Editorial
After the ceasefire in Gaza . . .
Israel must withdraw and reopen crossing points
The ceasefire in Gaza, declared unilaterally by Israel and followed by the announcement of a seven-day suspension of action by Hamas, should be an opportunity for positive developments in the region. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has already held a summit on the issue, which from a certain perspective may be described as a happening rather too late in the day. The conspicuous silence of most Arab states during the three weeks of Israeli bombardment and occupation of Gaza was disturbing. A more proactive attitude on the part of these states could have been a warning to Ehud Olmert and his government that their military assault was endangering the prospects for peace in the future. Even more worrying was the silence of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, who of course has now decided that the ceasefire declared by the Israelis is insufficient. He is right there, but his earlier inability to speak up against Tel Aviv's relentless bombardment of the Palestinians in Gaza will rankle.
Israel's actions have left no fewer than 1,245 people dead in Gaza. Of these dead, more than 400 have been children. The number of those wounded runs into the thousands. The sheer scale of the Israeli assault, which left even the local United Nations compound on fire, has now quite rightly raised the question of whether Israel's actions amount to war crimes. That at least is the impression an assessment by Amnesty International gives out. The brutalities, consistently justified by Israeli government leaders and not protested by their friends in the West, have certainly left the region a whole lot more polarised than it was earlier. The ceasefire now in place, tenuous as it might be, is of course welcome. But for peace and a rolling back of damage certain concrete moves need to be taken by Israel. In the first place, all Israeli soldiers must move out of Gaza as evidence that Israel has not placed the territory under new occupation. In the second, crossing points to and from Gaza must be reopened to allow aid to reach the Palestinians, who have been under siege for 18 months by the Israeli military.
The world does not expect a roguish Israel to respond positively, or soon, to these needs. Which is why it will now be for the international community, especially the permanent members of the UN Security Council, to bring pressure to bear on it on these issues. A defiant Hamas and brutalised Palestinians will surely not settle for anything less.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments