On the 24th of October, UN Chief Antonio Guterres denounced Israel’s ‘clear violations’ of international law in Gaza. He claimed “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation”, and added however that Hamas’ response to the grievances of the Palestinians could not be justified. However, the Chief’s remarks sparked outrage from Israel as the ambassador of the nation described it ‘shocking’ and called for his resignation.
Furthermore, Palestinian officials have stated upwards of seven hundred people have been killed in Gaza within 24 hours, which is the highest death toll since the beginning of the conflict. This comes amidst pressure from the United States on Israel to allow aid to enter Gaza and to pause the invasion of the territory. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also called for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s air strikes to allow for civilians to escape with more time.
The Israeli prime minister who was speaking to soldiers late on Tuesday stated amidst this news that: “Yesterday, in our attacks in Gaza, we struck the enemy the harshest blow they have taken in a single day.”. The prime minister’s lack of empathy regarding Palestinian people also comes with news of 5,791 people being killed in Gaza, in retaliation for Hamas’s attack that killed at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers.
This has not garnered a lot of support in the region, as Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar stated that he could not “stay light-tipped about the unprecedented barbaric bombing of the civilians in Gaza Strip.”. The emir’s comments come during attempted mediation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The conflict may also decelerate progress between Israel and Saudi Arabia as their condemnation of Israel’s attacks on civilians may increase tensions between the two countries, as discussed in a previous article.
Other nations, such as Qatar, Kuwait, Syria, and Iraq have also placed responsibility for the attacks occurring on Israel. This is attributed to escalations of tensions regarding Al Aqsa mosque, the increase of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and the hundreds of civilians killed in air strikes in Gaza this year. These countries as well as the UAE, Turkey, China, and the African Union have also called for a de-escalation of violence and a return to negotiation, insisting on a two-state solution.
Moreover, while most Israelis agree regarding the eradication of Hamas, the government in place has not even garnered support from its people. Public opinion and trust in the government have been demonstrated to be exceedingly low as criticism comes for an inadequate response to the conflict. Due to the inability of the country to prevent these attacks, as well as the slow response of the Israeli government to aid civilians, polling data has displayed that Israeli’s trust in the government has reached a 20-year low of 18%. Netanyahu’s political pressure has reached a new ceiling in wartime with many calling for his resignation, as well as condemnations of his actions from actors in the global community.
Written by Arash Moaref
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