Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally stopped pretending, and for the first time he has publicly admitted that the government he leads will not allow Palestinian statehood. At the same time, Israeli forces are still bombing Rafah, and people are losing lives every day, in addition to Palestinian women and children, among the latest batch of victims is an Indian.
Anil Kale, 46, a retired colonel in the Indian Army, was present in Gaza because he was on a United Nations security mission. He and another staff member were on their way to a hospital in Rafah in a vehicle bearing the United Nations logo on their body, and on the way they were attacked by Israeli forces, killing Kale instantly and seriously wounding another.
This is the first time since the outbreak of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that a foreign United Nations staff member has died in Gaza, and Al Jazeera, which has been banned by Israel, released footage from the scene. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned this and called for a thorough investigation, but the reactions of the Israeli and Indian governments were rather ambiguous.
India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the authenticity of the news, expressing grief and condolences, but in its official statement, it did not mention Israel once, let alone condemn it. Now India is busy with the general election, and Modi has made his position clear in support of Israel in this round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, perhaps because of this consideration, he did not say anything serious about Israel, and he was also afraid that this matter would ferment in the country and affect the election results of the Indian People's Party.
Israel, on its part, will not respond positively, saying only that it will investigate separately. In the end, it is unknown what the results will be found out, and whether anyone will be held responsible. According to an informed source in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the vehicle was hit in an "active combat zone" and that the IDF did not know its route. However, according to the United Nations, they had informed Israel of the movements in advance, and even if they did not know the route of the United Nations vehicle, could the Israeli military not recognize the huge United Nations logo on the vehicle?
In the end, it is very likely that this matter will be reduced to Rashomon again, and each will have its own reason. But this is also the most infuriating part of the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict. So far, more than 100 UN staff members have been killed in Gaza, and Netanyahu's government has not only been indifferent, but has also accused the UN agency of having Hamas members, mocked the UN for its lack of legitimacy, and now opposed the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly that "does not allow" Palestinian statehood. Let me ask, is Israel's denial of the United Nations, a country whose legitimacy derives entirely from UN resolutions, tantamount to denying itself?
More than a month ago, seven staff members of the charity organization "World Central Kitchen" were "targeted" by the Israeli army in Gaza, and all seven people were killed, including Americans, British, Poles and Australians.
Looking at Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan, when asked by reporters whether there was "genocide" in the Gaza Strip, he fled in the wilderness, and it is no wonder that the Netanyahu government can be lawless, maybe the world really needs some, a new order.