CORRECT STAND

 

 

 

 

FIFTEEN days of the raging conflict between Israel and Hamas terror group operating out of Gaza have brought to fore all ugly realities a war brings with it. There have been claims, counter-claims, accusations and denials even as the world finds itself divided over its geopolitical alliances while taking sides. The end result is a barrage of casualties on both sides causing grave strife to humanity. In these circumstances, as India stands solidly behind its close friend Israel, the concern about humanitarian law is a just and prudent position to be adopted by any sensible country. The call by New Delhi to observe strict international humanitarian law after the death of civilians in a Gaza hospital is the right appeal for both the sides and the rest of the world who now needs to find a middle way out rather than stand mute witness to another Russia-Ukraine war-like situation. The world is already reeling under the aftermath of the unending skirmishes between Russia and Ukraine. It has varied opinions as new axis are being worked out by like-minded partners in different parts of the universe. A similar conflict in the Middle-East would be disastrous for the entire world as humanity would be the biggest casualty in the fights. India’s insistence on strict observation of humanitarian law needs to be seen from the light of the noble cause of saving lives, no matter how their governments and leaders think of the fight of ideologies and clash of civilisations.

 

In the end, it is always a precious life that is lost to the bullets and gunfire, be it of a soldier or of a civilian. New Delhi has again walked the tightrope with fine balance as it asserted its long-standing principled position of a two-nation solution for Israel and Palestine. As has been its stand on military conflicts, India has rightly called for a dialogue between the warring sides as it did when the Russian invasion of Ukraine shook the world. In fact, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi indulged in a hard talk with Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin by telling him to choose peace as “it is not an era of war”. The principled stand that each Government at the Centre has taken over issues of military fights has kept India in the position of leadership because it always sides with humanity. As it did with Ukraine by sending medical help to tend to its injured, New Delhi has been prompt in sending humanitarian assistance to Palestine. And it will never offend Israel as India has been a propagator of world peace and unity even though it detests any form of terrorism. That is why India was the first to declare support to Israel and hailed its right for self-defence against Islamic extremism when the terror group unleashed rockets on Israeli cities from the Gaza strip. Condemnation of terror is a natural reaction for a country which has remained a victim of the same scourge for decades.

 

However, it does not mean that civilian casualties could be ignored in the aftermath. The appeal to strictly adhere to humanitarian law is borne out of this concern as casualties are rising with each passing day. Already the war is half-a-month old and as things are moving it could escalate into a bigger conflict spreading over to other regions pretty quickly. The Arab world might resort to a unified attack on Israel which has a solid backing from the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. Now, with Russia and China cozying up for a long-term friendship, there is every possibility of the Middle-East becoming another war theatre between the West and the others. Even otherwise, Israel has always been a war-ground for a Russia-US oneupmanship ever since the Jewish nation became independent in 1948. The immediate need, therefore, is to shed differences and give dialogue a chance.