It happened yesterday and today, on Christmas day, I am reading it here.

At least 68 people were killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza, health officials said Sunday, while the number of Israeli soldiers killed in combat over the weekend rose to 17.

There is no sign that the 2023 Israel–Hamas war will stop soon and peace will prevail on either side.

On December 13, 2023 India voted in favour of a resolution in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and the unconditional release of all hostages.

This was the first time India had backed such a resolution since the war began more than two months ago. India’s vote in favor of the UN resolution demonstrates our concern for the humanitarian situation and, also, our commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.

The resolution was unanimously accepted by the 193-member UN General Assembly during an emergency special session, with 153 states voting in favor, 10 voting against, and 23 abstentions. Unfortunately, this is simply an indication of worldwide sentiment. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding.

This Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling profit machines. Therefore, the war will continue to rage as thousands of civilians are getting killed as collateral damages.

#IsraeliLivesMatter #PalestineLivesMatter #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #HumanRights #MastodonIndians #MastIndia #India

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I stated here the following.

There is no sign that the 2023 Israel–Hamas war will stop soon and peace will prevail on either side.
This Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling profit machines. Therefore, the war will continue to rage as thousands of civilians are getting killed as collateral damages.

I made a mistake here by only stating the economic aspects. The Israel-Hamas war has complex dynamics. It is important to consider the broader political, historical, and ideological factors that drive the Israel-Hamas war in addition to potential financial gains. These factors are interconnected and influence each other.

Now we see that Netanyahu says Gaza war on Hamas will go on for ‘many more months,’ thanks US for $147.5 million emergency new weapons sale to Israel.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, with hunger and mass displacement is deepening as fighting rages on across the strip. The ongoing conflict may have resulted in the displacement of 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, leaving Palestinians feeling unsafe and lacking basic necessities such as water and food. The economic costs of the conflict are also significant, with Israel estimated to lose around $400 billion due to the war. For Palestinians, the costs may be so large that they undermine the possibility of an independent Palestinian state.

How can such a situation persist without profits which will be related to ideological, political and financial aspects? The ideological, territorial and political aspects are well documented. Despite the ongoing conflict, there are business and financial benefits for certain industries as mentioned in this article. Additionally, the coastal strip of Gaza and Israeli occupied Palestinian territories sit above sizable reservoirs of oil and natural gas, which offer an opportunity to distribute and share $524 billion among different parties in the region.

The war has caused significant human suffering and loss of life, and, as stated before, it is not appropriate to view it only through an economic lens. It is important to focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict and supporting the humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence. Is war a prelude to peace in this case? In some cases, war can lead to further instability, violence, and suffering, making it difficult to establish a lasting peace. The relationship between war and peace is complex and depends on various factors, including the involvement of international actors, regional dynamics, and the will of the people to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

I conclude this article by quoting Anthony H. Cordesman from his article titled Gaza: Why the War Won’t End (dated 02nd November 2023).

What does seem clear, however, is that both sides now have no good options that will bring lasting peace or stability. Israel will almost certainly be able to contain Gaza and seriously weaken Hamas. At best, Israel can use force to occupy and control Gaza but never be accepted by Gaza’s population and able to offer successful development or a decent life. Israel’s actions have also, however, sharply increased Gazan, Palestinian, and Arab hostility to Israel and undermined the sympathy and support it gained after the initial invasion by Hamas. The best outcome from Israel’s current offensive seems all too likely to leave Israel either as at least a partial occupier of a hostile Gaza or create and maintain a far larger set of security barriers that may have to extend well beyond the present border and require a much larger forward-deployed security force.

As for Hamas, some three weeks after its attack, it was still unclear what its strategic objective was in launching an attack whose very success was certain to provoke a massive Israeli military response without achieving any clear strategic gains for Hamas. Given its long history of defeats in previous fighting, Hamas had to realize that Israel’s almost inevitable violent response might limit or end the progress made in improving Arab-Israeli relations and the Abraham Accords; and it had to realize the result would sharply weaken or destroy Hamas and lead to massive damage to the civil population in Gaza. To quote Henry Kissinger in a very different context, “The threat of committing suicide is not an adequate deterrent to being murdered.”

#IsraeliLivesMatter #PalestineLivesMatter #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #HumanRights #MastodonIndians #MastIndia #India

cc: @mastodonindians @srijit