By Luke Gaudois
I would like to preface this article by stating that I condemn all violent actions taken by Hamas and the current Israeli government. I cannot in good conscience view any side as morally right in a conflict whilst the deaths of innocent civilians persist. Furthermore, I do not believe that Palestinian and Israeli civilians are responsible or should be defined by the actions of Hamas or the Israeli government.
We are nearing three generations of those who have grown up in the shadow of the first Arab-Israeli conflict and have subsequently lived through sixteen wars. Children have been raised with animosity between Israelis and Palestinians being the norm; The loss of family members, and the destruction of homes being a routine part of their lives. Half of the inhabitants of Gaza are children (Mohammad). Children who only know life as its punctuated with the sounds of airstrikes, under the constant fear that they may be next. Across the border, the other side suffers under a siege mentality that has developed due to Israel’s position in a region surrounded by enemies. They too are growing up in an environment where bomb shelters and air raid sirens are expected. On both sides, children are raised not to see the humanity they share with the other side but to see them only as the enemy and a violent force that seeks to destroy their own existence. Narratives of conflict have become ingrained in the collective psyche of the region, and they inherit the conflicts of their ancestors and continue to perpetuate the conflict.
The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world; this is set to increase due to Israeli orders for over one million people to evacuate the northern half of Gaza in anticipation of a ground invasion. For many people, evacuation is impossible, be it due to not having somewhere to stay or health reasons, including those on life support and newborns in incubators. Paths to Israel and Egypt are blocked, and the current Israeli missile strikes, coupled with the blockade and siege of Gaza, are forcing 1 million people to move into the homes of friends and family if they could find any. (UN) This incessant collective displacement endangers the lives of the ordinary people of Gaza, no matter what loyalties they might hold. Simply put, no rocket is precise enough to hit members of Hamas or a blockade targeted enough to restrict fuel and food only to Hamas supporters. I firmly believe that any ground invasion of Gaza and the continuation of the blockade will lead to an exasperation of the humanitarian crisis, and thus, strongly oppose it.
However, the mourning for the Israelis killed by Hamas has barely started, the video footage of those events deemed too horrific to show to wider audiences beyond seasoned war journalists. The bulk of the hostages, including children and the elderly, continue to be held despite a small number of media-managed releases. And they continue to fire rockets into Israeli border settlements and towns.
The UN has called for an immediate ceasefire, which I believe should be supported by all member countries. War crimes do not justify other war crimes. There needs to be calls for both sides to address the root conflicts for future generations. Learning from the lessons of international generational conflicts, such as Northern Ireland, it’s clear that peace is hard fought and negotiations can be drawn out. Success comes from the desire of the region’s citizens to live without conflict and to allow generational wounds to heal. As Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, one of the Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas, said to the armed militants as she was released, “shalom” — a Hebrew salutation meaning “peace”.(Sinmaz) I believe reconciliation is the first step towards peace, from person to person, from both sides.