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How much more should Gaza bleed?

Mohammad Amjad Hossain
SABRE-rattling by nuclear power Israel against impoverished Palestinians in Gaza strip with the aim of containing growing influence of Hamas is her latest bloody incursion. This barbaric act of aggression by Israel has evoked protests by Palestinians and Arabs around the world, while world community is regrettably witnessing indiscriminate bombardment by Israel against innocentpeople, iiicluding women and children. No concrete action by UN Security Council has yet been taken to stop bloodshed in Gaza because of Bush administration which has adopted dilly-dally tactics to allow Israel continue the incursion to destroy base of Hamas in Gaza strip.The same tactics was adopted by Bush administration when Israel invaded Lebanon to punish the Hezbullah in 2006.
By now more than 1000
Palestinians have been killed and many more injured which has caused huge humanitarian problem. School, mosque and hospital have been destroyed in Gaza strip by Israeli shelling. Even UN establishment has not spared which clearly speaks of indiscriminate air strikes by Israel.
It is equally inhuman to bloc distribution of humanitarian aid to the affected Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Earlier Israel rejected the proposal of France for 48 hours ceasefire for distribution of humanitarian aid, now it has refused Greece the permission.
The present situation has arisen because of rocket attacks by Hamas against Israel. Israel claimed that Hamas violated ceasefire unilaterally. It is a travesty of truth. In the past two months Israel killed several Palestinians in Gaza strip. In retaliation Hamas fired rockets and short range missiles into Israeli territories killing
four Israelis. This clearly speaks that Hamas should not be blamed for unilateral violation of ceasefire. By all means responsibility lies also with Israel.
Arab League and UN criticized the United States for blocking ceasefire resolution in the Security Council. This is not first time the United States did not buy the opinion of majority there. The similar drama had happened during war in Lebanon in 2006, however, the other way round. When Israeli army was loosing the war, US came forward asking the Security Council for ceasefire resolution and placing UN peacekeeping forces on Lebanon-Israel border.
Israel has continued incursion dividing Gaza strip into two parts and causing further killings of innocent people. Israeli assertion that their action is not disproportionate to Hamas's came in response to condemnation by international leaders, including UN
Secretary General, has little justification.
Today Israel is against Hamas because there has been its growing influence. That has been reflected in the first ever free and fair elections in Palestinian territory in January, 2006. But Israel and United States did not recognise democratically elected Hamas. Ironically during 1980's Israeli intelligence Mosad encouraged Hamas, which was apparently established on the theory of Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, to grow with a view to split Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Anat Sargost, an Israeli analyst, in an article in Yedioth Abronoth pointed out that "some say Israeli intelligence agents secretly supported the rise of Hamas, hoping it would weaken the PLO. Yet, PLO was not eliminated, rather, it became strong".
It is really intriguing to notice that Bush administration has made all out efforts to
isolate Hamas from international community. It encouraged Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas to form government without Hamas. This goes against basic principle of democracy. In the process, Bush adminis-
tration along with Israeli administration has made Palestinians more hostile than ever before against Israel and the United States for its double standard in international relations.
Massacre of Palestinian
refugees in Jenin and genocide in the West Bank by Israel during the time of Yasser Arafat is still embedded in the memory of Palestinians and present incursion by Israel into Gaza has alienated moderate Palestinian leader
Mahmoud Abbas who condemned in strongest possible term the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Today, Hamas is strong as Israeli embargo on Gaza did not work. Secret tunnels equipped with electricity, gas pipelines and phone lines by highly trained engineers have become most profitable and sought after facility in Gaza. Israeli army has now targeting these secret tunnels to destroy.
Military aggression will never bring any solution to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis rather will pour more hatred and suspicion in the Middle East peace process. In the present situation US admin -istration should avoid double standard in international relations by accepting the reality to bring durable ceasefire and achieve just and lasting peace in the region that includes sustainable Israeli security and Palestinian statehood.
Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a former Bangladesh diplomat, writes from Virginia, USA