BACKGROUND
Preceded by weeks of aggression and hostile arrests of Palestinians by the Israeli occupation police in Sheikh Jarrah and al-Aqsa mosque, violence has now spiralled into deadly bombings and heavy artillery raids by Israel, claiming the lives of almost two hundred Palestinians, about half of whom are children and women, and injured or maimed hundreds more. The continuous and increasing Israeli violence during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan up until Eid al-Fitr further escalated when HAMAS and other resistance groups finally retaliated by launching homemade rockets targeting several main cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv, claiming several Israeli casualties. The Israeli onslaught has destroyed several landmark buildings in Gaza, flattening at least two high-rise complexes that house residential apartments and offices of news organisations, including Al-Jazeera and AP. Also, in the short span of one month, more than 1500 Palestinian men and women were arrested, the highest since 2015.
Various political developments also mandate a closer inspection. The political threat facing Netanyahu and the imminent loss of his Likud party in the Israeli general election has been described as the primary factor for escalating violence and shoring support through fear. On the Palestinian side, discontent has been brewing over the sudden postponement of its planned elections. These internal politics, coupled with clear signs of a power shift between the US, China, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia—among others—have also directly shaped how international actors responded to the crisis.
As the crisis unfolds and amid fresh declarations by Israel to launch new attacks, this IAIS Malaysia forum will be discussing the decades of unresolved Palestinian quest for dignity, security, and justice under the illegal occupation.
Watch this webinar recording on IAIS Malaysia Facebook Page
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