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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Conversation or enjoy below
🗞️ Driving the news: The Israel-Palestine conflict, with its deep-rooted history, has seen a surge in violent clashes in 2023 starting with the recent attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which resulted in the death of at least 1,400 Israeli civilians, leading to an Israeli declaration of war against Hamas
• These events brought Israel to declare war against Hamas, followed by 11 days of bombardments in the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 3,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly civilians, and many more wounded, with the numbers increasing as the conflict continues
🔭 The context: The conflict has been shaped by Israel's reliance on military might for security and the Palestinian experience of dispossession and injustice
• Both sides have witnessed leadership errors, missed opportunities, and the influence of religious and nationalist ideologies
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The ongoing occupation has caused immense suffering to the Palestinian people and has impacted Israel's social fabric, economy, and international standing
• Although the author, together many academics and diplomats believe the occupation needs to end, the means to achieve this are complex and fraught with challenges as shown by the recent escalation
⏭️ What's next: The author states that the world needs to shift its focus from short-term reactions to long-term solutions such as recognizing West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state
• It is essential for supporters on both sides to denounce violence regardless of their political affiliation and advocate for peaceful resolutions to the current conflict
💬 One quote: "There are no easy solutions to the conflict, but military ones won’t do anymore. Violence only begets more violence. It has to stop" (Eyal Mayroz, University of Sydney)
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