In a recent statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel did not start the war in Gaza, but will end it. However, experts and human rights groups have argued that the war is a result of the decades-long occupation of Palestine by Israel.
Netanyahu's statement that all 2.3 million people in Gaza are supporters or fighters of Hamas is also incorrect. While Hamas is the de facto ruling party in Gaza, it is important to note that not all Palestinians in Gaza support Hamas or are part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
In fact, many Palestinians in Gaza have criticized Hamas for its handling of the conflict with Israel. They argue that Hamas's rocket attacks on Israel have only served to provoke the Israeli military and have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians.
Netanyahu has also been accused of instigating the situation in the West Bank, not Gaza. Palestinians in the West Bank face numerous checkpoints and barriers, and Israeli security forces have killed about 40 children in the West Bank in just 10 months of 2023.
The harassment of worshippers at Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem by the Israeli military and police has also been a source of tension.
In addition, there is no credible party visible in the field to negotiate with. Netanyahu has refused to accept Palestine as a separate independent state, and he has deliberately strengthened Hamas to create confusion and avoid negotiations.
Hamas now has fighters using rockets, and the group was protected by Netanyahu, but it has now gone out of his hands. Israel has treated the Palestinian Authority as a liability and Hamas as an asset. Minor attacks by Hamas have been ignored during this period.
The war in Gaza is a complex issue with no easy solutions. However, it is important to remember that the Palestinian people have been suffering under Israeli occupation for decades. The war in Gaza is a direct result of this occupation, and it is important to hold Israel accountable for its actions.
