by Sudhanshu Tripathi 30 November 2023
Although a four-day ceasefire – extended again by two days – between Israel and Hamas came into force on 24th of November 2023, yet an obvious question has already cropped up in most of the saner minds today that whether or not the might of state is relevant today? Because the advanced and lethal weapons with devastative power to cause unimaginable destruction that Hamas, Hejbollah, Houti terrorists groups and innumerable fringe groups do possess with them as clearly visible to the world, the clear demarcation between the might of a state and that of a terrorist group is today almost blurred. For all practical purposes indeed, the might of the state is identified by its coercive machinery viz. army, police and para-military forces and their controlling authorities like courts and magistracies.
Given the ongoing massive retaliations by Hamas, Hejbollah, Houti fighters and few more fighters groups like Radwan army, Nukhba forces, Al-aqsa brigade and many more, using almost all kinds of destructive weapons like rockets, missiles, mortars, explosives, drones, air-borne interceptors etc. by hundreds of thousands of professional fighters and possibly more yet to see, what then is the difference between the state coercive apparatus and that of the same in possession of the terrorist groups in West Asia and may be elsewhere too in the world.
Unfortunately with the passage of each day since 07 Oct 2023, new ever-worrisome developments are unfolding to terrorize not only the West Asian region but almost the entire global humanity with global catastrophe looking imminent. Earlier in the month, the successful firing to destroy the American MQ-9 predator drone by Houti revolutionaries of Yemen has obviously led to a new devastative turn wherein the US may retaliate with ever-violent magnitude and that would inevitably add unimaginable tensions between them. And Houti was said to have captured an Israeli naval ship with around 25 crew members onboard. The cumulative effect will obviously be mounting of tensions in the world, which continues to be quite visible today.
And given the magnitude of Hamas, Hijbollah and Houti terror attacks and counter-attacks on Israel, one thing is clear there is a big conspiracy possibly hatched by Iran with the abovementioned terror networks and terror supporting Muslim states in addition to Lebanon and Syria to wipe out Israel from the world map though Israeli IDF continues to step up its offensives over Hamas in Gaza as well as West Bank. Further, another vicious angle in this conspiracy may possibly be an emerging quadrilateral alliance involving Russia, China, Iran and North Korea with a solemn mission to destroy the US and its global hegemony as Washington is consistently supporting Ukraine to severely embarrass Russia apart from standing fully consolidated behind Israel and both Iran and North Korea nurturing severe anti-American feelings due to various reasons in addition to entangling Israel and the US to ultimately crumble down. And for this end there has been forged a consolidated alliance under behest of Iran with the help of Hamas, Hejbollah, Al-aqsa brigade, Houti fighters and many other fringe terror groups the region including the terror groups Syria and the Abu Ali Mustafa brigade, an armed wing of PLFP. This alliance will inevitably be joined by most of the Muslim states of the region if the ongoing war spreads beyond West Asia to result into an all-out regional war or ultimately assumes a global dimension as the Third World War.
Although most of the Muslim states like Jordan, Egypt, Syria or few others near around Gaza have so far maintained an ostensible distance from the Hamas, yet they will soon jump into the fray in all probability as the ferocity and magnitude of the Israeli offensives on Hamas have already wrecked-havoc in the Gaza and the West Bank and has totally devastated the densely populated city into an area of approx. 40×10 km. with hundreds of high-rising buildings into utter ruins and shambles with innumerable human casualties including around four thousand innocent children.
The Israeli attack has now turned into its worst form in Gaza and the West Bank where horrifying direct fights between the two belligerents are continuing in full intensity and that has already destroyed Khan Yunous in Gaza and Jenin in the West Bank. While Israel is hell-bent to totally stamp out Hamas in its entirety, the Hamas looks adamant on the issue of hostages under its captivity despite being under immense threat to its imminent wiping out at the hands of IDF though the ongoing battle continues to witness orgy of blood violently affecting the normal human life. And those are steadfastly mounting to turn visibly unbearable torment and agony of those hapless lots running to and fro to save themselves and their near and dear ones of crying before the dead bodies of their close one’s.
Also Hamas, Abu Ali Mustafa brigade Al-aqsa and Al-quddus brigade, Al-Imam fighters and Hezbollah are not far behind in retaliating against Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) with their full might from diverse corners as far from North Gaza to inside of Jordan or from North Lebanon and have seriously assaulted the IDF and also Israel cities with not so insignificant casualties. Indeed, Hejbollah is said to possess more terrorists/fighters and weapons and that is quite visible as it has been launching fierce missile attacks on IDF and inside Israel.
