As tensions continue to rise in Israel between the regional actors, the international community is pleading for a ceasing of hostilities and a peaceful resolution. At the forefront of this advocacy is the United Nations Special Envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, as well as a High Level Group of world leaders – comprising of Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and Qatar.
Yesterday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed an initiative by United Nations Special Envoy Mladenov to push for a humanitarian pause in the nine-day Israeli conflict. The proposal was quickly dismissed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated in a statement that “Israel is facing an unprecedented threat and is responding with and will continue to respond with proportionate measures.”
Mladenov’s push for a humanitarian pause comes amidst an escalation of violence that has seen over 100 people killed in multiple attacks on both sides, with more than 400 injured. The nine-day long conflict has seen terrorist organisation Hamas firing over 2,000 rockets at Israeli territory, while Israel responds with numerous air strikes targeting civilian Hamas held areas, including residential buildings, offices and schools.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the United Nations has been calling for a de-escalation of violence, as well as renewed efforts to reach a negotiated solution to the long-lasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Secretary-General Guterres has appropriately urged both sides “to prevent any further escalation and for the resumption of meaningful negotiations to address the underlying issues at the heart of the conflict.”
Despite the appeal for a humanitarian pause, all we have seen thus far are proclamation after proclamation from important international figures. Whether or not these calls for peace are responded to remains to be seen, but it is particularly disheartening to observe that Benjamin Netanyahu has shunned any sort of de-escalation. While we can only hope for the innocent civilians living in the conflict zones to be spared from the violence, it is clear that a comprehensive solution to the ongoing conflict must be reached, and if not, it will be the people in Israel and Palestine that will suffer the consequences.