Ghassan Abdallah, an 81-year-old Palestine activist, relocated to Ramallah back in 1994 with hopes of witnessing peace finally settling in the region. But nearly three decades later, he finds those aspirations slipping away as the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict continues to cast a shadow over the prospect of a Palestinian state.
Abdallah, now 81, expressed his concerns, saying, “I was hoping to see an end to the conflict, but unfortunately, these hopes are dying in the heat of the battle.” He conveyed his sentiments during a video interview with ThePrint from his home in Ramallah.
The situation has escalated to the point where all access points to the West Bank are now sealed off by Israeli authorities. Basic daily activities, such as waste disposal, have become increasingly challenging, impacting the daily lives of Palestinians living in the region.
Amid this escalating violence, Palestinian leaders and activists are calling for urgent intervention from the United Nations and the international community to halt the ongoing clashes. Mustafa Barghouthi, another Palestinian activist, and the leader of the Palestinian National Initiative based in the West Bank, spoke about the humanitarian crisis that has emerged in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli attacks.
Also Read: Israel-Palestine Conflict: A Timeline
In a show of solidarity with Palestine, Wael Shawish, a retired project manager who has been living in Scotland for 38 years, plans to participate in a rally in Glasgow. This demonstration takes place in the face of unwavering support from the British government for Israel, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman attempting to curb certain expressions of pro-Palestine support.
On another front, events unfolded on a global scale. In New York, pro-Palestinian demonstrators marked their support for Hamas’s significant attack on Israel, while supporters of the Jewish state held rallies to mourn and express their outrage over the violence. In Times Square, hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered, brandishing Palestinian flags and echoing slogans like “Resistance is justified,” “Globalize the intifada,” and “Smash the settler Zionist state.” Their collective voice cried out, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
As the Israel-Hamas conflict rages on, the people caught in the crossfire find themselves trapped between two entrenched positions, unable to escape the turmoil that has gripped the region for decades. According to activists, the future of a Palestinian state remains uncertain, and the international community’s intervention may be the only hope for ending the ongoing violence and suffering.