he’s out of office.
The longest-lasting Israeli PM is thus hell-bent on surviving this war on Gaza, by all means, as a political leader worthy of re-election for achieving the impossible aim of Israel’s destruction of Hamas, elimination of Gaza and eventual military occupation of the entire strip.
Unable to force 1.5 million displaced Gaza residents into refugee camps in neighboring Egypt’s Sainai desert region, Israel forced Gaza City residents to flee south to Eastern Khan Younis, where they’re now being told to evacuate, but with no safe place to go.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, also under pressure at home on the West Bank for his lukewarm opposition to Israel’s deadly Gaza campaign, is also unable to make any agreement with Israel during the war, lest he be regarded a traitor.
Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah are being watched closely too by Israel’s supporters for their next moves in continuing still-distant support for Hamas, both and either of which can strongly turn the tides of this war.
President Biden, with his mind and both eyes on the 2024 presidential race, is willing to sacrifice his credibility on the truthfulness of Israeli intelligence regarding Hamas using Gaza hospitals for military purposes.
The US President continues to be a consistent supporter of Israel, just as throughout his 50-year political career; and his Democratic Party is simply unwilling to upset the powerful US Jewish lobby that funds both major US parties — and currently widely favours Donald Trump’s Republicans today.
Israel is a nuclear-powered nation with the toughest military capability in the Middle East, thanks to consistent US support, including access to its powerful and sophisticated US Central Command weapons storage and facilities in Israel, as well as the support of two of the US’ largest aircraft carriers deployed in the Mediterranean to provide additional psychological, tactical and surveillance support to Israel.
Fearing the growing groundswells at home could backfire into local backlashes, Israel’s traditional backers are warning against ‘terrorist acts by pro-Palestine and Hamas groups, as the USA CIA warned this week.
Germany also carried-out raids on Thursday on 54 locations in seven states, targeting ‘Islamic centers’ the intelligence services claim to have ‘reasons to believe’ can or ‘may’ support Hezbollah.
Israel’s propaganda offensive has concentrated on justifying its bombardment, invasion and occupation of hospitals in Saza and on the West bank by claiming they were used as Hamas command posts, but none of the ‘evidence’ supplied by the IDF after entering the Al Shifa hospital justifies bombing a medical facility with thousands of sick and injured patients inside, including premature babies, medical staff and citizens seeking shelter in the massive hospital complex.
Meanwhile, the UN is accusing Israel of using fuel as a weapon of war, while its agencies also allege same with food and water.
And while the world’s leading governments, regional and international entities and agencies continue fiddling on the rooftop, Palestinians continue to die at a rate of 2,000 per month.
It is as one who stand at his widow, watching a woman beat up her husband, and taking a selfie of the act so the whole world can watch and tremble as the blows tumble all over the man.
Except for one intercession, the rest of the millions watching the spectacle are impotent, afraid, or indifferent to the affair.
The intercessor, however, enters the fray as one who attempts to detonate a nest of explosives that the woman has planted all around the house.
The minefield in his path are littered with condescension pelted from people watching his feverish maneuvering.
Some hate him because they believe he encouraged that woman to become the virago that she is;
Some love him because they believe that he brings to the mission the strategic tools of knowledge, wisdom and understanding; he Carrie’s the foresight of compassion and kindness;
All seem to understand that ( looking across the state of governance among a majority of world rulers ) any alternative to this intercessor is akin to falling from the frying pan into the fire for the state of world peace.
So, what to do? The ambassadors of peace are weeping bitterly. Journalists, and other peace keepers, are, themselves consumed by the heat blasting around the house.
Shall we say , then, that this battle belongs to a higher POWER than man’d