In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "crush and destroy" Hamas. "Every Hamas member is a dead man," he said. Netanyahu joined with a top political rival on Wednesday to create a wartime Cabinet that will oversee the fight to avenge the October 6 attack by Hamas militants.
With the war having claimed 2400 lives on both sides already, the new Cabinet comes at a time when the Israeli military is increasingly likely to launch a ground offensive into Gaza. The airstrikes in Gaza reduced the entire city blocks down to rubble and there are unknown numbers of bodies trapped beneath mounds of debris.
Support grows for Palestine
As the dialogue concerning the Middle East grows around the world, several rallies were held in support of Palestinians in the US, Ireland, South Africa, Chile and Philippines.
Israel received intense flak for stopping entry of food, water, fuel and medicine into Gaza. The sole remaining access from Egypt to Gaza was shut down on Tuesday after airstrikes hit the border crossing.
demonstration in Chicago in solidarity and support for Palestine and support for Gaza. pic.twitter.com/AisZJI0EJb
— Sprinter (@Sprinter99800) October 11, 2023
Corridors out of Gaza? Egypt says no
After engaging in intensive talks with Israel and the United States to allow the delivery of aid and fuel through Egypt's Rafah crossing point, Egypt rejected proposals to establish corridors out of Gaza, reports Al Jazeera. Citing that the exodus of Palestinians from the enclave would have grave consequences on the Palestinians cause, Egypt has pushed back against the proposal. Egypt's state media also reported that Israel's offensive is part of a plan to empty the enclave.
Malaysia announces emergency funds to Gaza
Malaysia, while making its political stance clear, has blamed the oppression and injustice against the Palestinians for the conflict. Strongly condemning Israel's "outrageous acts of cruelty" in cutting off food, water and fuel to the Gaza strip, Malaysia's FM Zambry Abdul Kadir said his government will provide 1 million ringgit ($212,000) as an emergency fund to help the Palestinians. He also added that while a group of 23 Malaysians and Singaporeans safely crossed over to Egypt, plans are underway to evacuate a Malaysian doctor and her three children caught in the conflict zone.
The world stands divided
Gaza, a 40 kilometer long strip of land sandwiched between Israel and Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea is home to 2.3 million Palestinians. As the nations shake out of knee-jerk reaction of condemning Hamas and collecting their political stance on the conflict, many stand divided in their opinions and especially the context of the conflict.
Harvard student group issuing anti-Israel statements to threats of being blacklisted being a case in point. The statement from the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups said, "we, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence." It further read, "Millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison," and called on Harvard to take action to stop ongoing annihilation of Palestinians. Soon after the statement, the group received backlash, threats and even reports of CEOs wanting those students blacklisted. Earlier in the week, Air Canada grounded a pilot after he was found to be wearing pro Palestinian colors in uniform on his social media posts.
Is WW-III on the cards?
From fictional obsession, fear to conspiracy theories and predictions, World War III has figured actively in the psyche of all generations from the 20th and 21st century. Last time this question was posed with fear was when the Russian invasion of Ukraine shocked the world. It's even worse now with much less unanimity about the conflict in the Middle East. While the Western nations stand firmly with Israel, most of the Arab world is supporting Palestine. The war continues to escalate and so does the ideological war zone in news, organizations and corporations.
