How long before Israel breaks this truce?

After 11 days of violence, we are relieved that an Egypt-mediated truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday. However, to call the violence perpetrated over the last 11 days lopsided would be an understatement, as Israel, a country armed to the teeth thanks to the advanced weaponry supplied by the most powerful western countries in the world, relentlessly bombed the already devastated remnants of Palestinian lands. In response, Hamas launched missiles towards Israel. But truth be told, it was the Palestinians who had suffered the most casualties and continues to do so, as Israel continues to brutally occupy their land illegally under international law and in complete disregard of international agreements and UN resolutions.

In the last 11 days of devastating Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, 232 Palestinians were killed, including 65 children. Almost 2,000 Palestinians were wounded, and 90,000 people were displaced, according to the UN. Around 1,800 housing units were destroyed, 74 government facilities were bombed, 33 media centres were destroyed and six high-rise buildings were levelled by the Israelis. While on the Israeli side, there were barely a handful of casualties and injuries. How can that be termed a conflict?

Even though a truce has been declared between Hamas and Israel, the latter continues to occupy Palestinian land and conquer more of it daily through the removal of Palestinian families from their homes, demolishing Palestinian houses and erecting illegal settlements. And that continues to remain the crux of the matter—that Israel, through western backing, continues to carry out its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people.

Until the international community forces Israel to end its brutal genocidal crusade against the Palestinians, there can never be any real peace for the Palestinians, or for the Israelis for that matter. Now that the Israel-Palestinian conflict has returned to making international headlines, world leaders must realise that this is not a matter that should be swept under the rug once again until the next time Israel decides to bomb the already devastated Gaza Strip. This issue must be resolved once and for all in a way that ensures justice for the Palestinian people, who have suffered endless human rights violations for decades under Israeli occupation.