A girl collects items among the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on December 12. Photo: Xinhua
Opinion
Riaz Khokhar
Riaz Khokhar
Israel-Gaza war: Islamic nations’ ceasefire focus ignores roots of the conflict
Leaders of Muslim countries shouldn’t be calling for a ceasefire without outlining a post-ceasefire framework for the Israel-Palestine conflict
They must not only unequivocally condemn Hamas for its atrocities and terrorist ideology but also collaborate with key global players to persuade the Israeli government to end its support for extremist settlers in the West Bank
Leaders of Arab and Islamic countries have expressed disappointment over the US veto of the UN Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, urging Washington to do more to end the conflict.
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei issued a statement calling for a humanitarian truce leading to the end of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has criticised the US, comparing its stance on Russia’s actions in Ukraine to its muted response on Israel’s actions. He called Washington’s veto outrageous for ignoring the international community’s plea for ceasefire in Gaza.
Aligning with public sentiment in their countries, most Muslim leaders’ responses have been shaped by images of dead children and women. As of Monday, nearly 18,000 Palestinians have been killed, 48,000 have suffered injuries and almost 2 million out of the Gaza Strip’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced. International organisations have warned of a catastrophic hunger crisis in Gaza because of the Israeli siege. It is understandable that the situation evokes strong emotions.
Israel says that its mission is to eliminate the Hamas leadership, citing the October 7 terrorist attack that resulted in the death of about 1,200 Israelis, including around 850 civilians, and the taking of more than 200 hostages. However, the number of terrorists killed in Israel’s military operations in Gaza pales in comparison to the massive number of civilian casualties.
Scholars question the logic of the war, and much of the international community, led by Muslim countries, is demanding an end to it. Yet it would be incorrect for leaders of these countries to call for a ceasefire without outlining a post-ceasefire framework for the Israel-Palestine conflict.
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Premature babies evacuated from al-Shifa after Israeli troops seize Gaza’s biggest hospital
Premature babies evacuated from al-Shifa after Israeli troops seize Gaza’s biggest hospital
Arab countries were actively establishing diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords before the current conflict, even as the Israeli government oversaw a settler colonialism campaign that displaced Palestinians in the West Bank. Despite remaining largely silent on the Palestinian cause in the past few years, Arab governments are now aligning with public opinion in loudly advocating a ceasefire, an end to Palestinian displacement and a two-state solution.
Regrettably, Muslim countries’ approach inadvertently aligns with the goals of Hamas and strengthens its narrative. Criticising Israeli military retaliation while sidelining Hamas’ initial terrorist attack places the cart before the horse. It fails to clearly convey the message that the Muslim world opposes terrorism and violent methods of dispute resolution.
Muslim countries ought to have unequivocally condemned Hamas’ atrocities and supported Israel against the terrorist organisation. Doing so could have been instrumental in tempering Israel’s military assault, potentially saving thousands of civilian lives.
Even if these efforts did not restrain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as desired, Muslim countries would have been able to engage with major Western powers from a higher moral ground to urge Israel towards a political solution and avoiding indiscriminate killings. While influential Western powers have recently voted for a ceasefire, it was not in alignment with Islamic countries but for humanitarian purposes aimed at preventing civilian catastrophe.
Islamic governments, by focusing solely on imposing a ceasefire without addressing the roots of the problem, have failed to provide Palestinians with leadership.
By launching a terrorist attack in Israel and seeking the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages, Hamas wants to position itself as avenging the injustices against Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli security forces and extremist settlers. It claims to have provided Palestinians with a voice and leadership, especially after the Palestinian Authority and Islamic countries seemed to have forsaken them for closer ties with Israel.
Hamas’ leadership does not believe in a political, diplomatic or non-violent approach to dealing with Israel. It is ideologically committed to the destruction of the state of Israel, aligning with Iran. Iranian Prime Minister Ebrahim Raisi’s endorsement of Hamas’ “resistance” against Israel at the Arab-Islamic Summit warrants condemnation and should have raised concerns in the Islamic community.
Moreover, Iran-affiliated groups in Yemen and Lebanon have threatened Israel and launched attacks in solidarity with Hamas. The Houthis in Yemen have targeted vessels heading to Israel, while Hezbollah has launched cross-border attacks on Israel, triggering Israeli retaliation in southern Lebanon. These developments heighten fears of a broader Middle East conflict.
Meanwhile, Israeli extremist groups have escalated attacks on West Bank Palestinians following the October 7 incident. With political support from Netanyahu’s Likud party and collaboration with security forces, these groups have carried out more than 300 attacks.
This settler colonialism creates a volatile situation that could foster an uprising and violence against Israeli citizens and security forces. Palestinians affected by settler attacks could become recruits for terrorist activities led by Hamas. These issues constitute the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict, necessitating attention from the leadership of Islamic nations.
These countries should adopt a comprehensive diplomatic strategy to disempower both Hamas and extremist Israeli settlers. Islamic countries must unequivocally condemn Hamas’ atrocities and its terrorist ideology, promoting a shift towards peaceful political efforts for a two-state solution. A public awareness campaign should emphasise the counter-productivity of using violence and terrorism to seek rights and land restoration.
At the same time, Islamic countries should collaborate with key global players such as the US, Britain, European Union and China to persuade the Israeli government to cease its support for extremist settlers in the West Bank and facilitate a pragmatic two-state solution. These conditions should be prerequisites for establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.
People, as well as politicians in Islamic countries, should recognise that the solution to violence in Palestine lies in politics and diplomacy, not violence and terrorism.
Riaz Khokhar is an MA political science candidate at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden
