As conflict in Gaza escalates, Gulf States have issued a united and emphatic denouncement of Israel’s aggressive actions, emphasising urgent need for international intervention to halt spiralling violence. The firm stance from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait resonates deeply with the aspirations of entire Muslim world.
With over 7,703 Palestinians, including 3,500 children killed and more than 18,000 wounded during past three weeks, the situation has reached a critical point. Israel’s complete blockade, prohibiting vital resources such as food, water and fuel to 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza has further exacerbated the dire conditions. Additionally, vow by Israeli authorities to ‘annihilate’ Hamas has added to already heightened fears of a catastrophic escalation. In this backdrop, unified stance from the Gulf nations should serve as a wake-up call and should not be overlooked. The fact of matter is that it reflects yearning of the Muslim world for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict, one that ensures safety and well-being of the Palestinian people. Amidst the chaos and turmoil, the collective voice raised by Gulf countries serves as a symbol of hope, resilience and unwavering commitment to principles of justice and humanity. It is a call for unity and compassion that transcends borders and speaks to shared responsibility of the international community to ensure a better and more secure future for the Palestinians.
The global community must work collectively to bring about an immediate cessation of hostilities, resumption of humanitarian aid and a genuine effort towards lasting peace and stability in the region. Greater responsibility rests with backers of Israel especially Washington to use their influence in order to get stopped current hostilities. The time for diplomatic intervention and decisive action is now. Turning a blind to human suffering and devastation in Gaza has the potential of this conflict engulfing the entire region. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) proposal for deployment of a protection force in occupied Palestinian territories also needs to be advocated strongly as it will provide much needed hope and sense of security to vulnerable Palestinian population.
