People around the globe are feeling immense despair. Politicians, celebrities, and influencers are advocating for humanity and sharing messages of support and profound empathy for all those suffering at the terrible long standing Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Their hearts are heavy for those in Israel grappling at the profound trauma of October 7, feeling the weight of those lost, injured and taken captive. There is also a disbelief at the unfolding tragedy in Gaza, with the innocent civilians under attack, being buried alive under rumble. People’s hearts ache for those who have lost their loved ones and their home yet again.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex issue primarily centered around the struggle for land, sovereignty, and self-determination in the region historically known as Palestine. Before the establishment of Israel in 1948, the area was inhabited by a population that included both Jews and Arabs.
In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but Arab leaders rejected it. After the British mandate ended in 1948, Israel declared independence, leading to a war between the newly formed Israel and its Arab neighbours. This resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, known to them as "Al Nakba" or "The Catastrophe."
Over the following decades, there were several wars between Israel and its Arab neighbours, leading to further territorial changes. In 1967, Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights in a conflict known as the Six-Day War.
Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip led to the construction of Israeli settlements in these areas, which are considered illegal under international law. This has been a major point of contention between Israelis and Palestinians.
Following this year’s October 7 attacks on Israel by the Hamas militant group (a Palestinian Sunni Islamist political and military organisation governing the Gaza Strip), Israel initiated a concentrated military campaign in the encircled region involving lethal measures. Peacefull civilians in Gaza have been under constant attack ever since, with nowhere to hide, and little help to expect, as food and medical supplies are in shortage.
The Security Council has been approached by the international community urging that the innocent civilians in Gaza should not be collectively punished in response to the escalating conflict with no safe place to shelter from Israel’s bombardment. The UAE representative emphasised that 121 nations explicitly demanded a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza on 27 of October, expressing concern that the Council's disregard for the clear consensus of the majority of the world might lead to its fracture or downfall.
