CSS Current Affairs | Escalation of the Palestine Conflict 2023 and Big Powers
The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Hamda Faisal under the supervision of Howfiv’s Current Affairs Coach, Sir Ammar Hashmi. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir Syed Kazim Ali to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2-An overview of the Israel-Palestine conflict
3-The recent escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict
3.1-Causes of the recent escalation
- ✓Gaza as a concentration camp and the Israeli settlements
- ✓The growing Arab-Israel normalisation
3.2-Consequences of the 235+ days of the war
- ✓Israel’s violations of international humanitarian laws and deliberate genocide of the Palestinians
- ✓UN ceasefire resolutions: big powers’ veto and Israel’s disregard
4-The big power’s reaction to the recent dynamics
- ✓USA’s stance
- ✓Russia and China’s Stance
- ✓UK and Europe’s Stance
- ✓The Muslim countries’ Stance
5-Critical Analysis
6–Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
The Palestine question has been the longest issue on the United Nations (UN) table, unresolved with war and peace alike. Indeed, the recent escalation is another chapter in the hundred years of Israeli war on Palestine. From the Nakba to the Intifada, Arab-Israel wars, and blockades—Israel continues to relentlessly pursue kill, torture, detain, displace, and bomb Palestinians in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, mainly the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Moreover, the Palestinians have lived under apartheid-like conditions in the West Bank and siege and blockade in Gaza since 2006. And the recent Arab-Israel normalisation has fuelled the need for a drastic measure for survival. Though there have been countless efforts by different international bodies and mediators to mitigate and resolve the crisis, it remains unresolved as each big power, with its stance and agenda, is unwilling to back down. And until one of the big powers takes a definite stance on ensuring stability, it is difficult to imagine a liberated Palestine co-existing peacefully with Israelis, no matter the formula used to resolve it.
An Overview of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
The State of Israel, a Zionist settler project by European Jewish leaders to relocate and claim the “ancient rights of Jews to live in the area of Jerusalem” over the indigenous Palestinians already occupying the land, has evolved into a heavily militarised and funded white colonial state in the Middle East daring to raise everything and everyone to ground to achieve its extremist goals. Even with taking more than their allocated share of the UN Partition Plan 1947 (Resolution 181) during the First Arab-Israel War, Israel hasn’t stopped taking more land. It has taken the win in the four Israel-Arab wars as a divine sign of its righteous purpose. In addition to its countless atrocities all over the Palestinian land, the Gaza Strip has been under constant blockade and siege since 2006. Israel strictly monitors the territorial waters and airspace of Gaza, keeping track of all the goods and people coming in and out of the strip. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for Gaza to turn into a “deserted island” in response to the Hamas Attack—a small point to wage more war and destruction on civilians, children, women, and militants alike. Israel now seems to be set on erasing Gaza off the map by destruction of its infrastructure, history, and culture and by raging a genocide of Palestinians. While the casualties count on the Palestinian side is reaching 36,000 people killed with more than 80,000 people harmed, the causalities on Israel’s side merely stand at 1,139 people. Thus, even after almost a hundred years of war, the Israel-Palestine conflict remains unresolved because the establishment of Israel as a white settle colony has not been completed, and the carnage of Palestinians will continue unless a big power intervenes intending to make peace and amends.
The recent escalation of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
The recent escalation that started on 7th October 2023 has been going on for more than 220 days. Marked by Hamas’ surprise attack and Israel’s continued retaliation and carnage, it has resulted in more than 35,000 people, half of them children, killed in Gaza. In comparison, Israel’s casualties stand at around 1100 people. This disproportionate situation has multi-faceted reasons and consequences, explained comprehensively in the following paragraphs.
3.1-Reasons of both sides for the recent escalation
- ✓Gaza as a concentration camp and the Israeli settlements
Since the formal inception of Israel in 1948, the country has continued to plunge and oppress Palestinians. The Gaza Strip has been under a blockade for sixteen years, with Israel controlling the points of entry, communications, and electricity, essentially turning Gaza into a concentration camp. The situation has caused an increasing humanitarian crisis. Moreover, the growing Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank encroach on the little authority Palestinians have left. Even though the West Bank is legally under the Palestinian Authority (PA)—both given history and the UN’s mandate—Israelis have been increasing Zionist settlements in the area and pushing out the indigenous population. Thus, the occupation of Palestinians through concentration camp activities in Gaza and illegal settlements in the West Bank has been the primary reason for the recent escalation.
- ✓The growing Arab-Israel normalisation
In recent years, there has been a drive by the US government to bring peace and counter the growing Chinese influence in the Middle East. For this, US President Trump brokered the Abraham Accords 2020, a deal with several Arab countries like UAE, Morocco, Sudan, and Bahrain to recognise Tel Aviv and establish diplomatic relationships with Israel. It stands contested that the normalisation of Arab-Israel relationships would have led to the erasure of Palestinian lands if a reactionary measure hadn’t emerged. The states would’ve been happy to ignore the plight of people in search of economic and political benefit. The recent escalation has caused a new-found enthusiasm in the Palestinian movement, with millions of people coming out to protest against the actions of Israel and all the political leaders
3.2-Consequences of the 235+ days of the war
The continuous Israeli aggression has had devastating effects on Gaza, with almost all of its cultural centres and residential buildings being hit. It has also led to a widespread people’s movement against Israeli aggression and the power of political and economic authorities looking to safeguard their interests instead of human life. A brief outlook of some of those atrocities is given below.
- ✓Israel’s violations of international humanitarian laws and war crimes
Israel has broken almost all of the international humanitarian laws, otherwise known as war laws, in the recent escalation. It has attacked Palestinian healthcare, mainly hospitals, 164 times since October 7, 2023, which is a clear violation of Article 18 of the Geneva Convention 1949. Moreover, Israel has used phosphor bombs on not only Gaza but in surrounding Lebanon territories as well—a violation of the UN’s Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). In consequence, on December 29, 2023, South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in violation of the Genocide Prevention Convention 1948 in the ICJ. The move is significant because it holds Israel accountable to some semblance of international standard, a thing Israel avoids with strong US support and backing. Therefore, the ICJ ruling on January 29, 2024, holding Israel accountable for committing genocide in Palestine and taking preventive measures to counter it might be a signal of the changing perception of the world.
- ✓UN ceasefire resolutions: big powers’ veto and Israel’s disregard
Since the start of the escalation, numerous resolutions have been presented in the United Nations (UN) for an immediate and definite ceasefire, as well as motions to recognise Palestine as a member state. However, the resolutions have continuously been sidelined and vetoed by big power support, such as the USA and the UK. After all the fiasco and decorum, the international organisations and their ruling, like those of the UN and ICJ, are non-binding. Therefore, Israel has shown open contempt and denial of them, even calling the UN members and the Hauge “Hamas agents” to further their agenda and propaganda. Israel’s disregard is only possible in the light of big powers’ support of its mission and the economic and political benefit of raging war on Palestinians, no matter the human cost and blood involved. Consequently, it tilts the scale in its direction, and the genocide marches on.
The big power’s reaction to the recent dynamics
- ✓USA’s stance
4Israel gets unchecked and unbalanced support from the USA. It essentially functions like an overseas colonial and imperialist project of the USA. The phenomenon is best exemplified by how Israel has received 200 billion dollars in mostly military aid from the USA. Just a couple of weeks ago, the US Congress passed a further 1 billion dollars in aid to Israel—this after eight months of continuous aggression and war crimes. Moreover, while the US was a staunch supporter of Ukraine against the Russian aggression, it denies the same favour to the analogy of Israel-Palestine. Even it plays an active role, if not the most active, in the campaign to dehumanise and devalue Palestinian lives—whether it be through the three vetoes of ceasefire resolution of aggression where half of the causalities have been children, or it is through the resolution of banning TikTok, the major platform used to amplify the voices of Palestinians on the ground documenting Israel’s atrocities and genocide. Therefore, one can see the double-side agenda of the US, with all the masks and façade of a liberal democracy off in front of the global world. It is a hypocritical ally of Israel.
- ✓Russia and China’s stance
Russia and China, two of the other big powers and rivals of the USA, have mainly an anti-USA stance in most of world politics, so the Israel-Palestine conflict is the same. The two superpowers of the East deny the US stance on Israel and condemn their onslaught. They advocate for peace and the two-nation solution. Though it might seem opposition for opposition’s sake, with Russia engaged in an active war against Ukraine and China being a financial investor in Israel as it has been in much of the Middle East, their outlook is less hypocritical than the West and Europe’s stance—a non-commitment to hold Israel to their atrocities on account of “Holocaust guilt”. In conclusion, China and Russia support peace as an end product and have not commented on the actions of either state in the war.
- ✓UK and Europe’s stance
The UK and the rest of Europe are in alliance with the USA regarding their stance. Significantly, France and Germany, the former on account of being a former coloniser much like Israel and the latter as to not be anti-Semitic against the Jews at another time in history. The UK has abstained from voting on the UN resolutions on Palestine. However, Ireland has been a staunch supporter of Palestine and the Palestinian’s human rights. It, along with Spain and Poland, has openly expressed its support by recognising Palestine’s right to exist as a state. Therefore, a divided stance is observed in Europe, with many states being neutral, some expressing support for Palestine, while some rooting for Israel.
- ✓The Muslim countries’ stance
Moving on, the Muslim countries’ stance on the recent escalation is joined in thought and ideology but differs in practice. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has held a joint meeting, condemning Israeli aggression, holding it accountable to international laws, and supporting the Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine. Much of the Muslim population in many countries also support the Palestinians. However, only Iran and Yemen have taken active steps to counter Israel—Iran with its missile attack on Israel on 13 April 2024 and Yemen through the interception of ships bound for Israel in the Red Sea. Conclusively, there is an apparent lack of interest and action on account of Muslim and Arab leaders, unlike the Arab-Israel wars of the twentieth century.
Critical Analysis
In a robust analysis, the Israeli aggression is another event in a series of events stretching back to one hundred years. Their intent to clean off Palestinians from their indigenous lands is more apparent than ever. With the help of the USA and other Western countries, Israel keeps on marching ruthlessly. On the other side, Palestinians are fighting for their ultimate survival in the face of extinction. They have faced Israeli atrocities since 1948 but still have kept hope for their future, their belief stronger than ever. Though it would not be incorrect to state that the Israel-Palestine conflict has increased the divide between the Global North and the Global South, taking the whole world towards more polarisation and tensions, it has also given rise to mass support for Palestine with millions of people coming out to protest and holder the action-doers and enablers accountable. It is the most talked out and highlighted issue of the year, with each move of Israel being criticised by the people. Sooner or later, the leaders and politicians would have to bend to the people’s will and move towards peace and liberation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Palestine issue has been the most extended unresolved agenda on the UN table. Still, the leading cause is the hypocrisy of the West, especially the US, towards the human loss of Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims. It continues to support Israel on all fronts as it goes on committing genocide of Palestinians. The reasons and consequences of the recent escalation have been the talk of the world. But among it all, the most unforgettable is the loss Palestinians have suffered for the last hundred years and continue to do so. If world leaders take appropriate actions in pressuring Israel to move towards a peaceful solution, like the two-state solution, then the road to recovery is still within reach.
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