Gaza bombed yet again: Will US intervention for ceasefire yield result?

Gaza is being bombed, again. And beyond all the propaganda, the versions of how the latest bout of violence started, Palestinians in Gaza suffer incredibly. Reports say the toll from Israeli bombing of this insanely crowded strip of 1.7 million people living within a mere 360-odd sq km has gone up to 100 killed, including women and children. Israel says it is defending itself from Hamas’ rocket attacks. Hamas says it is responding to Israeli aggression. This narrative periodically repeats itself, leaving people wondering if peace will ever be achieved in this decades-old conflict. This conflict adds to the tensions in the region that have already sent crude prices up.

Israel has a right to defend itself. But it can’t repeatedly inflict what amounts to collective punishment on the people of Gaza in the name of going after militants and their infrastructure. This time, the violence was set off by the killing of three Israelis and the apparent revenge killing of a Palestinian youth, both by unknown elements. Soon, Israeli and Hamas strikes started. Now, hopefully, US intervention to bring about a ceasefire might yield some results.

That said, Israel cannot escape the charge of obduracy which prevents a lasting resolution to the problem. Time and again, Arab regimes, even Hamas, have openly or in a roundabout way signalled their willingness to recognise the state of Israel. The fact also is that Israel continues settlement activity, eating into Palestinian land, making a return to the 1967 borders even tougher, and establishing “facts on the ground” that stymie peace efforts. Remember, this conflict is one of the main sources of anger and extremism across the Muslim world, and its repercussions are global. Israel must be prevailed upon to work for peace, instead of blocking a solution.