Photo credit: Alex Kay Potter/Saferworld
Israel and Palestine
Israel’s war against Gaza – which is now widely held to be a genocide – has developed from conditions of structural violence that have existed in historic Palestine for more than 100 years, shaped by 20th century histories and ideologies of colonialism, nationalism, war and racial supremacy in Europe and the Middle East. Today, Palestinians are subject to an apartheid state and are under military occupation. Gaza has been rendered into rubble, with its people facing an uncertain future while enduring an unrelenting and brutal military campaign by the Israeli Defence Forces, following Hamas’s indiscriminate killings in Israel on 7 October 2023.
The political conditions that have shaped the current structures of violence in Israel and Palestine are deeply complex to undo, but the first step towards a more peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis rests on an end to the current Israeli siege of Gaza. Saferworld believes the injustices of occupation and apartheid at the heart of this conflict, which have been for so long unrecognised by many in the international community, must be addressed. A change in policy by Israel’s allies in Europe and the US is essential. Accountability for all perpetrators of atrocities – by Hamas and by Israeli forces – is critical.