Palestine people cry for help amidst rising tensions

The world is made to believe that what occurred during the past weekend in Israel is an injustice and happened out of the blue.

Like how the Russia-Ukraine war is being narrated, the Western countries have been quick to rally behind Israel and condemn Hamas, an Islamic Resistance Militant Movement that is fighting for the people of Palestine.

And to make matters worse, in retaliation to the attack by the Hamas, Israel has declared war and performed an air-strike military operation, which poses a risk of turning the conflict into a full-blown war that will shed the innocent blood of Israelis and Palestinians.

However, we must resist being naive: the attack on Israel by Hamas is not a provocation of war but a stern reminder to the whole world that Palestine is crying for help.

ALSO READ: Survivor describes Hamas attack on Israel as a ‘second Holocaust’

But instead of that help coming through, Palestinians are labelled as terrorists. Noone is sympathetic to their cause.

To the dismay of many, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany have unequivocally shown lack of interest in solving the conflict as they have vowed to defend Israel without even trying to mediate a diplomatic solution between Israel and Palestine.

They are now up in arms in support of Israel by surrendering the people of Palestine to their decades’ long oppression.

South Africa’s call for immediate cessation of violence, restraint and peace must be applauded.

ALSO READ: Hamas-Israel conflict another example of SA government’s stupid foreign policy

In addition to that, Türkiye’s President Recep Erdogan’s maturity ought to be acknowledged in these hostile diplomatic relations as he seeks to use diplomatic means to de-escalate the situation.

This is not the time to turn a blind eye to what is happening on the Middle Eastern region. The people of Palestine want nothing but their rights.

All they want is self-determination to govern themselves in their land.

We all know that this recent attack on Israel comes not from disrespect, but the desperate need to address Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine land, desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites, continued settlement expansion in East Jerusalem and the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.

ALSO READ: External forces prolonging conflict in Israel-Palestine and Ukraine-Russia

Israel has trampled upon the notion of human rights. It has violated the United Nations’ ideals and it can no longer be business as usual.

Many might call what Hamas did terrorism, extremism and barbarianism.

But in its true sense, it is liberation, decolonisation, resistance and a revolution that seeks to attain victory for the people of Palestine.

If we are indeed serious about long lasting peace prevailing in the Middle East, the conflict between Israel and Palestine must be solved.

ALSO READ: SA must stand with the oppressed people of Palestine

Israel must step back. There’s been enough suffering now.

This war has been going on for far too long. Bullying tactics must cease and the Palestine people must be granted what they deserve: an independent sovereign state.

Free Palestine is what the world needs to hear. And this can be done through the implementation of a two-state solution.

Mthembu is an independent commentator

ALSO READ: Putin says Israel-Gaza conflict shows US ‘failure’ in Middle East