It has been a year since the Hamas attack on Israel, following one of the deadliest operations by the IDF the world has seen. At least 42,709 Palestinians, 2,000 Lebanese, and 1,139 Israeli lives lost in this war. As a result, the international community has varying reactions. Some stand with Israel’s right to defence, as does the United States and many Western world powers. However, many others see Israel's right to defence as a justification to continue the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, at least 13 countries, including South Africa, and more recently Bolivia brought forth to the International Court of Justice.
To which the question is raised, to what extent does National security override the human right to life?
Since the invasion of Israel into the Gaza Strip, the attacks and lost lives that followed saddened and impacted all of us in different ways. Here in Maastricht, several protests, demonstrations, awareness campaigns and acts of solidarity on the conflict took place all year. Residents, students, tutors, professors, associations, political movements, and many others have stood in support of the Palestinian people and responded to decades of aggression on the state of Palestine. All around the world, people started to reflect on what their role in this war was. Their taxes, the companies they bought from, and the institutions they supported. As students, this put into question one of our biggest economic expenses: our education.
At the scale of Maastricht University, the debate revolved around how close of a relationship does UM have with Israeli Institutions. For that matter, the goal was to highlight Maastricht University’s complicity in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. In the spring of this year, we saw a worldwide movement of academics calling for universities to cut ties with Israeli institutions, with the overall goal of a full stop to the aggression on Palestinian people. Encampments started to happen everywhere, including here, in Maastricht, at the campus of Fasos Faculty: Rafah Garden. After months of demands from the students and staff to the UM Executive Board to take a stance and actions against the Israeli aggression, the defendants came to realize the only thing left to do was to make this encampment happen. UM had started to get worried about the consequences this could have on their reputation and connections while facing increasing pressure and deadlines from student hunger strikes. (i.e. At the start of the encampment, a handful of students, staff and parents started a hunger strike to highlight the gravity of the situation and incite the university to take action). After 10 days of the encampment, the demonstrators stated UM called the police on the protesters for ‘trespassing’ after reportedly giving the students 18 minutes' notice. Nonetheless, the University Statement of that day justified itself saying “The protesters voluntarily left their tent camp”.
On May 24th, two days after the eviction of the protestors at the encampment, UM issued a statement on “new policy on partnerships with institutions in conflict areas”, essentially showing for a “temporary freezing” of certain partnerships. However, UM didn’t provide any additional information on how and with whom those “freezings” would happen. Despite this small victory for the supporting student community, this is still not sufficient for many.
Today, the proportions and reach the aggression have taken are nothing short of extreme, causing intense worrying around the globe. Not only Gaza, but Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen have also been bombed and aggressed by the state of Israel in the past few weeks.
As with Palestine, Israel’s involvement in Lebanon and the surrounding countries runs deep. It did not start on October 7. Lebanon’s Hezbollah is a political party and armed group that controls the country’s most powerful armed forces. Hezbollah rose as a response to Israeli occupation in the 1980s, having a strong history of opposing Israeli occupation in Southern Lebanon and taking credit for Israel’s withdrawal of troops in 2000. This group has ties with Iran, both militarily and financially, and is an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Critical information to further understand how Israel’s fight against Hamas and Hezbollah may unravel even more chaos in the region.
As a response to Israel killing Hamas leader chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian general in Beirut, Iran launched an attack on Israeli bases the first week of October this year. Following the attack, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed Iran would “will pay for it”, supported by following statements of many Western powers including the United States and the UK.
On October 8, At least 7 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in Damascus, Syria. Hezbollah hit Israel’s Haifa with the ‘biggest’ rocket attack yet, as Israel followed with more strikes on Beirut. Although Saudi Arabia has been a long-time partner with the U.S., their rapprochement with Iran in recent years now might shift the trend of war. Despite stating their neutrality in the conflict a few weeks ago, on October 8th they still invited the Iranian Foreign Minister to visit, meanwhile, the prospects of an Israeli deal faded away. After Arriving in Riyadh, the Iranian foreign minister said: “We hope that these talks in Saudi Arabia can lead to improved conditions in the region for Palestine and for Lebanon and for peace”.
While alarm floods Northern Gaza, as Israel calls for a full evacuation of the three main hospitals, Kamal Adwan, Awda, and the Indonesian Hospitals, because of military expansions in the Jabalia refugee camp. As a result of military escalation in this area, UNRWA altered through X that they were forced to suspend lifesaving services. There are about 400,000 people still cornered in the camp by the Israeli army, who have been restricted to only 2 working water wells. Tareq Abu Azzoum, an Al Jazeera reporter, stated that those who try to flee have been shot by snipers, and at least 43 people have been reportedly killed. The Kamal Aswan Hospital is mainly evacuated, due to leaving behind a limited number of medics to attend to patients in critical conditions. “We will remain steadfast, we will stay and we will offer our medical services no matter the cost.” (Quote taken for Aljazeera, from the Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital.)
Despite time passing, and media coverage wavering as the range of destruction extends, our grief remains relentless. The mass insecurity in the region spreads rapidly as bombs detonate nearby. Fear of a growing war clouds the nation. More people are confused and anxious. More people are displaced. More people are losing homes, family, and friends. More are dying.
We, at the Maastricht Diplomat, are dedicated to reporting real stories that shape a more informed and aware public. For the past year, we have seen the media weaponized to further uphold a time of oppression and persecution utilizing countless fake news, censorship, and ignorance. Now more than ever, we see the importance of press freedom in times of repression.
As the Maastricht Diplomat, we have been involved and concerned about how words, written or spoken, can have a positive impact towards a more informed and aware public. We will continue our commitment to uplift all voices, as is our duty to foster an informed and engaged community.
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