Amid rising tensions and intense exchanges of casualties between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli ground forces inside Gaza Strip have sent shock waves throughout Palestine. This came shortly after Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire rained for hours, leaving no doubt that the Israeli-Palestinian clashes are spiraling out of control.
According to reports, the violence has already killed at least 35 Palestinians and five Israelis. This tragedy has left an estimated 18,000 Palestinians displaced as they take stock of the rising losses and the overnight’s onslaught.
While Israel has defended its strikes as a response to Hamas’ rocket fire, the Palestinian Authority and other human rights organizations have denounced the Israeli military’s disproportionate use of force against the people of Gaza.
The truth is, Israeli forces have already deployed tanks and other heavy equipment near civilian-populated urban centers in the Strip, triggering fears of a ground offensive in the densely-populated terrain.
Senior Hamas officials have warned that they will not be intimidated by Israel’s brute force and have declared the Jewish state responsible for any escalation of the conflict.
In response to the escalating fears, world leaders have started to take a hard stance against Israel and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. In particular, high-ranked officials from the United Nations and the European Union have urged Israel to withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip, calling for an immediate halt in military operations and for the two sides to agree on a cease-fire.
At this stage, the whole region has been filled with anxiety and despair as the raging conflict continues to wreck havoc on the civilians. In addition, the humanitarian crisis in the region keeps deepening, leaving it to the international community to decide whether to intervene or let the situation escalate further.
Despite the stark challenges facing the Palestinians, they remain determined to pursue a peaceful resolution to their five-decade-long struggle with the Jewish state. In the end, it is up to the Israeli authorities to take a wise decision and work towards true and lasting peace in the region.
