THERE is no break, no relief, no space to breathe, and no time to recover for the oppressed Palestinians. Especially ever since the start of this year, Israel has upped the ante and resorted to continued violence against the innocent Palestinians.
In the latest what could be called a despicable and condemnable air raids on civilians in Gaza, at least thirteen Palestinians have been killed including six women and four children, thus triggering both sadness and anger amongst them. We have no doubt in saying that the recent Israeli act will only further escalate the tension. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has warned Israel will pay the price of the killings. Indeed just like anybody else, the Palestinians too have the right to defend themselves but then this cycle of violence will continue. Until and unless, Israel is stopped from its brutalities and atrocities, one cannot see improvement in the situation. Israeli violence is first and foremost structural. It involves the dehumanization of the Palestinian people in Israeli culture, education and politics; the checkpoints; the apartheid wall; the besiegement of the Gaza Strip; the home demolitions; the permits system; the economic hardships Palestinians suffer; the restrictions on Palestinian access to healthcare and social services; the imprisonment; the denial of the freedom of movement; the limited access to holy places; the stealing of Palestinian lands; the building and expansion of illegal settlements, and so on. All this is designed to strip Palestinians of their sovereignty and freedom, denying them basic human and political rights, exposing them to uninhibited Israeli state military violence. What is really depressing is that the so-called champions of human rights are acting as a silent spectator on the plight of Palestinians and appear to be standing with the oppressor rather than the oppressed. It is for important capitals, especially Washington, to use their influence and press upon Israel to avoid taking the situation towards further escalation. Two state-solution is the only viable option and the US will have to act as an honest broker to make forward movement in that direction.
