November 29, 2023

The talks regarding the extension of the ceasefire coincided with the Solidarity Day with Palestine.  And as I write these lines, representatives at the United Nations are talking about the need for the extension of the ceasefire and that the two-state solution is the only way out. That solution was fouled up many years ago when those same countries allowed Israel to get away with violating UN resolutions and expanding settlements and control of the West Bank despite the United Nations resolutions after the occupation of the rest of the Palestinian territories in 1967.    Now they are all talking, and I am not sure they will do anything beyond that.  Couldn’t the ceasefire have taken place before all the shelling of the Gaza Strip turned the area into smithereens?

The whole purpose of the Hamas operation on October 7 was to take hostages to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners, most of whom have been languishing in Israeli jails without charge or trial, including many young children.

But the blind support of the Western countries led by the USA simply watched, until it was not humanly bearable anymore, especially after the shelling of the hospitals and the photos of the babies in incubators hit the world media. Nobody and nothing was spared. 

For the last few days, we have been glued to our TV screens watching that great exchange operation. But Israel cannot tolerate a moment of joy for the Palestinians and the released prisoners were prevented from any public celebrations or offering of sweets for the happy occasion.  In the meantime, the arrests and shootings of young men in the West Bank have almost exceeded the number of released prisoners.  And while I am writing this two young children were shot in Jenin.

Ironically the Occupation Forces could not also tolerate a positive word by the hostages about the good treatment they had by Hamas while in hostage, especially after the testimony of a woman who was released with her daughter.  So,  later on those who were released were allocated to special wards in hospitals, so that they will not talk  to anybody about their experience. 

I just hope and pray that the efforts of all the leaders gathering to discuss the ceasefire will succeed in making it a permanent one. And all efforts will be pursued to bring about a just solution to the Palestinian issue as well as the rebuilding of Gaza, and not razing it in accordance with the plans of the Israeli Prime Minister