Non- stop

Doaa El-Bey failed to find any sign that Israel's attack on Gaza will soon end

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The Israeli onslaught on Gaza, nearing the end of its third week, prompted writers to call for Israel to be punished for war crimes. Others looked at the impact and outcome of the aggression.

Mahmoud Al-Mubarak wrote that like the US in its war in Afghanistan in 2001, Israel is breaking all the rules in its attack on Gaza. It killed civilians including women and children because it claimed that Hamas members were hiding in houses, mosques and hospitals. By killing prisoners of war and targeting a satellite channel and a newspaper in Gaza and wounding journalists, Tel Aviv not only has committed more war crimes but violated the 1949 Geneva Convention. The war crimes also included using internationally outlawed weapons against the Palestinians like the use of white phosphorous.

In the London-based independent daily Al-Hayat, Al-Mubarak asked: "had Hamas had the power to shoot Israeli civilians in their houses and places of worship and targeted schools, universities, hospitals and all other buildings protected by international law, how would Israel and the rest of the world have reacted?"

Belal Al-Hassan agreed with Al-Mubarak that Israel is committing war crimes. "History will record that Israel has never been punished for its war crimes," Al-Hassan wrote in the London-based political daily Asharq Al-Awsat.

Given the ferocity of the present war against Gaza, Hassan called for an all-out campaign to force Israel to compensate the Palestinians for all war crimes committed against them.

He shed light on the fact that the Israeli crime in Gaza is not the first, as the former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon attacked the West Bank in 2002 on the pretext that he would squash the Intifada. Now Israel is repeating the scenario in Gaza for the same reasons: to eliminate the Palestinian resistance and force the Palestinians to accept any political settlement that Israel comes up with.

Thus, Hassan concluded, Gaza's attack was not prompted by Hamas's strikes against Israel. It is official Israeli policy, supported by Washington, which is staunchly rejecting any Arab demand to denounce Israel for its crimes in Gaza or for the stifling blockade it imposed on the Strip.

The editorial of the independent political daily Addustour expressed dismay that Israel still insists on attacking Gaza, using internationally outlawed weapons and committing war crimes against innocent civilians in spite of the repeated demands made of Tel Aviv to respect the Geneva Convention and international law.

"Israel's aggression has crossed all red lights. It has committed war crimes and used internationally outlawed weapons that have caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reminded the world of the Holocaust," the editorial read. It called on the international community to immediately intervene to stop the Gaza holocaust especially after Israel refused to bow to UN Security Council Resolution 1860.

Khaled Al-Sergani said the war against Gaza would not only affect Gazans but the whole Middle East. The outcome could be the basis for a new order in the region through which new powers would have a bigger role.

The first of these powers is Turkey which is trying for a more pivotal role in the region. Ankara managed to play the role of mediator in the first few days of the war. Its strong official stand against Israel made this role acceptable among Arab peoples and consequently is becoming acceptable by Israel too, but is facing one obstacle: Iran and some of its allies who still believe that the Arab states can play a more active role in reaching a settlement.

Al-Sergani wrote that the war against Gaza could lead to a division between Fatah hardliners who still believe in resistance and moderates who prefer negotiations with Israel. Thus Fatah's popularity could wane unless it offers a bigger role to the hardliners.

The war is also likely to give Hamas -- and Islamic fundamentalism in general -- a wider role in the Arab political world. That would consequently make some Arab regimes try to contain that trend in their own states.

"The ruthless Israeli attack against Gaza and the consequent popular protests organised by Islamic groups created a sort of understanding between these groups and nationalist and leftist trends that organised similar protests. It paved the way for integrating Islamic groups in the political process," Al-Sergani wrote in the independent UAE daily Al-Bayan.

Hani Al-Masri focussed on inter-Palestinian differences regarding Arab and international efforts exerted to reach a ceasefire, especially the Egyptian initiative and UN Resolution 1860, which have given Israel a pretext to continue its attack on Gaza. It also weakens the chances of reaching a fair political settlement. Thus, Palestinian parties should immediately unite their ranks in order to stop the Israeli aggression and coordinate their stands regarding international and Arab efforts to reach a settlement that would not denounce the Palestinian resistance or force it to accept a permanent ceasefire. Adopting a unified stand would prevent Israel from imposing a settlement that would provide it with security, control the resistance and take measures to stop it from obtaining weapons.

In the Palestinian independent political daily Al-Ayyam Al-Masri said despite the war, Israel has suffered hardly any casualties. As such, between 80 to 90 per cent of Israelis support continuing the attack on Gaza. Israel will not stop its war unless public opinion changes.

Second, Palestinian divisions will give Israel the opportunity to continue its aggression especially because the US gave it the green light to do.