Operation Al-Aqsa Flood: A Desperate Response to Israel’s Ongoing Ethnic Cleansing

Amara Malik

In a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas fired thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip infiltrated several Israeli communities and border towns, and announced the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation in response to Israel’s ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people and aggression against them, particularly in Jerusalem, where Israeli forces had forcibly stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and violently evicted Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah.

The attack has been denounced as a terrorist strike and threatened to retaliate with full force by Israel and its Western allies. As it started bombing Gaza, the Israeli military also sent its ground forces to beat off the Palestinian rebels, killing and injuring hundreds of people. The operation was depicted in the Israeli media as an unwarranted attack on Israel’s security and sovereignty, and the Israeli soldiers and settlers who resisted were commended for their bravery.

But what is the actual background and purpose of this operation? Furthermore, what does it say about the nature and objectives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Beyond the propaganda and falsehoods of the Israeli state and its defenders, we must study the political and historical facts that have defined this struggle for more than a century to answer these issues. We must understand that this battle is a colonial fight between an oppressor and an oppressed, a settler state and an indigenous population, a nuclear power and a besieged enclave, rather than a symmetrical confrontation between two equal sides. 

The Zionist aim to establish and grow a Jewish state in Palestine at the cost of the indigenous Palestinians who have lived there for millennia is the main cause of this war. The British Empire helped start this initiative in the late 19th century, and it has since entailed a systematic program of ethnic cleansing, land theft, apartheid, occupation, and annexation. It has been made possible and maintained by America’s unwavering support, which has given Israel military, financial, diplomatic, and ideological assistance.

Beginning with nonviolent protests to military resistance, the Palestinians have fought this goal in numerous ways. In addition, they have sought a political resolution based on human rights and international law, calling for the cessation of the occupation, the acceptance of their right to self-determination, and the execution of their right of return. Israel, however, has rebuffed any significant accommodation or concession that may jeopardize its hegemony and growth. To put an end to any sort of Palestinian resistance or aspiration, it has utilized violence and repression. Additionally, it has twisted and sabotaged any attempt at a reasonable and long-lasting peace agreement or discussion.

A clear illustration of Israel’s harshness and implacability is the situation in Gaza. About two million Palestinians live in Gaza, a narrow coastal strip, most of them refugees who were driven from their homes by Israel in 1948. Israel has established a strangling siege on Gaza since 2007, preventing it from obtaining food, water, power, medical care, and other needs. It has also waged several brutal wars on Gaza, which have killed thousands of Palestinians and destroyed the country’s infrastructure. Gaza has become a humanitarian catastrophe and an open-air prison as a result.

The Hamas operation is not alone or irrational act of violence. It is a desperate reaction to Israel’s protracted siege and ethnic genocide. It is an effort to break the international community’s apathy and indifference and bring attention to the predicament of the Palestinians. Additionally, it sends Israel a message that its crimes will not go unpunished and that it cannot obtain its security via coercion or violence.

However, there are expenses and hazards associated with Hamas’ operations. More Israeli strikes and casualties are exposed to Gaza as a result. It also helps those who wish to depict the conflict as a theological battle between Islam and Judaism or as a collision between East and West civilizations. It could turn off some prospective partners or supporters who favor nonviolent forms of protest or who condemn violence.

Nevertheless, without comprehending the background and goals of Hamas, we cannot assess or condemn it. We shouldn’t fall for the moral hypocrisy or false equivalency of those who compare the brutality of the oppressor and the oppressed. The genuine grievances and rights of the Palestinian people should not be disregarded or denied. The wrongdoings and obligations of Israel should not be forgotten or forgiven.

Therefore, ending Israel’s colonial project and occupation, upholding Palestinian rights, and establishing a just peace based on equality and coexistence are the only ways to put an end to this war. This necessitates a fundamental shift in the attitudes and behaviors of Israel and its primary backer, the United States. A global movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people’s fight for justice and freedom is also necessary.

The writer is a student of International Relations.