Thus despite continue-launching hundreds of massive attacks by Israel on Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank having exploded tonnes of explosives since the past whole month, the IDF is far away a from decisive victory over Hamas, while repeatedly vowing to eliminate the entire Hamas terror network from Gaza and the West Bank. Unfortunately, Iran is clearly colluding covertly with almost all aforesaid terror groups and all regional states with a view to bring them under one banner against Israel in the name of Muslim unity against Jews lest Israel may not succeed in regaining complete control over Gaza. Besides these, Iran is certainly encircling Israel from all corners so that the conflict may prolong to turn Tel Aviv totally exhausted and shattered to finally crumble to its knee.
Evidently, the terror attack by Hamas on Israel and Israeli counter-attack on Hamas have indeed created an unprecedented situation not only in and around Gaza but in the entire West Asian region by polarizing the aforesaid two power blocs. Further, the crisis looks tending towards an out confrontation between Israel and the combined strength of almost entire Muslim states in the region given the general anti-American feelings among them since the long past and recently the US’ proven role in killing Iran’s top military officer Qasem Soleimani in a drone attack on 3rd Jan 2020.
Also the Crusade angle is very much involved in the ongoing confrontation pertaining to capturing of Bethlehem in the West Bank which is the common place of the origin of three different religions viz. Christianity, Judaism and Islam arouses the feeling of martyrdom among the three communities. The memory of earlier crusades still haunts among peace-loving people in the world lest this crisis may witness the same course given the extensive preparedness of Hamas in possession of state-of-the art modern gadgets and lethal armaments and so-acquired capacity to dodge the world’s best secret agency Mossad and their counter-terror arrangements, made so far.
And that may most probably spread in all over the world to assume a global catastrophic dimension, most probably as a Third World War, with higher possibility of nuclear weapons being used, given the vested interests of the most of the global and major powers like the US led NATO powers and other western powers versus Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Turkey and most of the Muslim states in the region including dreaded terrorist networks like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Huti revolutionaries in Yemen, Islamic State and many more in the region, apart from Jaish-e-Mohammad and Tehreek-e-Insaf and many other such terror outfits from Pakistan having close connections and similar objectives and goals with the former ones.
In this highly volatile scenario, nobody knows what the next moment may take place because Israel is attacking with ever-fierce momentum to wipe out Hamas hiding and attacking from their tunnels, the cumulative devastation is being publically protested in America, England and many other European countries including Israel who want immediate cease-fire. On the other end, there looks a secret alliance between Iran and Turkey along with aforesaid terrorist groups and their proxy governments in Iran, Lebanon, Yemen Syria and few others to encircle Tel Aviv to ultimately wipe it out from the map of the world. Although the US president has criticized the ongoing Israeli attack in Jenin including Gaza killing hundreds of innocent civilians yet that looks a kind of calculated tactics to divert the global attention over continuing massacre at the hands of IDF and Hamas including Hejbollah and Huti fighters including many other fringe terror groups.
With reinforcements by all major players viz. Israel, US, Iran, Russia and China in the Mediterranean sea covering the region by their naval and air force accompanied by the stationing of armed forces, carrying nuclear warships, bombers like B-2 and nuclear missiles and many more lethal warheads and rising fierce attacks by the above-mentioned terrors groups on Israel including the US, the ongoing ferocious battle may soon turn into the US-Iran conflict as both states are proven enemies of the each other and that will inevitably witness the Third World War involving nuclear weapons to put the global humanity at precipice.
This is particularly so because the more than a year-long Russia-Ukraine war has tremendously shattered the power image of a mighty global power like Russia which remains stuck due to continuing American states arms supply to Kyiv and Tel Aviv and that has obviously angered the Russian president Putin against president Biden. The most unfortunate part of almost all major powers is the profit factor incurring due to sales of arms and weapons wherein they are drowned to ignore the voice of conscience. Though the four day cease-fire has already begun in the morning of 24th November to restore peace in Gaza and that witnessed normal and routine human affairs on track therein but its future remains in dark as Israel continues to vow to eliminate the Hamas. And that may witness large scale devastations to destroy the spirit of the cease-fire. Further, both are perhaps seeking time to consolidate their respected preparedness to relaunch their offensives against each other.
Thus the terror-action profile of Hamas and the other terror groups has considerably destroyed the sovereign might of the state like Israel and that appears to have shattered the very coercive power of the otherwise sovereign state apparatus in other parts of the world as well. This is a big question to ponder by all saner minds today in the larger interest of the global peace and security and well-being the mankind on earth. This may happen as nothing is beyond human endeavour.