Who possesses eternal, absolute sovereignty over the so-called Promised Land? Historians judge that Canaanite tribes inhabited it, before the gradual integration of Israelis from Egypt. Then, for millennia, amidst wars, exilic periods and persecutions, the Israelis wrestled with various other races and nations to taste the luscious milk and honey of their ancestral lands. For many, it has been a diasporan-contemplative exercise. Nevertheless, since 1948 AD, they have regained much of their homeland and hold most, if not all, of holy Jerusalem.
Notwithstanding the complex historical and religious story, the brutality in the present conflict between Israel and Palestinian Arabs exposes humanity’s brokenness. There is no clear death toll for these wars since 1948. A recent CNN report reckoned that in the present Israel-Hamas war, “70% of victims were women, children and infants.” None of the UN-brokered talks have satisfied both camps. It is among the longest, unresolved conflicts in the history of the UN, challenging its already flimsy credentials.
Gaza in focus
The Gaza Strip is 140 sq miles and situated in the eastern Mediterranean basin. It shares borders with Egypt in the south; the Rafah Border is the main crossing into Egypt. The Israel-Gaza border is approximately 60 km. The only crossing point is Erez or Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. In the 1960s, the Gaza Strip had a population of 5 million. However, according to United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) roughly 2.4 million registered-Palestinians are now living as refugees in Jordan. Moreover, Azza Guergues writes in Aug 2024 ‘Foreign Policy Magazine’ that “more than 100,000 have crossed into Egypt since the start of Israel’s offensive in Gaza.”
Catastrophe
The world is familiar with the events which have unfolded since Oct 7. 2023: Hamas’s attack and Israel’s response. Thus far, there have been 44,000 fatalities. 1.9 million of the 2.2 million population have been displaced. Hamas has not yet released Israeli hostages; 32 hostages have died. A recent report by The UN Development Programme commented: “the humanitarian crisis has reached a catastrophic level, with unprecedented casualties, widespread destruction, severe food insecurity, mass displacement coupled with Israeli restrictions on aid delivery, have further compounded the crisis.” Furthermore, the healthcare system in Gaza has collapsed, raising fears about unbridled contagion. Access to drinking water is the next crisis. No electricity. No communication. Infrastructure collapse: “50% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged” writes Daniele Palumbo and others in Jan 2024 in BBC. The UN estimates $18.5 billion in infrastructure damage. Educational aspirations consumed. Care for the elderly abandoned. In this last year, the war has killed at least 14,000 children and infants, writes Sarah Ferguson (unicefusa.org: March 2024).
South Africa’s indictment of Israel regarding alleged genocidal offences in the ICJ is also pertinent: “Israel has ‘imposed measures to prevent the birth of Palestinian children by denying the basic necessities of life to pregnant women and their children” (icj-cij.org). The flames of oblivion have reached the international community. 120 media persons and 150 UN employees have been killed: “This is the highest number of aid workers killed in any conflict in UN history” says Christina Bouri and Diana Roy from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
The UN’s Response
On Oct 13, 2023 Israel’s former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in the media briefing that their forces were fighting with human animals in the form of Hamas: “They will regret this moment, Gaza will never go back to what it was.” Israel’s ground operation was complicated by Hamas’s tactics. Stewart Ross, in a new book on ‘The Israeli – Palestinian Conflict’, remarks that since Hamas is deliberately situating its facilities within civilian areas, it is nearly impossible for the Israel Defense Force (IDF) to identify or differentiate them from locals. Nor is UN’s Peace-Keeping force in Gaza is safe. Meanwhile, several, unsuccessful attempts have been made to enact a cease-fire by the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and President Joseph Biden.
The Israeli administration beholds the thirst and hunger of Gaza’s locals. Nonetheless, they deliberately prevented the medical team of the International Red Cross from using the main crossing points into Gaza from Israel and Egypt. The IDF wants the provision of humanitarian aid, but they are careful that it should not be used to Hamas advantage.
In-depth discussion of the UN’s response under the lens of International Law (IL) is more contentious. As a nation-state, Israel has the obligation to adhere to (IL). Hamas, however, is a non-state actor which has no obligation to comply to IL. According to the (IL), hospitals, patients and doctors in the war zone have the right of protection.
Here, none of the parties have followed the principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or the Geneva Conventions. This has caused unprecedented numbers of civilian deaths, says the UN Human Rights Chief Golkar Turk. Hamas should not have been located near the Al-Shifa Hospital. Yet, by operating beneath this hospital, they invited a disaster upon the civilians being treated therein.
Conclusion
The Jews, once the victims of Hiter’s Holocaust, must consider the plight of defenceless civilians in Gaza. Ultimately, the UN must take responsibility for its failure in responding to the humanitarian challenges posed herein. To strengthen the UN, it is necessary for the permanent members to support the World’s decision-making body. If it is finally impotent, its credibility will entirely fade.
Sadly, the UN has been uninterruptedly dying like its father, the failed League of Nations. Similarly, the UN should tremblingly consider that the League’s demise propelled the world into the hell of World War II. The UN Chief’s frustration is understandable in lamenting the ‘failed efforts to negotiate a full cease-fire’ to halt the war. Unfortunately, such lament only exposes the helplessness, the nadir of the UN system.
In the Security Council, Turkey’s President Erdogan reflected: “In Gaza, not only are children dying, but also the United Nations system.”
