At the beginning of the week, Hamas announced its approval of the cease-fire proposal in Gaza. According to a written statement on Hamas' website, Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh conveyed his acceptance of Qatar and Egypt's proposals for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
The cease-fire accepted by Hamas initially included a cease-fire for the exchange of hostages.
Although the White House statement, which garnered attention, struck a cautious tone, it notably emphasized its support for the six-week cease-fire.
The development, which instilled hope in peace advocates worldwide, brought immense joy to the Gazans enduring harrowing conditions, having lost over 34,000 civilians since Oct. 7. Festivities erupted in the streets. Simultaneously, there were also demonstrations in the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Protesters in Israeli cities took to the streets, chanting slogans such as, "Accept the cease-fire, or we will set the streets ablaze." Relatives of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas also chained themselves in the streets as a part of the protest.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, convening the "War Cabinet," announced the commencement of a military operation targeting Palestinians at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, seemingly unfazed. Just as Hamas was on the verge of agreeing to a cease-fire, Israel directed its troops to civilian camps to deliver a final blow in the seven-month genocide. It was reported that more than 50 targets were struck in the narrow area through airstrikes. Subsequently, the Rafah crossing was seized by Israeli soldiers.
It is impossible to reach a clear assessment of the true toll of the Rafah operation by the Israeli administration. This is because Israel, which has recently demonstrated exemplary journalism since the beginning of the conflict, has resorted to a horrific blackout in the region by shutting the doors of Al-Jazeera. In spite of Israel's attempts to cover up its atrocities and massacres, the images coming from the region clearly reveal the extent of the destruction. Nearly 1.5 million civilians who were pushed into the region by Israel as a "safe zone" seven months ago are now trapped between Israeli fire and the soldiers and Bedouins amassed by Egypt at the border in the desert.
So, how will Netanyahu and his fascist Cabinet, who are trying out the "final solution" that the Nazis applied to the Jews on the Palestinians in the live broadcast of the 2024 world, be stopped?
There is no sending of peacekeeping forces by the United Nations, whose secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, is shedding tears.
However, the ongoing resistance on U.S. campuses, the wave of support for Palestine spreading across Europe and Jews in Israel protesting Netanyahu at Holocaust commemorations are all signs that the moral superiority of the genocidal regime has completely eroded.
The legitimacy of the Israeli state, widely accepted in the West since World War II, is now in tatters. Even governments supporting Israel feel compelled to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza by air. However, it is time for more radical steps. For instance, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been conducting intensive diplomacy for dialogue and cease-fire, announced last week that all commercial activities between Türkiye and Israel had been halted.
Despite facing economic challenges, the burden that Türkiye has undertaken in the name of humanity should stand as a global example, inspiring not only neighboring nations but the entire world.
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