THERE is no end to the miseries of Palestinians. Every day they have to face Israeli atrocities of varying nature and the regrettable part is that the international community is not moving beyond lip service.
Over 170 Palestinians, including at least 30 children, were killed across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem last year. In January 2023 alone, at least 29 Palestinians including five children were killed. The UN said that 2022 was the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2006, but 2023 is already on course to surpass that, if the number of deaths stay at the same level, and there is now the potential for a full-scale uprising among Palestinians, particularly in the wake of Israel’s new far-right government which came into power at the end of December. This government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given prominent roles to members of the Israeli far-right, who have openly encouraged violence against Palestinians. Israel’s policy of constructing and expanding illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land is one of the main driving forces behind the mass human rights violations resulting from the occupation. Over the years, Israel has demolished tens of thousands of Palestinian properties and displaced large swathes of the population to build homes and infrastructure to illegally settle its own population in the occupied territories. It has also diverted Palestinian natural resources such as water and agricultural land for settlement use. The very existence of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories violates international humanitarian law and is a war crime. Despite multiple UN resolutions, Israel has continued to appropriate Palestinian land and support settlers living in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The hundreds of Israeli military closures across the West Bank such as checkpoints, roadblocks and settler-only roads, as well as the overall permit regime, make simple daily tasks for Palestinians who are trying to get to work, school or hospital a constant struggle. The regrettable part is that when it comes to Israel, invasion, dispossession and annexation of Palestinian territories do not lead to sanctions. The situation will remain explosive until and unless important capitals, especially Washington use their influence for a two-state solution which is the only panacea for sustainable peace and stability in the Middle East. For this, Washington will have to play the role of an honest mediator between Israelis and Palestinians. Those committing atrocities against Palestinians must also be tried under the war crimes.
