What marks a degree of intensity in a conflict is definitely the degree of human crisis involved in the conflict. The ongoing conspicuous conflict turning into the biggest human crisis in recent times, it is the Israel Hamas conflict of Middle East.
The conflict which started on october 7, of 2023 when Hamas, a terror outfit based in Palestine arranged a lurid surprise attack on Israel and ruthlessly killed Israelis, who were caught in the play of fate, inspiring a voracious retaliation by Israel, by conducting air strikes and follow up ground action in hospitals, mosques, refugee camps, and residential areas in Gaza and West Bank as evident from broadcast in media, and is startling for world all over for the loss of Palestinian life, engulfed in these areas.
The fuel ,water, electricity has been curtailed by Israel by laying besiege around Gaza, creating situations which need no elaboration, with only air being present without curtailment. The humanitarian aid is struck at Rafah crossing of Egypt and has been let in, in pieces, insufficient for adsorbing the voices of humanitarian cry of the people in Gaza who are almost in peril.
The conflict is primarily matched between Hamas and Israel as of now, with US and some splinter groups like Houthi’s, or power packed Hezbollah in supporting cast.
When the thresholds were being accepted and “instability in engagements with Hamas” was the new stability, an attack surmounted on Israel has toppled it, paving way to this precarious conflict. An overgrown apprehension and a pressing question, what shall this extracted retaliation constitute in a broader setting finally for Hamas?
There are strong reasons to believe that Israel responded as anticipated, atleast by Hamas, for they know Israel’s psychology and the emanating might better than any one, the audacity and surprise of this attack on Israel , is evident in standing, of this line of comment. A clear marked design which had created fewer viable options left for irascible Israel, but to pop into retaliation, not without colossal collateral humanitarian side effects, as Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world which would be subjected to frantic Israel’s military flexing, as presented through “staple patterns” of previous similar encounter’s between the duo, though those were “not to scale” in the degree of execution of present Hamas attack. Action Reaction and Impact were weighed by Hamas scholars during conception of plan, scholars maybe even from adjoining controlling universities, did calculations, which led finally to “start up” on seventh day of October.
For Israel dashing Gaza,`besieging it , making civilians’ death a commonplace phenomena, obviously is “drawn out reactions”, to alleviate indignation of being caught unaware when political instability within Israel was ripe, but can’t be pronounced as effective counterterrorism operations.
A succession in hostilities from Israel or a temporary halt to hostilities so as to prod the civilians out of conflict zone to safety while hostages are returned back by Hamas is sounding of opinions world over including UN , as the conflict is turning deadlier and Gaza Strip is turning graveyard for Palestinians.
When a state becomes what a terror outfit redeems itself of its conduct, it looses credibility in years to come and the support for its actions against terror dwindles. Militaries cannot be made to run amok in their primary and core tasks by states, as if they are mercenaries or avengers, this is work of non state actors like Hamas. It is a difficult situation for Israel to fend off and find solace without exbhiting its muscle power, and turning offensive alarmingly to mean one, and concomitantly erasing the red lines by utter disregard of civilians life who are straddling in war zone, amounting to perpetuation of crimes against humanity is another one, though not so sanely one.
States don’t bring human crisis in communities which are in backdrop ,purportedly, in supporting of the terrorist group, by their supposed to be counter acts, unintentionally intentionally it’s like sieving future cadres to terrorist group from the survivors of conflict who are left with anything , but with bag loads of “grudges”, definitely.
Dismantling Hamas militant wing by this form of warfare looks likely achievable, but eradicating ideology of terrorism is surely lacking gumption, rather such plundering acts of humanity continue to propagate it, and ideologue erupts with a changed nomenclature, ditto how Hamas surfaced in 1980s.
The impetuous Israel , is raising the human crisis to fore , and reflective of “no will to curb”military action ,or, tune it in effect, by restraints, by recognition the constraints of engaging an enemy like Hamas in overpopulated enclave of Gaza.
The painfully learnt learnings at cost of these innocents life’s from this conflict , seems , shall be swallowed, again like lessons from previous conflicts over last 60 years, over the two entities, Palestine and Israel, cautiously, not for assimilation though, will have similar signatures of understanding, of the way terror manifests.
A terrorist outfit like Hamas exudes constraints and restraints, off from opponent, the target, Israel in this case as ever, through such rampant attacks, and makes these elements vanish silently by inciting vehement retaliation by opponents, feeding their ulterior creed.
Recognition of constraints and restraint, the twins , are very much needed to save the lives which are destined to be extinguished in coming days of this conflict, clearly.
Hithherto fore with a figure of 10000 Palestinian dead in about 30 days into the conflict , which is yet to see the dawn of its ceasing, it seems Isreal has already exceeded the excesses, and it would be in order to say that Israel looks beneath this path of treading unabashed, “trying to hold bull by its horns”, since October 7 attack, ignoring international criticism and humanitarian aspects, finds it is wise and not otherwise, to contemplate a course correction to avoid being coaxed in the design of terror, painted by Hamas in this case, initially, both tactically , strategically and diplomatically.
The unfoldings of this conflict as of today, if anything, looking at numbers only, make look acts of terror by Hamas, simply meagre.
Without any restraint in attack by Hamas, a body count of 1400 was executed, unfortunately, a perspicacious assimilation of the Israeli’s doings, presents same lack of empathy. They are similar in outlook.
A custodial assumption and opinionated, I have all reasons to believe that the jews which had seen the horrible holocaust would definitely have wary thoughts about unleashing such a methodology of accentuating the deaths of Palestinians civilians and terming it as a collateral damage, which have been pasted to national sentiments of Israel’s “right to act”, as clearly avoidable and mired with consequences .
If constraints of operating in urbanised war zone are abided and restraints in air strikes and ground actions occur, obviously, by letting some Hamas leaders, using the civilian areas or Palestinian civilians as shield, live another day , the precious non returnable life’s of Palestinians will be saved, which while now are destined to drown under growing rubble in Gaza, and coined as “collateral damage”, or a collective ravage, whatever.
Hope Israel, proving its might by biting the bulk population in Palestinian, showcases its warring on these compelling aspects of restraints and recognition of constraints to preserve humanity in Palestine, before more players involuntarily are pressed to participate in the conflict, carrying the blaze beyond Middle East, bringing some more shrouds to Israel also , surely sorely, but not surprisingly this time.
(View expressed are of personal nature and shall evolve with learning.The author is interested in studying about terrorism and wars methodology as evolving strategy to counter terrorism.)