Satish Singh Manhas
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is not new. It dates back to 1948 but historically it had a civilizational antagonism. When Israel became a country, although initially not recognised by most of its adversaries, especially the Arab world, it immediately treaded on the path of scientific progress and started development of its arsenal courtesy US and it left behind all its neighbours like Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar and even the Arab world. This technological and armed superiority led Israel to inflict crushing defeats to its enemies in all wars fought. This is one of the reasons that the belligerent neighbours of Israel including militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah never dared an open and declared war against Israel knowing its military prowess. In the 1967 war, Israel broke all war victory records and brought down on its knees all its enemies and that too in a span of six days called six days war or the June war. Such was the defence system of Israel and its war preparedness to deal with any unforeseen eventuality that it destroyed many enemy bases including air force, killed numerous enemy army Jawan’s, captured and killed many militants from Hamas and Hezbollah etc whosoever up the ante against Israel. Since then the antagonism is continuously going on between Israel and Palestine, Hamas, Hezbollah militants. Many countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen etc who fought against Israel in 1967 remained quiet after tasting the shameless defeat at the hands of Israel. But, they may not have forgotten it and the attack on Israel in the morning of October 7th, 2023 shows that the wounds of defeat are still fresh for Hamas, Hezbollah and all other enemies of Israel. It was nearly after five decades on the same day i.e October 7th, Israel was attacked by Hamas militant group from all fronts like land, sea boats, airdrops as the rest of surrounding nations like Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Yemen, Qatar etc may either be supporting covertly or may had planned to attack in the coming days to avenge the 1967/1973 defeat but the instant entry of US flopped their show. But is this a war from Hamas side or a genocide as capturing civilians, opening fire and killing hundreds while celebrating festivals, raping women, killing dozens and dozens of small children, parading women naked on the roads is nothing less than a genocide. But Israel’s requisition of defence missiles, fighter jets from US and its immediate response by offering big US dollar financial aid backed by keeping its military fighter jets war ready for Israel war is no less than bigger hint that this time the war between Israel backed by US on the one side and Hamas, Hezbollah initially and everyone else including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, Iran in the later days is going to last long. Can this war be the last nail in Hamas coffin as it seems visible on ground after almost 30 days of war where many top commanders of Hamas have been killed by Israeli forces! This time it is very difficult to expect the repeat of 1967. Something big may happen to be the outcome, either Hamas will be completely wiped out like ISIS as asserted by Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel may fully capture the Gaza strip, it being a small area of around 360 square kilometres and won’t withdraw as it did in the past. But then what about the 20 lakh Palestinians living in one of the 4th densely populated areas in the world most of whom have now migrated hither and thither. Will it become a Israel colony area wise or will the 20 lakh population resettle for some other area and create a world problem of biggest refugees from a small geographical but geopolitically volatile area, that may be an extreme thinking initially but history has witnessed many such brutalities and now the migration of lakhs and lakhs of Palestinians, US president Joe Biden warning Israel that capturing Gaza may not be wise, supporting to eliminate Hamas completely, Russian president Vladmir Putin warning Israel about the Palestinians killings, US foreign minister Antony Blinkin visiting Israel second time in a week, meeting Arab, Iraq leaders, seems a dangerous situation has emerged and the entire world is heading into two antagonist blocks . Attack on US bases in Iraq is adding a new war dimension. The serious question is, has Hamas become so powerful that it simultaneously attacked many cities of Israel, deeply penetrated miles inside the civilian areas without much resistance, took control of police stations, held civilians hostage, burnt down tanks of Israel, crushed the Israel erected border at many places to rubble, fighting with full force even after one month of war although its threat of this Friday or that Friday big blast went a hoax. Has this militant group gone so powerful that it fought like an organised army? Hamas, firing more than 7000 rockets initially