Amidst growing tension in the region, Israel carried out air strikes in Gaza, after rockets were allegedly fired from Palestine. At least 15 Palestinians were reported to have been hurt during the airstrikes, whereas no Israeli was reported to have been injured by the rockets fired.
The authorities stated that the rockets were shot down by the missile defense system that has been deployed by Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have continuously blamed the Hamas for the attacks, this happens to be the nineteenth such one this year. Israel has continuously held the Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic political organization to be responsible for breaching cease-fire and instigating violence in the region. The Hamas have assumed a de facto recognition in the Gaza strip.
The rocket attacks came as a result of fears that Israel was planning to change the status quo regarding permitting visitation to the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third most holy site in Islam. The Israeli police are known to have carried out attacks against Muslim and Palestinian pilgrims to the mosque, in a battle to claim the Jewish right over the mosque
Whereas the Palestinian’s demand for recognition and a separate state has been prolonged over decades, lack of common ground and continued tension has hindered any possible steps towards the two-state solution. These air strikes only highlight that peace has long been delayed in the region. Israel’s air strike in Gaza, this time round has not received much condemning from the world community because it was clear attack in defense, as Israel has been claiming for decades.
Gaza is still facing the consequences of Israel’s wrath from 2014, which razed down thousands of houses and other properties, which uprooted thousands of families. The air strikes in Gaza have been a regular affair ever since, due to suspicions of the northern Gaza strip is housing the Hamas. The consensus government condemned the unilateral oppressive actions of Israel, like the current air strike on Gaza which is deterring the efforts of the Palestinians and the international community for making the two-nation theory a reality.
With growing tensions, the Israeli air strikes on Gaza like the one today are only prolonging the violence in the region, leading to the loss of thousands of civilian lives every year. It is a call for the international community and the UN to enforce a peaceful two-nation solution to bring about lasting peace.
