The genocide in Gaza will be two years old next month. However, a ceasefire is still only a dream. However, this hasn’t happened recently without at least some effort. There is no denying the pressure, since many Europeans have declared their support for a Palestinian state and the streets of Europe are ablaze with anger over the heinousness of this genocide’s support. But does Israel even give a damn? That has been the question. And the response has been—and still is—not really. Not when the United States finances and supports all it does. In light of this, Muslim countries have also recently made an effort to find a solution to Israel’s continued war crimes. The United governments, eight Arab governments, and other OIC members met in a multilateral summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Leaders from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Pakistan were among those attending the event, which was co-hosted by US President Donald Trump and Qatar. Following the summit, the Arab League and OIC issued a joint statement highlighting the Palestinians’ right of return and denouncing the unimaginable humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its catastrophic effects on the larger region. In order to free captives and allow humanitarian aid to circulate, the statement demanded an immediate ceasefire. Notably, the statement also emphasized the necessity of a thorough rehabilitation plan supported by international aid in order to aid in the reconstruction of the destroyed lives of Gaza’s Palestinians. Though some media reports have raised some concerns, all of this is a good, essential, and hopeful idea. According to American news organization Axios, Trump offered a “21-point plan” for resolving the conflict in Gaza and establishing post-Hamas administration during the conference. The plan, according to the article, calls for Arab and Muslim countries to send troops to Gaza in order to facilitate Israel’s disengagement and provide funding for the enclave’s restoration during a transitional phase. Here, the obvious gaps must be filled. First, unless there is a real ceasefire and Israeli soldiers completely evacuate occupied Palestinian territory, there can be no post-war plan. While members of his far-right cabinet openly threaten to take the West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that he will never permit a Palestinian state. One wonders what reconstruction and governance in Gaza would entail as long as the United States keeps funding, arming, and politically shielding Israel—even thwarting six UN ceasefire resolutions. And whether a Zionist state consumed by its blood lust will even approve such a proposal. Furthermore, Israel has far too frequently promised (and the US guaranteed) a halt to violence, only to have Palestinians murdered the following day with even more heinousness. There are also valid concerns about why Muslim nations are now held accountable for crimes and a war they did not initiate, while the United States is still hesitant to hold its ally accountable. And in all of this, where are the Palestinians? It is up to the people of Gaza to decide its future. Despite US assistance, Israel is now a pariah state that is becoming more and more isolated. In light of this, it will be difficult for any nation to take the chance of offending its own citizens with a hastily drafted strategy. A United Nations mission would be a much more respectable option if peacekeeping is really necessary. What is certain is that unless the killing ceases and Israel leaves the occupied territory, no peacekeeping, no rehabilitation, and no governance model can succeed. The Gaza people deserve an immediate ceasefire and the right to self-determination, not more colonization.
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