ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR: ARAB LEAGUE SPLITS OVER MEASURES AGAINST ISRAEL: PROTESTS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA

 

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

ARAB LEAGUE SPLITS OVER MEASURES AGAINST ISRAEL

Protests in Europe and America

The Arab–Israeli conflict is the intercommunal phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between various Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century, but had mostly faded out by the early 21st century.

Israel has fought multiple wars against Arab countries and Palestinian groups since the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948.

Trouble started this time when Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages.

Israel responded with air strikes on Gaza and has launched a ground offensive. More than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warplanes bombarded Gaza from the air while its troops and tanks are recently advancing on the ground. Israel has drafted 300,000 reservists to boost its standing force of 160,000.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent speech said Israel has a "clear goal of destroying Hamas's military and governing capabilities", as well as freeing the hostages.

Israel believes Hamas has about 30,000 members in its military wing. The group operates from underground tunnels, which it has previously said stretch for 500km.

The US says that Israel will begin to implement daily four-hour pauses in military operations in northern Gaza, to allow civilians to flee. However, no specific times have yet been given.

Israel's military is fighting Hamas in the centre of Gaza City, close to two major hospitals - Al Shifa and Al Quds and are reported to have surrounded Al Shifa.

On Thursday the IDF said it had raided a Hamas military base in Gaza City and had killed or captured about 50 Hamas fighters. They accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

In response the Arab League summit, merged with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), faced division and deadlock over five crucial clauses proposed during discussions as four countries denied voting for tough measures against Israel.

The merger, initially aimed at fostering unity among member states, revealed stark differences in opinions, leading to the rejection of important resolutions.

The clauses, endorsed by 11 Arab states but rejected by four others, included:

• ·    Prohibiting the use of American and other military bases in Arab countries to supply Israel with weapons and ammunition
• ·   Freezing Arab diplomatic, economic, security, and military relations with Israel
• ·   Threatening to leverage oil and Arab economic capabilities to apply pressure and halt the ongoing aggression
• ·  Preventing Israeli civil aviation from accessing Arab airspace
• ·   Establishing an Arab Ministerial Committee tasked with immediate travel to New York, Washington, Brussels, Geneva, London, and Paris to convey the Arab Summit’s plea to halt Israeli aggression against Gaza.

The 11 Arab countries that proposed and endorsed the plan are: Palestine, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Libya and Yemen.

However, the organisation has refrained from explicitly disclosing the identities of those who voted against or chose to abstain.

The rejection by four member states underscores the challenges in achieving a unified stance on critical issues. The divide highlights the complex dynamics within the Arab League and the OIC, particularly concerning strategies to address the ongoing conflict and Israeli genocide.

As tensions persist, finding common ground remains elusive, and the region faces the daunting task of reconciling these contrasting viewpoints for collective action.

On Friday, Israeli forces were close to key Gaza hospitals - Al-Shifa, Al-Quds, Al-Rantisi and the Indonesian Hospital - and there were reports of explosions inside or near them throughout the day.

Tank fire has been reported near Al-Rantisi children's hospital, where civilians say they are trapped, and Israel has confirmed it is operating close to Al-Shifa, the biggest hospital in Gaza City.

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of operating from tunnels underneath Al-Shifa, which Hamas denies.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman said it does not fire on hospitals - but "we’ll do what we need to" if Hamas fires from hospital grounds.

 

Meanwhile Pro-Palestinian protests are taking place in many parts of Europe and America.

In London more than 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched through central London on Saturday, with police making more than 80 arrests as they sought to avert clashes between the marchers and groups opposed to the rally.

The pro-Palestinian march drew counter-protesters from far-right groups on Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War One, involving commemorations of Britain's war dead.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was disrespectful to hold the rally on Armistice Day, and ministers had called for the cancellation of the march.

In Berlin, an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people marched in the German capital. About 1,000 police were deployed in part to prevent any anti-Semitic speeches or signage.

In New York City service at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan was temporarily suspended on Friday after a mob of pro-Palestinian demonstrators flooded the streets of New York City to protest Israel's war in Gaza, creating chaos as some tried to break into the closed station.

One demonstrator in the vicinity of the station climbed a street post to tear down American and United Nations flags.

In Australia, hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters disrupted the supply of an Israeli cargo shipping company by blocking trucks from entering a container terminal in the port city of Melbourne.

World powers and leaders continue to explore diplomatic efforts to find a lasting solution to a conflict that threatens world peace,