War does no good to anyone, like Israel-Hamas, Russia-Ukraine should also make a ceasefire

No one can predict which direction the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas will take. The whole world is wishing for an end to this war that has been going on for one and a half months. Everyone wants peace, wants no war, the feeling of peace is in everyone’s heart. But with the desire for peace and no war, there is a serious mistake in thinking somewhere. It seems that if there is talk of a ceasefire and the actions are of war, then how will there be a ceasefire? The irony of such a long war is that despite using all its strength, Israel has not been able to succeed in its mission. Neither has it been able to destroy Hamas nor has it been able to free its people held hostage. Another essence of this war that has been going on for 47 days is coming to the fore that about fourteen thousand people have died and twice as many have been injured. Another big anomaly of this war is that most of those killed are civilians, women and children. War may be inevitable, yet his final suggestion or decision about war is that victory for any side in the war is certain. But no one seems to be winning in this war.

Violence and genocide are certain but this is not a permanent solution to the problem. War is a stigma on today’s developed human society. To date, none of the parties waging or promoting war have received any significant incentive that could make them proud. Certainly, war is destruction, unrest, hindrance to development, instability and huge destruction of life and property. When the final decision of such a war has to be taken on the negotiation table, then why not sit on the table in advance?

War is a fire which consumes everything. We are seeing similar massive devastation, genocide and horror in the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars. Many questions related to these two wars are important, but there is no one to answer them. Even the United Nations, which plays the role of arbitrator or mediator in the war between two countries, is not able to do anything more than appeal to end the war. India also made such unique efforts, but they could not play a decisive role. Even though India’s efforts are not succeeding, such efforts have relevance today. In these there is not the darkness of war, but the light of peace, which is in the interest of world humanity. India has also shown a humanitarian approach along with its efforts for ceasefire. India has continuously sent relief materials and medicines to help the suffering people. Praising India’s initiative in the UN General Assembly, Ruchira Kamboj said that the message from the Indian leadership has been clear and consistent. We strongly oppose terrorism in all its forms. While the war between Israel and Hamas has been going on for the past several days, Kamboj praised India’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. Along with this, it has also appreciated the efforts of the international community which are aimed at reducing tension and providing immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine. Kamboj underlined India’s commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, including delivery of 70 tonnes of disaster relief material. These include 17 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in two installments.

The conditions of war are becoming increasingly dire, in this conflict on one side is the Israeli army and on the other side is the terrorist organization Hamas, who are in favor of reviving Palestine. Israel has announced to destroy Hamas, whereas Hamas had vowed decades ago to wipe out Israel from the world map. The countries of the world have also divided into different groups regarding this conflict, contradictory thoughts are coming to the fore. Everyone knows very well that humanity has to suffer the consequences of the destruction caused by such wars for centuries. Apart from physical loss and destruction, war is also a major reason for humanity becoming handicapped and disabled. Due to this, the environment becomes so polluted that it becomes difficult for humans to get pure breath and food for years. Scientists have declared many times that there are fewer direct participants in war and all the living beings in the world who become victims of its ill effects.

No matter how long the war lasts, its end is possible only through agreement; this last refuge should become the initial refuge. For this, the superpowers of the world should make efforts with a true and pure heart. America, which has appealed for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, is providing arms and ammunition to Israel. At the same time, ammunition is being fired at the unarmed people of Gaza Strip. Some experts say that Iran may have a hand in the sudden attack on Israel. Iran’s leaders are emphasizing the need to keep the war aggressive and destroy Israel by encouraging and supporting Hamas’ attacks. Looking at the circumstances, it seems that Iran is behind the recent war and it seems to be succeeding in its plan. Certainly thousands of people on both sides will suffer, but when the smoke clears, only one country’s interests will be served and that country is Iran. Under these circumstances, how can any initiative to end the war prove meaningful?

Like Israel-Hamas, the Russia-Ukraine war has also been going on for more than 600 days. More than ten thousand deaths have occurred in this war. In this war, on one side is Russia and on the other side is Ukraine, behind which America stands. Undoubtedly, the kind of barbarity, cruelty and inhumanity that Hamas inflicted on Israel cannot be condemned enough. The question is that the way innocent people are being killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, is it not the same barbarity and inhumanity as Hamas, under the guise of retaliatory action? Bombing of refugee camps, schools and hospitals cannot be considered justified in any way. This is also barbarism, which cannot be supported. If Hamas is guilty of attacking Israel, it can be taught a lesson. But, how can anyone support targeting unarmed people in the name of retaliation? Such situations are also against war policy. The plant of peace cannot be grown on the land of violence, hysteria and terror. India will have to make more efforts to give the message of peace to the troubled world. Because the entire world is horrified by the dire consequences of war, that is why calls for a ceasefire between Israel, Hamas, Russia and Ukraine are being raised from all sides. There were very small reasons, narrow-mindedness and ideological differences behind the terrible steps of both these wars. Till date there has never been any good war or bad peace in the world, when peace is good and war is bad then this understanding should become widespread.

-Lalit Garg

(The author is a senior journalist and columnist)