Over the past week, the situation in Palestine and Israel has deteriorated and escalated to dangerous new levels. It is exactly at times like these that the quest for a genuine, comprehensive peace agreement between Palestinians and Israelis should become a human imperative, as well as a global challenge. The consecutive cycles of violence that this conflict has witnessed erupt with even the slightest of provocation. However, they are very hard to resolve and contain, making the quest for genuine peace much harder. The latest round of violence this past week has claimed the lives of many innocent Palestinians and Israelis alike, as well as injuring dozens more. Violence, occupation, unilateralism and annexation are simply counterproductive and hardly conducive to a genuine resolution of this conflict, which has now plagued and haunted people for over half a decade.

One could say, and it would not be even wrong to say, that it all began in 1948 and/or 1967. However, for the sake of pragmatism and not pointing fingers of blame, this latest round of violence began on Sunday, July 10 with the Israeli Cabinet’s approval of the route the Segregation and Annexation Wall should take in Jerusalem. The timing for the decision did not come as a coincidence nor surprise. The decision came exactly one year after the United Nations highest legal body, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, made its Advisory Opinion on the Wall, deeming it illegal and calling for its dismantlement. This decision by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came as a humiliating slap in the face for Palestinians and the international community at large. To speak about the Wall, or witness it, or to be forced to deal with its detrimental consequences, is enough to fuel Palestinian violence, through their prolonged dismay. Israel displayed its audacity by building a Wall, on stolen land, effectively creating Palestinian enclaves or Bantustans making a viable, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian State extremely far fetched.

Then, two days later, in the costal city of Netanya, a Palestinian suicide bomber from Tulkarem blew himself up in front of a shopping mall, killing four people including himself, and injuring many more. As a consequence, the Israel army raided Tulkarem in search for Islamic Jihad members, which erupted into a full scale escalation of violence. Since then the Israeli army has raided and pursued incursions into many West Bank towns and cities, as well as embarking on a  full scale invasion of Gaza. In addition to this, Israel has resumed its policy of targeted killings, full fledged curfews and forcefully imposing restrictions of movement.

As if Israel’s continued and relentless onslaught on the Palestinians people were not enough, Palestinians have dealt themselves an utterly useless blow. It began with Islamic Jihad claiming responsibility for the suicide attack in Netanya, which Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was quick to condemn, calling on all Palestinian factions to commit and respect the truce. He went on to say that no one faction had the authority or mandate to act in the name of the Palestinian people, except for the PNA.

Facing Israel’s immanent unilateral pullout from Gaza, as well as international pressure on President Abbas to reign in on Palestinian resistance fighters, added to internal pressures calling on the PNA to restore law and order. The PNA took the initiative to restore law and order, which somehow did not fit the agenda of other factions. Thus, clashes between Hamas and the PNA erupted, and Palestinian security forces entered Gaza with armored vehicles in an attempt reign in on the state of anarchy. The result was intense exchange of gunfire between the two parties, killing two bystanders and injuring many more. Since then the situation between Palestinian factions and the PNA has only deteriorated.

If the real quest for all the parties involved is genuine peace, the parties involved should use a time like this to step back and reflect upon the situation on the ground, as well as each and everyone’s performance and conduct.

As an impartial non-governmental organization, MIFTAH would like to make some recommendations to the involved parties. For one, Israel should immediately stop its construction of the Wall, dismantle all illegal settlements and bring its occupation of Palestinian land and people to an immediate end. The PNA should take more serious, concrete and consequent steps to restore law and order and re-establish itself as the sole authority, improve the living conditions of ordinary and marginalized Palestinians and, finally, it should continue in fervor with a genuine reform process, of which only Palestinians will wreak the benefits. The international community should re-engage itself through the Middle-East Peace Quartet as a truly impartial mediator to this lingering conflict, step up its pressure on Israel to comply with international law and legitimacy, scores of UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, as well as the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice. And finally, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have the right, as do all Palestinian factions, to voice their opinions and concerns. However, as Dr Ashrawi recently said in an interview with the BBC, “Rather than militarize their concerns, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad should vocalize and politicize their concerns through the all-inclusive Palestinian Legislative Council.” Popular as they are, no one faction has the right or mandate to act in the name of the Palestinian people.

The root cause for the instability and volatility of the situation is and always will be the illegal and prolonged occupation of Palestinian land and people. Until this gruesome occupation ends, one can be certain the region will witness many more rounds of violence, with only innocent civilians suffering.