Bahrain Arab League Summit: A Brief of Outcomes

The primary focus of the Manama summit is the enduring Palestinian cause, a perennial concern topping the agendas of all Arab summits. Additionally, the summit will address numerous issues stemming from the failures of Arab states, exacerbated by civil wars and unrest in Sudan and Yemen, with Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Libya facing similar challenges.

An Arab League summit was held in Bahrain on May 16, 2024. All 22 Arab leaders attended the meeting. Given the situation in Gaza, the summit was dominated by the Israel-Hamas war. It was the first time the bloc had come together since an extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia, in November involving leaders from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

At that meeting, leaders condemned Israeli forces’ “barbaric” actions in Gaza. Still, they declined to approve punitive economic and political steps against the country, despite growing anger in the region and widespread support for the Palestinian cause.[1]

On May 16, 2024, The Arab League issued a “Manama Declaration” which called for the following:  [2]

An immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to forced displacement in the Palestinian territory.

An international peace conference at a summit dominated by the war between Israel and Hamas.

International protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories until a two-state solution is implemented.

Consideration of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Urging all Palestinian factions to join under the umbrella of the PLO.

It also adopted calls by host Bahrain’s King Hamad and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to “convene an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, to resolve the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution”.[3]

Abbas, head of the PLO’s ruling Fatah movement, told the summit his rival Hamas gave Israel “pretexts and justifications” to wage war on Gaza with its October 7 attack. Hamas voiced its “regret over the remarks” asserting the attack had “placed our Palestinian cause at the forefront of priorities, achieving strategic gains”.[4]

It also welcomed the league’s final statement and urged “brotherly Arab states to take the necessary measures to compel the (Israeli) occupation to stop its aggression”.[5]

Speaking at the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the Gaza war as “an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region”, calling for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”.

Guterres said, “The only permanent way to end the cycle of violence and instability is through a two-state solution”.[6]

In response to the calls for peacekeepers, a UN spokesman said any mission creation would depend on “a mandate from the Security Council” and “acceptance by the parties of the UN presence”.

This, the secretary-general’s deputy spokesman said, “is something that would need to be established and those are not things we take for granted”.[7]

Mohammad Alrumaihi in his excellent article “Historic Arab Summit in Bahrain tackles old and new challenges” published in Gulf News, on May 16, 2024, argues that:[8]

The primary focus of the Manama summit is the enduring Palestinian cause, a perennial concern topping the agendas of all Arab summits. Additionally, the summit will address numerous issues stemming from the failures of Arab states, exacerbated by civil wars and unrest in Sudan and Yemen, with Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Libya facing similar challenges. Therefore, the summit scheduled for today in Manama faces significant challenges. The civilian casualties in Gaza have reached a level surpassing even genocide, with Palestinian groups in Gaza fleeing from one unsafe location to another, mercilessly pursued by Israeli bombing. The Arab summit faces a lot of challenges, among which the reconciliation between the Palestinians themselves stands as one of the most enduring. Against the backdrop of the harrowing suffering and massive death toll endured by the people of Gaza, the persecution of thousands of prisoners, including women and children in Israel’s prisons, and the daily hardships faced by the inhabitants of the West Bank is in sharp focus. Any rational observer of the numerous Arab summits, each grappling with myriad challenges and resolving many, but consistently faltering on one — the Palestinian issue — must inevitably question the effectiveness of the strategies employed. The core of the Palestinian issue is not solely rooted in external factors but is significantly hindered by internal divisions, which serve as the primary obstacle to resolution. The Arab nations must unite and address these challenges in a cohesive and unified manner.

