CSS Current Affairs | Measures to Uphold Human Rights Standards in Palestine
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Outline
1- Introduction
2- Israel-Palestine conflict: a brief history
3- Current scenario of Gaza
4- Ongoing conflict and its threats to security concerns and human rights
- ✓Severe killings of Palestinians
- Evidence: As of April 15, at least 33,843 Palestinians were reported killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of hostilities.
- ✓Destruction in Gaza
- Evidence: The conflict has damaged or destroyed roughly 62% of all homes in Gaza, or 290,820 housing units, according to a World Bank interim damage assessment published in March.
- ✓Continuous Displacements of Civilians
- ✓Full-Brown Famine
- Evidence: The World Food Programme (WFP) says that 1.1 million people in Gaza are suffering catastrophic levels of hunger.
- ✓Water Scarcity
- Evidence: According to UNICEF, More than 90 per cent of the water extracted from the territory’s sole aquifer has been found unsafe for human consumption
- ✓Drug Shortages
- Evidence: the WHO reported that two medical points near the largest site for displaced people in east Khan Younis were inundated with daily cases of hepatitis, skin diseases, and diarrhoea and critically low on medical supplies when U.N. officials visited on April 9.
5- Measures to protect the civilian population and human rights standards
- ✓Two-State Solution
- ✓Palestinian Membership in the U.N.
- ✓Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) initiatives
- ✓Following Calls for “Block the Boat” Movement
- ✓Arrest Warrant of war leaders involved in genocide in Gaza
- ✓Effective Role of the United Security Council
- ✓Cutting off diplomatic ties with Israel
6- Understanding the notion of Right to Self-Defense
7- Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
Palestine, owning to its sacred sites and strategic location, has significant status for three major Abrahamic religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. However, embracing Al Aqsa mosque, Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock, and events of the life of Jesus Christ in its temples, in Jerusalem, its sacred city, the land has been witnessing statehood claims and wars among Muslims, Christians, and Jews for centuries. Further, after the influx of Jews since 1918 and the establishment of Israel in the land in 1947, the Palestine -Israel conflict, the most complicated matter, has risen and remained unresolved for decades due to the apartheid policies of Israel and its allies, and the rise of strong resistance movements from Palestinians in protecting the territory. Consequently, Israel’s illegal invasion in the region has led to thousands of killings and eradication of Palestinians along with a wide range of destruction in the land. Similarly, on October 7 2023, another conflict emerged between Israel and the movement group Hamas in Gaza, ravaging the entire region. The conflict resulted in genocide, famine, and humanitarian crises, further leading to protests, opposition, and chaos worldwide on behalf of Palestinians’ lives. Nevertheless, to permanently preserve humanitarian rights, solutions such as the Two-State Solution, membership of Palestine in the U.N.the, and penalization of war leaders have been introduced, and the issue was also taken to the attention of the International Court Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC), yet the efforts bare no fruits. Thus, the long-lasting Palestine-Israel issue requires collective efforts of both the nations in rival Arab nations and the West to protect civilians from further genesis, displacements, and insecurity.
Israel-Palestine conflict: a brief history
Historically, the Palestine issue has its origins in the Balfour Declaration, a declaration by Britain that pledged to provide a nation to the Jews in Palestine, which led to the Jewish influx from six to 33 per cent in Palestine from 1918 to 1947. Consequently, with the interval of time, the Armed Zionist militias started campaigning for a homeland for Jews in Palestine by attacking and forcing the owners of the land to flee, leading to the Palestinian revolts and resistance movements. As the conflict rose continuously, it then attracted the attention of the West, which later introduced a solution called the U.N. Partition Plan in 1947, dividing the land into two separate states .55 per cent of the land was handed over to Jews, 45 per cent to the Arabs and the Jerusalem was recognized as separate international territory. However, following Israel’s establishment in 1947, Israel’s apartheid policies in Palestinian land have not ended, which led to ethnically cleansing of Palestinians from their homes in a Six Day War in 1967, resulting in the displacing 750 thousands of Palestinians, known as Nakba. Notwithstanding, an agreement was made in 1993 called the Oslo Accords, which did not remain sustained for more than six years and led to the illegal Israeli settlements and occupation of the West Bank. Apart from that, Israel has been continuously launching military assaults in 2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2021, and ongoing conflict from 2022 to 2024, committing apartheid. Still and all, the more Israel expedites its occupations, the more the resistance movements rise in the form of opposing groups like Hamas.
Current scenario of Gaza
Currently, the Palestine – Israel conflict has once again turned the focus of the world towards itself.In response to amplifying Israeli aggression and blockade of the Gaza Strip, Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israel on October 7 2023, leading to a devastating and shocking situation in the state as thousands were killed and a hundred abducted. The objectives of Hamas were to end Israeli Violations, secure A two-state solution, and abandon Saudi-Israel normalization. However, to defeat Hamas, Israel has brutally launched deadly airstrikes in densely populated areas of Gaza, including residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and institutions in southern and northern Gaza. Since the present, the world has been witnessing thousands of killings, displacements, destruction, famine, scarcity of water, food, and medicine, and blockades of humanitarian aid. The heart-wrenching situation in Gaza led to worldwide chaos, protests, and clashes among nations. The matter was also taken to the International Court Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC), but the efforts bore no fruits for Gazans since they are suffering a humanitarian crisis on a daily basis.
Ongoing conflict and its threats to security concerns and human rights
Gaza has been facing a catastrophic situation since Israel’s offensive attack Gaza. Israel’s deadly airstrikes have adversely impacted the lives of millions in terms of killings, displacements, water and food shortages, and health care facilities, explained below in detail.
- Severe killings of Palestinians
Initially, the conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on a Supernova Music festival in Israel, resulting in 1,200 killings and the abducting of 253. Following the Hamas-led attack, Israel has started deadly airstrikes in Gaza that led to nearly 40 thousand killings to the present. The number of killings unfortunately includes innocent civilians: infants, children, women, civilmen, elderly people, humanitarian personnel, doctors, and journalists.
- Destruction in Gaza
Next, Due to the conflict, nearly 370, 000 housing units, 29 hospitals that include 84 per cent of healthcare facilities, and 80 per cent of schools have been damaged in Gaza as stated by UNRWA, Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, 80 per cent of Gaza has been ravaged which ultimately takes 14 years to remove rubbles and 80 years to rebuild the region, according to the U.N. Development Program.
- Continuous Displacements of Civilians
Moreover, as continuous airstrikes have been done in densely populated areas of Gaza, the situation has led Gazans to constantly move from one place to another, resulting in displacements of 1.7 million people, 75 per cent of the population, estimated by UNRWA. Also, many of the civilians were forced to move repeatedly. Currently, many more have been sheltered in Rafah near the Egypt border, where the threat of an even bigger humanitarian crisis is expected.
- Full-Brown Famine
Following that, as stated by the World Food Programme (WFP), 1.1 million people in Gaza are facing famine. There is a calamitously full-brown famine in Northern Gaza, and moving to Southern Gaza due to the destruction of agricultural land, Israeli bombings and blockade. Half of the tree-covered areas and farmland are damaged. On April 25 2024, at least 28 children died, and 16-25 per cent of children aged 6-59 months are suffering from malnutrition. Although, towards the end of April, bakeries supported by WFP opened, UNRWA called it a drop in the ocean.
- Water Scarcity
In addition to that, Gaza was already facing water crisis before the war began and recent conflict has added fuel to the fire. In February, aid agencies have warned that majority of citizens have no access to clean drinking water and sanitation services that include 90 percent of their daily usage. According to the UNICEF, recently displaced children in Gaza Strip are accessing only 1.5 to 2 liters of water each day.
- Drug Shortages
Last but not least, due to severe shortages of electricity supplies and frequent power outages, only a few hospitals are struggling to survive. According to WHO, only 11 of 36 hospitals in Gaza are operating partially. Moreover, because of the scarcity of food and water, diseases including diarrhoea, hepatitis, and respiratory infections are outbreaking. Apart from that, many injured patients are operated on without the use of anaesthesia and medication for severely injured patients is challenging.
Measures to protect the civilian population and human rights standards
- Two-State Solution
Two-State Solution to the conflict: Although it does not guarantee democracy for Palestinians, it still has attracted the minds of many diplomats towards permanent peace and security and the end of the conflict in the region. The proposal of the Two-State Solution supports the idea of two independent states for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel, ensuring Palestinians’ independence from Israel and the right to live as a separate nation in a land that is free from occupation. Except for the Israeli government alone, Palestinian leaders, Palestinian and Israeli citizens, along with West and Arab nations, have recognized the concept internationally. “Any refusal to accept the two-state solution by any party must be firmly rejected,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in his briefing to the 15-nation organ. Thus, the Solution is perceived as the most common, prominent and two-sided settlement of the matter.
- Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) initiatives
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), a non-violent movement led by Palestinians, pressurizes the Israeli government to comply with International laws and stop its war crimes and injustice against Palestinians and Gazans. The BDS comprises Boycott, withdrawing support for Israel’s apartheid regime and sports, cultural and academic institutions complicit in Israel’s evil acts, Divestment: a strategy that incites banks, churches, councils, pension funds, and universities to withdraw investments from Israeli Banks and all international companies that withstand Israeli apartheid, and Sanctions: a motive pressuring governments impose a ban on business, end military trade and free-trade agreements with Israel, assisting to terminate Israeli apartheid. Hence, the BDS initiative is a prominent and growing move that helps cease Israeli elements from committing crimes against Palestinians and violating humanitarian laws, ensuring Palestinians’ humanitarian rights, security and justice.
- Advancing Palestinian Membership in U.N.
Apart from that, the membership of Palestine in the U.N. would play a significant role in securing Palestinians’ rights as it can provide international protection to Palestinians against Israeli military forces, making Israelis leave the areas that are within the Palestinian state, Gaza in particular. For instance, while considering Palestine as a U.N. member, other states recognize Palestine’s state and transfer their focus from Israel to Palestinians’ security. Moreover, if full U.N. membership is granted to the Palestinians, it would lead to an increase in negotiation processes, determine their borders, provide reforms not that of Israeli versions, and augment an opportunity for a ‘soft power’ intervention, leading to just and sustainable Solution, and more importantly the safe return of Palestinian refugees to their lands. Therefore, the acceptance of Palestinians in U.N. membership would grant positive outcomes in terms of peace and security to the civilians.
