Interview with the Delegates of Israel and Palestine

For centuries, Israel and Palestine stand at an impasse regarding the borders between each state. Currently, Israel governs the majority of the land, with Palestinians residing in the Gaza strip and the West Bank. Gaza is controlled by Hamas, an Islamist militant group labelled a terrorist organization by the UK and many other countries (BBC news). On October 7^th 2023, Hamas militants conducted a surprise attack on central Israel, with video footage surfacing of Hamas militants taking various Israeli citizens hostage and carrying them across the border of Gaza. The Israeli response has caused an estimated number of more than 10,000 deaths in Gaza (Abc News). The delegations of Israel and the State of Palestine were both interviewed to get their stances on the current situation. 

Upon asking the question “Within the next year, what does your country deem the best-case scenario to the current Israel-Palestine situation?” the delegates expressed varying answers: The delegate of Israel was hopeful that both sides could come together to create a two-state solution, acknowledging that it would require Palestine´s acceptance of Israel´s existence. On the other, the delegate of Palestine wished nothing more than for Israel to stop committing war crimes and other “atrocities” towards its state. While the delegation of Israel envisions both sides of the conflict coming together and working towards a political solution, the state of Palestine is far too disappointed with Israel´s actions, demanding them to stop attacking its country.

The next question was one of a longer-term: “what does your country believe to be the best-case scenario in the next 10 years?”. The delegate of Israel claimed that its country has always been prepared to co-operate at reaching a solution, establishing peace, but it has always been the Palestinian states that have made that process difficult, refusing to consider the option of a two-state solution. Similarly, the state of Palestine hopes for a cease-fire, within the next ten years, feeling that its state is currently disregarded as an independent state. Although both delegates disagree on the future state of the Israel-Palestine situation in the short-term, both delegations see that in the long-term, Israel and Palestine could possibly come together in a cease-fire, working towards a solution where both nations are satisfied. 

The United Nations, as a whole, has recognized the importance of discussing the ongoing crisis between Israel and Palestine. Issuing a meeting on October 30^th 2023, delegates highlighted the fact that women and children´s lives are at stake on both sides, stressing the need for their protection during the conflict. Lisa Doughten, senior UN humanitarian official from OCHA argues that a need for a humanitarian pause is crucial for the relied of those caught in the crossfire. The United Nations is continuously working on the crisis, working towards the protection of innocent people that are losing their lives at the hands of the Israel and Palestine situation.

Works Cited

Hutchinson, Bill. "Israel-Hamas War: Timeline and key developments in month of war." Abc News, 10 Nov. 2023, abcnews.go.com/International/timeline-surprise-rocket-attack-hamas-israel/story?id=103816006. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.

"Israel Gaza war: History of the conflict explained." BBC News, 3 Nov. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44124396. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.

"UN Security Council meets on Israel-Palestine crisis; nowhere safe in Gaza." United Nations, 30 Oct. 2023, news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1143002. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.