Whenever we think world turmoil might be easing, it seems to get worse. The recent outbreak of hostilities between Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) and Israel have already killed or injured thousands of citizens, including children, on both sides, and triggered problems in other countries, including Canada.
Israel was established in 1948 in British - controlled Palestine (the Holy Land. ) Israel is a country. Palestine is not, it’s a geographical region.
There were ill-feelings between Israel and the Palestinians from the start. When Israel bombed 29 villages in southern Palestine, thousands of Palestinians fled to Gaza.
Following the 1967 Six Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbours, Gaza came under Israeli occupation. According to Amnesty International, Israel has imposed 75 years of “systematic human rights violations “ on the Palestinians.
When Hamas was founded in Gaza in 1987, Israel and Egypt imposed border blockades to limit the import of food, fuel and construction material, to restrict Gaza’s fishing area, and to limit exports and the movement of people into and out of Gaza, impacting all residents.
The October 6, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel was unconscionable, but Hamas is a group, it doesn’t represent all Palestinians. Israel’s retaliation with military strikes and the 24-hour evacuation order does not – really cannot — distinguish who is who.
Countries and groups have taken sides, but some observers advise caution as there are variations of the story. Reports say over two million people currently need help. Several groups, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and some Jewish holocaust survivors are raising humanitarian issues. Governments across the globe are being petitioned to provide basic aid for both Palestine and Israel citizens, and to work for conflict resolution in the Holy Land.
Will anyone listen?
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