Samar Al-Gamal, in his article “Arab Summit draft statement calls for UN peacekeepers in occupied Palestinian territories pending two-state solution,” published in Ahram Online, on May 16, 2024, states that:[9]

According to the statement, the Manama Summit emphasizes the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) responsibility to take clear actions to implement the two-state solution. It also calls to “set a timeline” for the political process and negotiations and to take clear steps to implement this solution. Such a step will be followed by a resolution from the UNSC under Chapter VII, which will then establish a viable and contiguous Palestinian state on the pre-June 4, 1967, borders with its capital in East Jerusalem, and end any occupation of its land. The Arab leaders are also expected to call for “urgent measures to halt the immediate and permanent ceasefire, end aggression in the Gaza Strip, provide protection for civilians, and release captives and detainees. “The text of the final draft statement further calls for the “withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Gaza Strip,” the lifting of the blockade imposed on it, and the reopening of all crossings to allow for the entry of humanitarian aid. The Arab leaders also hold Israel responsible for the destruction of cities and civilian infrastructure in the strip, according to the statement. Moreover, they stress in their statement their “categorical rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.” In another part of the final statement, the Arab leaders reiterate a “full and strong rejection of any support for armed groups or militias operating outside the sovereignty of states and pursuing or executing external agendas conflicting with the higher interests of Arab states.” In the statement, they also emphasize the solidarity of all Arab states in defending their sovereignty, and territorial integrity and protecting their national institutions against any external attempts of aggression, imposition of influence, undermining sovereignty, or compromising Arab interests. Additionally, they unequivocally reject terrorism “motives and justifications” and emphasize the need to “cut off its sources of funding,” while supporting international endeavors to combat terrorist organizations, halt their funding, and address the detrimental impact of terrorism on the region, highlighting its threat to international peace and security.

Meanwhile, some Arab leaders have vehemently criticized Israel for its disastrous war in Gaza. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are now in agreement with the condemnation of Israel for its conduct in the Gaza war. Very recently, Israel had ordered 100,000 people to evacuate to supposed “safe areas” of the Palestinian enclave. On May 14, 2024, Israeli tanks took over the Rafah border crossing, the only one that Israel did not fully control. “An assault on Rafah would be a strategic mistake, a political calamity & a humanitarian nightmare,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.[10]

U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated his “clear position” on the offensive in Rafah in a call with Netanyahu. Washington does not oppose the invasion itself, but on the condition that Israel present a “credible” plan to protect civilians. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, urged the EU to act to stop the invasion, which he has called “unacceptable,” while U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric read a statement in which he reiterated what had been previously announced by the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA): the organization will not participate in any massive and “involuntary” displacement of the population. Saudi Arabia also condemned the invasion in a harsh statement that called the Israeli offensive “genocide” for the first time since the start of the war. Earlier, Israel had hoped to form diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia before the war.[11]

 Very recently, the UAE strongly condemned the Israeli forces’ storming and control of the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, warning of the consequences of the military escalation that threatens to cause more innocent victims and exacerbate the humanitarian tragedy taking place in Gaza.

The UAE has voiced “strong condemnation of any forced deportation of the brotherly Palestinian people, and any practices that violate the resolutions of international legitimacy and international and humanitarian law.” It also called on the international community to” make all efforts without delay to reach an immediate ceasefire to avoid inflaming the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and to prevent the region from being dragged into new levels of violence, tension, and instability.”[12]

The UAE praised the mediation efforts undertaken by Qatar and Egypt to establish a ceasefire, “expressing its hope that it would result in a truce that would lead to an end to the war, sparing the brotherly Palestinian people further suffering, and thus contributing to consolidating the foundations of stability and achieving sustainable security in the region.” The UAE  reiterated its position “calling for a return to negotiations to achieve a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, stressing the urgent importance of pushing towards creating a serious political horizon for re-negotiating to achieve comprehensive peace, ending tension, and violence, protecting the lives of civilians, and making all efforts to facilitate the flow of urgent humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip through safe and unhindered corridors”.[13]

Very recently, UAE hit out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli leader said the Gulf state could be involved in aiding a future government in Gaza after the war.

The prominent and influential Gulf state is one of few Arab states with official diplomatic ties to Israel, which it has maintained through Israel’s more than six-month war in Gaza, although relations appear to have become frayed.[14]

Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan rebuked Netanyahu saying Abu Dhabi denounced the Israeli leader’s comments.

“The UAE stresses that the Israeli prime minister does not have any legal capacity to take this step, and the UAE refuses to be drawn into any plan aimed at providing cover for the Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip,” he said in an Arabic post.

Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE would be prepared to support a Palestinian government that met the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people, which he said included independence. In an interview, Netanyahu said the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other countries could assist a civilian government with Gazans in the enclave after the war. Abu Dhabi’s relationship with Netanyahu has fractured over the military campaign, with Emirati officials now rarely speaking with him.[15]

Strong action is needed now to realize the Manama declaration. Meanwhile, war is raging in the Gaza enclave without a ceasefire in sight.

Meanwhile, the Gaza war continues unabated bringing immense misery and destruction to the enclave. on May 17, 2024, Israeli strikes on Gaza killed at least 10 people and wounded others. The Jabalya district of northern Gaza has seen intense combat operations in recent days. A hospital in northern Gaza received several bodies and many injured people after Israeli strikes on May 16, 2024. On May 16, 2024, the Israeli military invaded Jabalya and cut off the northeastern settlement of Beit Hanoun. In a separate attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, at least four people were killed when Israeli warplanes struck a school, sheltering displaced people.[16]

The death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks since October 7 has risen to 35,303 people. Another 79,261 have also been wounded in those attacks with several other victims trapped under the rubble and on the roads as ambulance crews and rescue workers cannot reach them. In the last 24 hours, 60 people were killed and 80 wounded by Israeli attacks. Gaza faces a humanitarian crisis, with the head of the UN’s World Food Program determining a “full-blown famine” is already underway in the north.

About 80% of Gaza’s population has been driven from homes. Much of Gaza is damaged or destroyed, including nearly 90% of school buildings, according to aid group estimates. Earlier. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. [17]

About 450,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah, fleeing to safety, according to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. “Inland in Rafah is now a ghost town. It’s hard to believe over one million people were sheltering here just a week ago,” UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said. “People face constant exhaustion, hunger, and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope.[18]

About 450,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah, fleeing to safety, according to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. “Inland in Rafah is now a ghost town. It’s hard to believe over one million people were sheltering here just a week ago,” UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said. “People face constant exhaustion, hunger, and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope.[19]

 The Israel-Hamas war crosses the seven-month mark, and renewed negotiations are underway to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas, as Israeli forces continue to prepare for an apparent invasion of the southern Gazan town of Rafah.

On May 15, the US assessed that Israel had amassed enough troops on the edge of Rafah to move forward with a full-scale incursion into the city, but the U.S. is not sure if Israel has made a final decision to do so. The U.S. does not have a timeline or estimate on when Israel could potentially move forward with operations.[20]

The Israeli military is also determined to take full military control of northern Gaza. On May 17, 2024, the military intensified its bombardment of Jabalia camp. The entire camp has been under Israeli fire as battles continue in the heart of the city. Videos from the military wing of Hamas show violent confrontations in the streets. People have been killed on the streets of Jabalia refugee camp.

Israeli forces have also destroyed dozens of residential buildings, pushing more residents of the camp to flee to the western part of Gaza City. We also hear from witnesses that bombardment is taking place in the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya as well. Emergency workers are struggling to reach the area to evacuate the injured.

Israeli tanks have surrounded the entrance of Beit Hanoon town, where some families from Jabalia have fled to take shelter. The military has surrounded evacuation centers there, as tanks continue to fire in the area, terrifying civilians.[21]

Meanwhile, The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that trucks carrying humanitarian aid have begun moving ashore from a new US-funded temporary pier built on Gaza’s coast. CENTCOM added that no US soldiers have gone ashore into Gaza.[22]

The US said on May 16, 2024, that “the humanitarian situation in Gaza continued to deteriorate and urged Israel to do more to allow sustained access for aid via the southern and northern part of the enclave”.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Washington continued to “remain concerned that both travel and the flow of fuel into Gaza via Rafah crossing has come to a complete halt.”[23]

Earlier, Israel sent troops and tanks back into Jabalia in northern Gaza, an area that saw heavy fighting early in the war and was described as cleared of Hamas in December. “Israel’s on the trajectory potentially to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left or, if it leaves, a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy, and probably refilled by Hamas,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said May 12, 2024.”[24]

Earlier, on May 13, 2024, Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, said Israel’s military pressure on Hamas needed to be paired with a political plan to replace the group. Netanyahu opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state as well as Palestinian Authority control of Gaza, arguing it is “too weak to survive and too antagonistic toward Israel.” Most Israelis support his positions.[25]

Netanyahu remained adamant about achieving a victory, as only he saw it, in Gaza. On May 15, 2024, he rejected the U.S. demands, arguing that it would be “just chatter” while Hamas remains intact. “There is no alternative to military victory,” Netanyahu said, “The attempt to bypass it with this or that claim is simply detached from reality.”[26]

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a member of the three-person war cabinet, criticized Netanyahu for failing to plan for the postwar status of Gaza, which he said had left Israel with a choice between an unwanted military occupation or a return to rule by Hamas.

