Breathe
By Cristina Gutiérrez Salman
Once again, the whole world is talking about Israel and Palestine.The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is experiencing its highest escalation in decades after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, October 7. Hamas fighters managed to penetrate Israeli communities near the Strip, killing residents and capturing hostages. As of Sunday, October 8, more than 600 people are reported dead and at least 130 people kidnapped by Hamas forces. On the other side, the Israeli response, in the form of shelling on targets in the Gaza Strip, has claimed the lives of at least 413 people. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) urged civilians in Gaza to leave their residences, while Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, warned that his country had begun "a long and difficult war".
What is expected for that region in the coming days does not look good at all, a war with devastating consequences for both sides is expected, especially for Palestine considering the Israeli military capability coupled with the support they have already started to receive from the United States. However, I think it is important to understand where this protracted and complex conflict is coming from.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been ongoing for decades. In 1948 the United Nations partition plan led to the creation of the State of Israel on Palestinian land. This resulted in the expulsion and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, creating a refugee population who over the years have sought the creation and recognition of an independent Palestinian state. In 1967, as a result of the Six Day War, Israel occupied the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. That occupation has been a constant source of conflict and controversy. The construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank has fueled the ongoing tension. Palestinians consider these settlements to be illegal and an obstacle to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. In 2022 Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch determined that Israeli authorities are committing crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution within the occupied Palestinian territories. The conclusion is based on the Israeli government's overall policy of maintaining the domination of Jewish Israelis over Palestinians and the grave abuses committed against Palestinians living in the occupied territory.
For its part, the population of the Gaza Strip has been subjected to a blockade by Israel since 2007. Israel controls most of the land and sea crossings into Gaza, which limits the import of goods and the export of products. A limit has been imposed on the amount and type of goods allowed into Gaza, which has affected the local economy and the quality of life of Palestinians. Movement restrictions have also limited the ability of Palestinians to enter and leave Gaza, including for medical care. The blockade has generated an economic and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and systematically violates the human rights of the nearly two million Palestinians living there.
Peace negotiations have had ups and downs over the years, and several agreements, such as those of Oslo in 1993, have attempted to establish a two-state solution that would allow for the coexistence of Israel and an independent Palestinian state. However, these negotiations have failed to achieve a lasting agreement and all UN resolutions in favor of the creation of an independent Palestinian state have failed due to the veto of the United States.
Over the years, this conflict has sparked countless clashes and wars, including acts of terrorism by radical Palestinian groups such as the one being waged by Hamas. But, make no mistake, this is not a Palestinian war, it is a Hamas war. Hamas is a fundamentalist organization that does not represent the Palestinian struggle for an independent state but takes advantage of it to carry out heinous crimes that are in no way justifiable. Hamas is not Palestine and Israel as a state is not the victim, there are many Israeli and Palestinian civilian victims, and unfortunately there will continue to be many more innocent victims on both sides in the coming days, but the State of Israel is not a victim; through its continued policy of occupation, segregation and apartheid it is partly responsible for the existence of radical and extremist groups that justify their unjustifiable acts of terrorism behind such policies. Beyond ending Hamas and its terrorist cells, which is definitely urgent and imperative, something has to change at the root of the political configuration of the region to stop this conflict, hopefully not too late. Israel and the Jewish people have the right to a state, and so do the Palestinian people.
*Degree in International Trade from Tecnológico de Monterrey. I have worked mainly in areas of logistics and foreign trade. For the last 10 years or so I have studied a lot about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and in 2015 I organized the conference "Palestine beyond Zionism" with Israeli activist Miko Peled. Literature and music are my passion.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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