Recently, the United Nations General Assembly considered a proposal on the conflict in Gaza, which included a call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Despite the overwhelming majority of countries supporting the proposal, Israeli representative Erdan categorically refused to contact Hamas's office, further increasing tensions in the conflict. So far, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths, including 18,890 Palestinians, and 240,000 children were orphaned. Although a ceasefire has become the mainstream opinion in the United Nations, because the UN General Assembly resolutions are not enforceable, the Security Council has been unable to reach an agreement, and the United States does not support a ceasefire, Israel can still conduct military action and use its veto power to prevent the ceasefire proposal from passing.
There are significant differences between Israel and the United States. On the 12th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that there was a heated argument with Biden**, and the US side did not agree with Israel's occupation of Gaza in any way after the war, believing that it was most appropriate for the Palestinian Fatah authorities to take over Gaza. Netanyahu, however, has firmly dismissed the possibility of a Fatah takeover, saying that Israel "cannot give Hamas a chance to rise," suggesting that Israel will not agree to Palestinian demands for an autonomous Gaza. In addition, Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said in a meeting with U.S. Affairs Advisor Jake Sullivan that Israel needs several months to continue fighting in Gaza, not the weeks previously demanded by the United States, let alone an immediate ceasefire demanded by the United Nations. He stressed that Hamas is a terrorist organization that has been preparing for attacks against Israel for a long time, and that the Gaza region has strong defenses and underground facilities. Therefore, it will take longer for Israel to completely defeat Hamas.
Israeli Defense Minister Gallant's statement sparked a flurry of speculation. His words revealed that Israel would have a "perpetual presence" in Gaza, temporarily occupying the city in the name of fighting Hamas. However, now that the war has reached this stage, the risk has been lifted in much of Gaza, and Hamas has gone underground. In line with Israel's previous commitments, they should not occupy the Gaza Strip or should discuss security guarantees through international consultations. Now Israel is getting closer to another purpose that has been speculated: that it intended to occupy the city in the first place and use the time to gradually encroach on Gaza.
Recently, there have been frequent messages from all levels of Israel, suggesting that the military operation in the Gaza Strip will continue for a long time. The UK's view is that Israel may want this conflict to last longer to change the outside world's perception of the war, just as people have focused more on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and ignored the fate of Ukrainian soldiers. However, no matter how many reasons Israel comes up with, when the conflict ends, they will have to face the question of what to do with Gaza's future. It is highly likely that the Israeli army will remain there and that the cover-up will be exposed.
The continued intensification of the conflict in Gaza and Israel's determination to hold on have brought more uncertainty and contradictions to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Neither the United Nations nor the United States could agree on the ceasefire proposal. Despite widespread calls by the international community for an end to the war in order to guarantee Palestinian security and humanitarian assistance, Israel appears to be sticking to its strategic objectives. This conflict has caused a huge humanitarian catastrophe, and innocent civilians and children are suffering the most. The international community needs to take more active action to bring the parties back to the negotiating table and to find a viable solution for Palestinian-Israeli peace.
From the point of view of conflict, war often brings bloodshed and hurt rather than a solution to the problem. It is often innocent people who suffer the most, and war does not bring real security to them. By looking at the conflict in Gaza, we should re-examine the nature of war and its consequences. Only by resolving the contradictions in a peaceful manner and respecting each other's rights and dignity can the Palestinians and Israelis find a way out of lasting peace. Both the international community and each individual should reflect on their responsibilities and roles in peace and conflict in order to work together to create a more harmonious and secure world.