For a lasting ceasefire

In modern times no people have paid such a high price to defend their freedom and way of life as have the Gazans; and they have won against one of history's ultra-sadist killing machines, Israel. Finally getting the message that its seven-week-long brutal armed assault had failed to breach the Gazans' resistance Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to hold fire and sit with the Hamas leadership to explore ways and means to co-exist in peace and harmony. The Cairo-brokered ceasefire, announced Tuesday evening, is expected to hold, essentially because the aggressor has been squarely put paid by the Gazans with a matching steadfastness and determination to fight back whatever regardless of the cost in terms of life and limb. Of course, it was an unequal fight; one side being a nuclear power, armed to the teeth and prone to convulsions for aggression patted by the West and the other side a small population, starving to death, rendered defenceless and deserted by its so-called allies. The 50-day-long Israel's land and air assault, punctuated by a couple of short breaks of ceasefire, was more an attempt at breaking down the morale of the Hamas defenders by murdering their children and women and by destroying their homes and businesses than taking them on in a war-like situation. Anybody who looked like a child, was on the street or at home, or had taken shelter in UN-protected compound, he was the prime target. Homes, schools, hospitals and mosques were bombed, piling shame on those who credited Israeli attacks saying what the 'hell of pinpoint' surgical strikes. Of some 2200 lives lost to Israeli aggression more than 70 percent were civilians, including 500 children. The number of Israeli casualties was 69, almost all men in uniform. Simply put, Netanyahu's forces were out to teach a lesson to Hamas by killing their families and destroying their homes, than to directly take on battle-hardened Hamas fighters who ultimately forced Tel Aviv to ceasefire and go for talks.
The question about the identity of those who killed three Israeli teenagers remains unanswered. But it turned out to be a good enough excuse the Tel Aviv government was looking for some time to subvert the Palestinians move to form a national unity government. And then with no-victory outcome on its plate the Netanyahu government seems to have decided to go for the co-existence option, at least for the time being. No wonder then the Israeli leadership has agreed to lift the eight-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip, immediately extend to six nautical miles of areas open to Gaza's fishermen off the coast and open Israeli border crossings to allow in Gaza the aid and construction material. What more should be done to perpetuate the state of ceasefire the two sides will meet within a month at Cairo? Will this ceasefire last, given the propensity of the situation to turn hot and result in armed clashes - but for an extraordinary we believe it will, mainly because Tel Aviv has failed to subdue the Gazans' determination to resist. But even then active participation of the stakeholders of peace in the Middle East it is imperative that the two-state plan should be revived, mainly by taking care of some of the issues that still need to be resolved. Israel should be asked to release Palestinians it has in its jails and remove illegal settlements on confiscated land of Palestine.
That said one cannot desist asking the OIC what kept it mum all the way when Israeli forces launched a genocidal aggression against the fellow Muslim population in Gaza. All that it did was a weak-hearted resolution - all words and no action on the part of the so-called 'collective voice of the Muslim world' and created in the name of defending the land of Palestine which houses one of the Muslims' most sacred places of worship. Tragically, the principal regional Arab countries, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, tend to see Hamas through their anti-Muslim Brotherhood eyepiece. Syria is opposed to Hamas as it had refused to help Bashar al-Assad in his struggle against its opponents; Iran and Hezbollah of Lebanon are undecided, with Qatar being the only exception. But beyond the Arab world the Palestinians in general and Gazans in particular enjoy tremendous love and sympathy, which we believe should now come into play at all international forums including the United Nations. They should weigh in individually and collectively with the Permanent members of the UN Security Council to convert Palestine Authority's presently observer membership into full membership. At the same time they should influence the non-governmental humanitarian organisations to highlight the disproportionately high losses of life and property the Gazans suffered during the latest Israeli aggression to help avert its repetition whatever the provocation's. The world conscience should make sure the Gazans are not revisited by a modern-day Holocaust.