Cementing UNO’s role in global crises resolutions
27-Nov-2024
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Ibrahim Khalil Ahasan
The Palestinian issue is a long-standing humanitarian crisis that has been going on for almost seven decades. The Palestinian people have been living under constant Israeli occupation, oppression, and illegal settlements. This crisis is not limited to Palestine and Israel; rather, it has become a global conscience call for international human rights, freedom, and justice. In the current situation, the question has become even more important: has the United Nations actually been able to play a proper role in resolving the Palestinian crisis, or has it only played the role of a silent spectator?
The roots of the Palestinian crisis date back to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Since then, the conflict has been based on the question of land and the rights of the people. For the Palestinians, the events of this year have been catastrophic, forcing them to become landless. After that 1948 event, millions of Palestinians were forced to flee their homes and become refugees, in what is known in Palestinian history as the "Nakba" or catastrophe. Over the next few decades, Israeli occupation and settlement expansion con- tinued, severely violating the basic human rights of Palestinians. After the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israel occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.
This occupation became a new nightmare for Palestinians, which continues to this day. The UN Security Council called on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories in Resolution 242 in 1967. But Israel has ignored that resolution and has continued to expand settlement activities. Although these settlement activities are contrary to international law, practically nothing has been stopped.
The founding goal of the United Nations was to protect world peace, security, and human rights. The United Nations has repeatedly passed resolutions on the Palestinian issue, which have not yet been implemented. In 1947, the United Nations proposed the partition of Palestine into two separate states. It planned to establish a Jewish state and an Arab state. But that plan was never implemented. Since then, the role of the United Nations in the Palestinian issue has been only a policy position, which has never been implemented. Although there have been several Security Council resolutions, they have often been blocked due to the interests of major powers. Although Israel has been called upon to withdraw from the occupation, powerful countries such as the United States have often taken a stand in favor of Israel and vetoed the resolutions. As a result, the Palestinian crisis has become increasingly complex. This biased behavior of the world's major powers has called into question the credibility and effectiveness of the United Nations.
The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated and besieged regions in the world. The people of Gaza constantly have to live with a lack of water, electricity, food insecurity, and the lack of necessary medical services. Schools and hospitals are often attacked, which has created a terrible reality for children and vulnerable people.
Several UN reports have painted a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The blockade has crippled the local economy. Children are growing up in a violent environment, which is having a serious impact on their mental and physical health.
The UN, as well as other powers in the international community, were supposed to play a role in resolving the Palestinian crisis. However, in reality, the geopolitical interests of the major powers have become an obstacle to resolving this crisis. The biased policies of the United States, the soft response of the European Union, and the division of the Arab world have weakened the struggle for the rights of the Palestinian people.
Due to this, the path to international assistance has become even narrower. Although human rights organizations have highlighted human rights violations in Palestine, they have not brought about any effective change. Organizations such as the UN Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly condemned Israel's occupation and human rights violations.
(To be contd)