Although Israel’s genocidal attacks and the suffering of the people of Gaza continue to occupy the main agenda of world politics, there have been important developments in Palestine recently. There are many efforts to divert the attention of people and governments from Israel's brutality. However, none of these attempts have succeeded in taking Gaza off the agenda. Even the brutal terrorist attack in Moscow did not distract the international community. Recently, regional and global actors have started some initiatives in order to control the developments in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestine. First of all, the Israeli genocidal attacks against the innocent civilian population of Gaza continue. In spite of many official statements made by representatives of regional states, global powers and international organizations, the Israeli government continues its attacks against hospitals, children, women and the unarmed people of Gaza. For now, it has become the longest heavy Israeli attack against the Palestinian people since Israel's establishment. It has been almost six months since Israeli attacks have continued uninterrupted. Israeli authorities continue to remain indifferent to any demands to stop the atrocities. Second, the pressure against the Israeli genocidal attacks is increasing. It is clear that there are three main alternatives to put pressure on the Israeli government to stop its atrocities in Gaza. The first alternative is domestic pressure from the Israeli people. For now, this option seems impossible, since still the majority of Israelis want the continuation of the war and the “punishment” of Palestinians. The Zionist governments have created a war-prone society in Israel. However, thousands of Israeli people marched against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming that he was committing war crimes against the Gazans. The longer the attacks continue, the more divided the Israeli society will become. The second alternative is the pressure from the Western governments. This option is more likely to be activated since large crowds in Western countries continue to demonstrate against the policies of their respective governments. In addition, the costs of Western countries’ pro-genocidal policies are also increasing. The third alternative is the impact of the regional and global intifada, which will continue to put pressure on all governments.

New Palestinian govt in Ramallah

The second significant development in Palestine is the establishment of the new Palestinian government, based in Ramallah. The Palestinian Authority (PA), led by Mahmud Abbas, has recently announced that a new interim government was formed and will be responsible for all three parts of the occupied territories, namely the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. As calls grow for a revitalized and reformed government and also as Mahmud Abbas faces international pressure to reform his administration, he has been trying to consolidate his power. The main objective of the formation of this new government is to sideline Hamas from Palestinian politics. However, it is difficult for Abbas to achieve this objective, since it is almost impossible for him to take control of Gaza and to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. Therefore, the formation of the new government will remain a fruitless effort. The third important development is the rise of the voices of the Arab people. The Arab street has been relatively quiet since the beginning of the Israeli atrocities. However, the longer the attacks continue, the more likely the Arab street is to react against the silence of their respective governments. In other words, contrary to the expectations of some regional governments, the Palestine issue will continue to haunt Arab regimes. It is difficult to predict when and how the Arab people’s red lines will be crossed. It is impossible for Arab governments to hide the developments in Palestine and Israel’s ongoing genocide of their people. Fourth, Israel continues to expand the conflict on a regional scale for different reasons. Several days ago, Israel, who continues to provoke Iran and its proxies, hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Iranian targets in Syria and killed many high-ranking military officials. On the one hand, Netanyahu has been trying to expand the conflict in order to maintain his hold on power. On the other hand, Netanyahu wants to ensure continued Western support. All in all, Israel’s genocidal attacks and the resistance of the Gazan people will continue to shape not only regional but also global politics. It has been increasingly symbolizing the fight between the oppressed and the oppressor at a global scale. It will serve as a warning against ultranationalist, greedy and irrational politicians. If not prevented and deterred, this type of politician will not hesitate to bring the whole world into war. We should not forget that it is proven that in times of uncertainty or in transitory periods, politicians make many miscalculations that lead to conflict. In the case of the Middle East, it seems that Netanyahu will do everything to ensure his hold in power, irrespective of the losses of the Palestinian or Israeli peoples. It is the responsibility of other politicians, his supporters, to stop him from doing so. [Daily Sabah, April 3, 2024]