- Following calls for “Block the Boat.”
Moreover, “Block the Boat”, an action initiated by the San Francisco Arab Resource and Organization Center (AROC), is a significant move in order to destabilize Israel’s economy by blocking ships containing military aims to Israel. For this purpose, dockworkers and labour activists around the world, in solidarity with Palestinians, play a key role in making barriers in transportation and loading Israeli ships and cargo within and outside the state. Moreover, countries should impose a ban on Israel’s shipping company, ZIM, from docking at their ports, and workers and labourers should refuse to pay for services in ZIM branches. Thus, hindering the progress of Israel’s shipping companies and their branches can paralyze Israel’s process of transportation, which further helps in securing Palestinians’ humanitarian rights.
- Arrest Warrant of war leaders involved in genocide in GAZA by ICC
With regard to civilian rights the civilians, the intervention and voice of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its arrest warrant for Israeli President Netanyahu and Israeli leaders trigger the lights of hope for prevailing humanitarian rights and terminating the genocide of Gazans who are constantly in the target of Israel’s continuous bombardments. Further, ICC’s attempt is also a strong whip to Israel’s president and Defence Minister and their allies as ICC’s indiscriminate and transparent role can not only play a pivotal act in accounting for Israel and its accomplices for their crimes but also can refrain Israel’s alliances from backing it. Moreover, the ICC’s attempt makes both the leaders of Israel and Hamas responsible for spreading fear and insecurity in the region, and it caters for justice to the victims. Thus, via the just act and decision of the ICC, security, peace, and prosperity can bloom in the affected region.
- Effective Role of the United Security Council
Collective efforts of the U.N. Security Council, Muslim nations, and international organizations can play a significant role by exerting pressure on Israel to comply with humanitarian international law and unblock the entry of humanitarian aid. The provision of humanitarian assistance, including food, clean water, medicine, and shelter and healthcare facilities to some extent, can elevate the catastrophic situation in Gaza. Moreover, manufacturing infrastructure, including homes, buildings, hospitals, and shelter camps, should also be compulsory for the mandates. As recently remarked by the U.N. Secretary General, “Member states have a legal responsibility to use all possible tools to leverage better protection of civilians and adherence to international humanitarian law.” Apart from that, Israeli leaders and accomplices should not find an escape route and should be held accountable by the ICC and ICJ for using starvation as a weapon. Thus, unity among the supporters of human rights in pushing back Israeli forces can help in minimizing the crisis.
- Cutting off diplomatic ties with Gaza
As Israel and the U.S. have been ceasing all plans relevant to peaceful settlements and Israel has violated International Law, Humanitarian International Law, the UN Charter, and the principles of the Geneva Convention 1949, the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) should severe diplomatic ties with Israel and its supporters in solidarity with Palestinians. In this regard, the nations are further obliged to suspend every economic and political plan with Israel, intensify pressure on Israel and the U.S. for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and steadfast their support for Palestine, paving the way to peace and security. On the other hand, the U.S. possibly face isolation if it continues its indeterminable support for Israel as the U.S.’s public and mainstream U.S. Media are explicitly objecting to Israel’s injustice and cruelties against Palestinians. Moreover, owing to the Arab’s strategic location, economic roles, and centrality in the world energy system, the U.S. cannot bear strategic relations with the Arab world along with more than two billion Muslims. Thus, it is an ideological and ethical duty of Arab nations to intervene and steadfast their support for Palestinians and compel the U.S. to turn back on Israel.
- Understanding the notion of the right to self-defence
Jus ad Bellum, right to war, is a concept that gives a nation the right to wage war against a state in a particular condition. To elaborate, Article 51 of the UN Charter states, “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.” The article clearly explains that if an armed attack occurs in a state, the victim state has the right to individually or collectively use its military force to defend itself. In response to the Hamas’ attack at Supernova Music festival, Israel has launched a retaliatory attack in Gaza, using the notion of the right to self-defence as a tool. However, the situation in the case of the Palestine-Israel war differs. Israel’s claim to the right to self-defence is not valid as Israel as an occupant has been controlling and occupying Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza since 1967, prisoning Palestinians in the entire territory, and the Hamas’ attack in Israel itself was a retaliatory attack in response to the illegal annexation of Israel in the region.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine in Gaza has carried heart-wrenching consequences, including severe killings, famine, water and sanitary issues, ravages, and displacements of thousands of civilians. Additionally, the blockade of humanitarian aid to the region, the veto of Israel’s alliances in peaceful solutions, and hindrance in implementing the Two-State solution have added fuel to the fire. To come toward a peaceful solution, negotiation among states rivals, the intervention of the Arab and the West, unblocking humanitarian assistance in Gaza, penalizing war leaders, and membership of Palestine in the U.N. Above all, the implementation of the Two-State Solution would minimize the consequences and permanently solve the conflict.
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