THE HUMAN COST ... 2

THE HUMAN COST ... 2

The health system in Gaza is on the verge of collapse as medicine and fuel supply is cut off by the Israeli siege. The Gaza-Egypt border alone is free for the transit of supplies. But with electricity cut off the situation is dire. A humanitarian catastrophe is lurking. The United Nations has made an appeal for allowance of supplies but Israel is yet to respond. Food supply is about to run out in a few days time and water has been cut off as well. What's going to be the human cost of this siege, necessary in Israeli eyes, backed by the USA for the survival of Israel but about to decimate the local population unless good sense prevails? Escalation of this war on multiple fronts is also feared. Will it be possible to contain this asymmetric war without inciting responses from other adversarial neighbouring states?

War is ugly business, has catastrophic consequences and long-term repercussions. Intolerant religious ideology fuelling antisemitism coupled with geopolitical interests of big players has rendered Palestine an epicentre of war and instability. Where lies the solution beyond this carnage conducted by Hamas and the sure retribution following in its wake from Israel? A solution could lie in the immediate release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas with the corresponding gesture of instant ceasefire by Israel. But that is unlikely to happen in the world of realpolitic with deep ideological and geopolitical divisions and with vengeance for unprovoked violence against them firing up the masses in Israel. Neither will Israel, that has suffered a barbaric invasion of its territory and the mass slaughter and molestation of its civilians, now forgive Hamas, in effect Palestine, such an easy escape to render them the same evil again at a deferred date. Peace seems a distant hope now but it must sure come after inordinate carnage is over. 

Written by Sugata Bose