GAZA CITY: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated to unprecedented levels Israeli military’s unrelenting airstrikes, targeting residential and commercial buildings in Gaza Strip, leaving millions of innocent Palestinians without food, water and electricity. Decades of conflict have left the local population in despair, with hopes for a short-term stabilization of the region fading.
Experts, including Hugh Lovatt from the European Council on Foreign Relations and Yossi Mekelberg from Chatham House, have expressed skepticism about the current situation. Lovatt emphasized the lack of will from to end the fighting, ruling out a return to the previous status quo as a viable option. He questioned the political appetite of the European Union and the United States, entities that have tried unsuccessfully to bring the conflicting parties together. Lovatt challenged whether they possess the determination to pave a realistic path towards conflict resolution, including an end to the occupation and the fulfillment of Palestinian self-determination.
Mekelberg argued that regional powers should take the lead alongside international players. He highlighted the importance of revisiting initiatives, which proposed peace or normalization in exchange for peace with the Palestinians.
Deprivations of Palestinian People
Both Lovatt and Mekelberg placed blame on the Western powers, especially the European Union and the United States. Lovatt pointed to Israel’s violations of international law, including the consolidation of the occupation and moves toward annexation, with limited reactions from the international community. Mekelberg emphasized the neglected conditions inside the Palestinian Territories, creating fertile ground for extremist elements due to prolonged abandonment and worsening situations.
