Daily Times

From the looks of it, the Israeli administration knows only one way out of every stumbling block: a grossly-orchestrated slaughter of ordinary civilians. Palestinians are desperate to find a safe hiding place in the presence of a looming ground offensive by the Israeli military in Gaza. An unbelievable number of hospitals, schools and residential buildings have already been razed down in the most densely-populated, open-air prison as the casualties creep higher over two thousand.

There may not be two qualms about the right of any sovereign country to defend itself. But the international community is shirking away from its obligation making Israel see the heart-wrenching chain reaction and how its subsequent flouting of the rules of war would achieve nothing more than more chaos, more ruin, and more destruction. The deadly medieval siege, sporadic attacks and a very in-your-face style of genocide have all been Israel’s attempts to make the Palestinians disappear.

To understand the uproar over the latest proclamations, forcing them to head towards the Sinai Desert, it is important to remember how for the better part of this century, Palestinian territories have been brutally conquered in the name of development. How a stream of settlers invited from all over the world replacing rightful owners gave a new meaning to the existential crisis being braved by millions of Palestinians.

The consequences of depriving people of supplies of power, food and water, while subjecting them to sustained bombing, cannot be imagined but to an administration adamant on having their way, no matter at whose expense, the horrors are a moot point. It is a travesty that a country that does not tire of touting its human rights commitments would not shy away from pointing its war machines at civilian targets. But if its self-defence argument resonates with the leading lights of the free world, shouldn’t the Muslim world follow suit and plan out a counter-movement?

The Palestine question cannot be resolved unless some solution manages to find a viable state for Palestinians; one that’s able to secure itself and survive. Perhaps, the time to strike is now. *