Al Manara Square in Ramallah is the commercial and celebration center of the Palestinian capital. It is also historically the place where anti-Israel protests take place. If the fountain in Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square is decorated with photos of Hamas hostages, this other monument, also circular and of similar size, is wallpapered with images of the Israeli massacre in Gaza. Bodies in bags, injured children, destroyed buildings and various slogans in English: “Gaza cannot breathe”, “Stop the massacre in Gaza”, “Stop the displacement of Palestinians”. And a curious poster in Spanish, with the Chilean flag included, addressed to the president of that country: “Boric, end the agreements with Israel.”
Now rebuilt with four lions and the central column, the monument had been dismantled in 1982 by the military commander of the city, occupied by Israel in 1967 during the Six-Day War. That war, where Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Iraq were defeated by Israel, is one of the wars in which Arab countries fought for the Palestinian cause. But that is history, Arab countries have not been willing to defend the Palestinians militarily for some time now.
The latest example is the war in Gaza, where Arab leaders are limiting themselves to criticizing the killing of Palestinians, but they are not even doing so with the harshness of other countries such as Spain, or Bolivia, which has broken diplomatic relations with Israel. Of the Arab countries that have relations with Israel, the greatest gesture has been made by Jordan, calling its ambassador for consultations.
The summit held yesterday in Doha of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council was another opportunity to gesture a little against the Israeli bombings on Gaza, which have already caused more than 16,000 deaths. The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, called for an investigation into Israel's war crimes for the "systematic and intentional killing of defenseless civilians, including women and children." He stated that “entire families were eliminated from the civil registry,” but at the same time assured that Qatar continues to act as a mediator between Israel and Hamas to achieve another ceasefire, confirming that the negotiation continues.
However, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, said yesterday at a press conference that “there will be no negotiations or exchange of captives until the aggression stops.”
Invited to the Doha summit, the president of Turkey (a Muslim but non-Arab country), Recep Tayyip Erdogan, did not miss the opportunity to continue questioning Israel with high-caliber dialectical ammunition. “Killing children and women and murdering 17,000 innocent Palestinians is a war crime and against humanity,” he said. “Israel will be held accountable for those actions,” Erdogan added.
However, the political statements in defense of the Palestinians made by all those attending the summit did not stop the bombings and the deaths of children. Every day, the death toll increases by hundreds. Yesterday, at least 25 Gazans lost their lives despite being sheltered in a school in Khan Yunis, a city in the south of the strip where the fighting and bombs dropped by drones and from the sea are concentrated.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Beniamin Netanyahu finally met yesterday with a group of relatives of the hostages – 138, after a new update – where some of those released also participated. According to various sources, the meeting was very tense. “Hamas has demands that not even you would accept,” Netanyahu even said, according to the Kan radio station.
On the other hand, the US announced yesterday that it will prohibit settlers from entering the country who have participated in murders and other violent acts against Palestinians in the West Bank, where tension increases every day, with military incursions throughout the occupied territory that conclude daily. with some dead, injured and many Palestinians detained.
