THE situation in the Middle East has taken a turn for the worse following a recent early- morning strike on Israel by Hamas. The strike killed over a 1,000 people, the majority of whom were civilians. The attack sent shockwaves across the world in what is viewed by many as a failure of Israeli intelligence to detect in advance a strike of such intensity and magnitude.
Israel in response declared a ‘state of war’ and launched a series of attacks on the Gaza Strip killing hundreds of innocent people and destroying several buildings and infrastructure. In addition, Israel cut has cut off electricity, water, food and medical supplies in a retaliatory move.

This is indeed a worrying development and has once again brought to the surface a volatile situation spanning several decades. Despite several peace efforts by the United States and other bodies, including the United Nations, the problem remains largely unresolved with dire consequences.

The genesis of the conflict lies in the end of the British mandate in May, 1948, when Israel unilaterally declared its independence despite a United Nations decision to have a two-state resolution involving Palestinians and Jews. This was met with fierce resistance from Palestinians and other Arab states. A British Mandate, it should be recalled, was created in 1923 and lasted until 1948. That period saw a flood of Jewish migrants, many of whom were fleeing Nazism in Europe. Palestinians were alarmed by their country’s changing demographics, which over time resulted in several conflicts involving Arab nations and Israel. Palestine was effectively the Palestinians’ homeland and for several decades, they lived under the shadow of an occupying power.
Gaza which is home to roughly 2.3 million people with an area of 365 square kilometres, is one of the most densely populated regions in the world and had experienced several military assaults by Israel. This ongoing assault has no immediate end in sight as the Israeli Prime Minister vowed to take all necessary action to avenge the killings.

The killing of civilians and the taking of hostages cannot be justified and certainly does not advance the cause of any party to the conflict. Such an approach is inconsistent with international law and a violation of the right to life as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Collective punishment of an entire society is against the laws of war, as in the case of the current bombardments in the Gaza Strip by Israel.
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The only way forward is to create the conditions for peace and the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on full respect for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
President Mohamed Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed Guyana’s long-standing solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for their dignified existence in accordance with the two-state solution. During his recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, he urged member states to do more to move past rhetoric so that the peace process can progress.
This call is more timely and relevant today, as it was at any time in the history of the conflict. The time is long overdue for a permanent solution to this festering problem. The root cause of the conflict must be addressed, namely, a free and independent Palestinian state.

This most recent escalation of the conflict is yet another grave reminder that the cost of inaction on the part of the international community to deal with the Palestinian issue can be catastrophic for people not only in the Middle East, but also for humanity as a whole.

This current conflict has grabbed the international headlines and, for the first time in months, has pushed the war in Ukraine on the backburner. One can only hope that this current conflict situation will come to an early end and not allowed to be dragged out for months as in the case of the war in Ukraine.