in less than 12 hours, entered Israel through small boats from the Lebanon side, destroyed many army bunkers, burnt tanks, and killed more than 2000 Israeli civilians, 250 army men and many senior officers as alleged by media and clear from the viral video. The on camera captures, holding hostage and killing women, is an unseen happening in any war, barring ISIS in Syria and Iraq where the entire Yezdi community was brutally targeted out. This brutality and ruthlesslessness exposed the real face of Hamas and is against the principle of war and humanity. But is it a Hamas versus Israel war or Hamas guided by Iran, Lebanon, and Hezbollah. For the first time Hamas conducted such a successful strike against Israel whereby it broke down the borders with bulldozers, celebrated in open as it was like a victory where even the most effective Israel’s Iron Dome could not prevent this major air strike. For the first time Israel could not detect it in time and could not prevent an organised attack against its nation and civilian areas suffered on such a big scale. Another area of serious concern for Israel is Hezbollah now which has officially plunged into a declared war against Israel and Israel’s vacating of residential areas up to two kilometres from the border is a serious setback to Israel. But, a big question on Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and its sleeper cells within Palestine. Did Mossad utterly fail or was the entire planning, strategy, training carried outside Palestine as the presence of Hamas supreme leader ISMAIL HANIYEH in Qatar is a testimony. But, now Israel almost occupying most part of Gaza strip and Hamas fighting like a gruella warfare from the dugout tunnels and bunkers seems the war will draw longer and a decisive victory for Israel backed by US on the one side and Hamas backed by Iran etc on the other side will definitely divide the world into two or many antagonist blocks which in the coming times will definitely endanger the world peace.
President Joe Biden announcing an immediate aid in crores, Palestinian Prime minister weeping in front of the media, Irans’s defence minister warning US, Hezbollah declaring war against Israel, attack on US bases in Syria, Iraq shows the grave situation is emerging in west Asia. Israel hitting back killing hundreds and thousands of Palestinians, Hamas blaming Israel for attack on civilians, hospitals, and protest in favour of Hamas and Palestine world over seems slowly the war effect is going global. Firing thousands and thousands tonnes of ammunition in a few hours, killing thousands of people in a month is a very dangerous signal and is an uncommon phenomenon. Israel seems determined to take the war to a decisive end now. But the question arises, how long will this war go if it has a covert support from Iran on one side or Iran also declares a war against Israel and US and Israel on the other side, then all predictions about its outcome may gonna prove wrong as in case of Russia Ukraine war which was supposed to end in days, weeks or a few months as was predicted by many war and defence experts initially and so can happen in the case of Hamas and Israel war. Moreover as alleged the Labanoni’s army opening its front and Hezbollah already in action mode plus Yemen, Syria, Jordan and Iran flexing their muscles is another war dynamic that like the one in 1967 this is going to be between Israel and many others in the coming days. Iran on the other hand threatening Israel of its annihilation if any bit happens to it seems a provocation as well as an effort to unite the Arab world which otherwise is a divided lot. This time the outcome from the war is difficult to guess, but Israeli PM himself admitting that the war may draw long for a decisive victory and complete annihilation of Hamas forecasts its penetration to other nations as well. Can this war divide the already fractured world alliances further? Will it once again unite the Middle East and Arab countries? In that situation India can get the chance of mediation as a universal big brother and the recent call to Modi from the Iranian leader is a signal. Or does this war have the gravity to engulf the world into a third world war as in a very few days massive human loss has been caused on both sides and no chances of any restraint seems happening as of now because the Israeli PM has categorically played down US as well UN appeal for a ceasefire? But again a question arises, Is it a war from Hamas or a Genocide like that happened during the Second World War.? President Joe Biden may be right in his thinking or has the Russian President Vladmir Putin succeeded in engaging the US on another front to take an advantage in the ongoing war against Ukraine. Fingers crossed but US attention towards Ukraine has decreased in the last one month, definitely a diplomatic advantage to Russia.
(The author is a social activist serving as Assistant Director in Forest Protection Force)
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