Netanyahu should “make a decision and declare that Israel will not establish civilian control over the Gaza Strip, that Israel will not establish military governance in the Gaza Strip, and that a governing alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip will be raised immediately,” Gallant said on May 15, 2024.[27]

His comments were one of the harshest public displays of internal criticism directed at Netanyahu since the start of the war. It was echoed on May 15, 2024, by Benny Gantz, also a member of the war cabinet, who said Gallant was “speaking the truth.”[28]

On May 15, 2024, Netanyahu said: “An attempt a few months ago to set up alternative governance for the distribution of food in Gaza with locals unaffiliated with Hamas failed because the militant group threatened and attacked some of them, deterring others from joining the initiative”.[29]

Dov Lieber, Michael R. Gordon, in his excellent article “Netanyahu Rejects U.S. Calls for Postwar Plan in Gaza,” The Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2024, maintains that: [30]

For days, senior Biden administration officials have pressured Israel to plan for postwar Gaza as the long-anticipated Rafah offensive gets underway. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally delivered his response: Not so fast…. He appeared to be rejecting assertions by top U.S. officials—and by his Defence Minister—that Israel can’t win with force alone. A plan for postwar Gaza has been one of the sharpest points of friction between the U.S. and Israel as the war grinds on and roils American politics ahead of the U.S. election. In making their case, U.S. officials have pointed to continuing resistance by Hamas in areas of Gaza where Israel said it had all but eliminated the group’s presence.…. With talks on a cease-fire stalled, the Biden administration has stepped up pressure on Israel to accept a political blueprint for ending the over seven-month-old war in Gaza, concerned that Israel’s military-focused approach will fail to deliver a knockout against Hamas. Without moving ahead on a postwar plan, Israel might find itself bogged down in an open-ended insurgency, deepening its international isolation and worsening the already calamitous toll on civilians, U.S. officials warn…The intensified administration pressure came days after the White House withheld a shipment of bombs over its concerns about Israel’s military plans for Rafah and warnings by Biden that he would consider additional steps if the offensive involved a major assault on heavily populated urban areas in the city. Israel’s cabinet and the National Security Council have been discussing postwar governance of Gaza, though no final decision has yet been made. Israeli officials have been privately floating the idea of a multiyear Arab-led civil administration of Gaza, reserving the option to conduct military actions against remaining pockets of Hamas, according to Arab officials briefed on the matter. Arab governments have rejected the ideas, insisting they will never accept what amounts to de facto Israeli occupation. Plus, many believe Hamas should have a continuing role after the war, the officials said…In February, Netanyahu called for local Palestinians unaffiliated with Hamas to assume civilian control of the enclave while Israel retains security control. But he has said little publicly since then about postwar planning—a subject fraught with political complications for him. The Palestinian Authority, which governs most Palestinians in the West Bank, is the preferred replacement to Hamas in Gaza for Israel’s regional allies and the U.S. But Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners say bringing in the Palestinian Authority would topple the Israeli government.

On May 15, 2024, Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant publicly called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make the “tough” decision to declare what a non-Hamas government over the Gaza Strip would look like. He said that:[31]

I must reiterate, that I will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military rule in Gaza. Israel must not establish civilian rule in Gaza. Failure to do that would undermine the IDF’s achievements in the war. Since October, I have been raising this issue consistently in the Cabinet and have received no response. The end of the military campaign must come together with political action. The ‘day after Hamas,’ will only be achieved with Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors, establishing a governing alternative to Hamas’ rule.

Thus, Netanyahu was facing considerable opposition not only from external leaders but from internal ones also.

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked how long the U.S. would stand by while Israel continues to seal off the Rafah gate, cutting off Gaza from the world. Blinken told reporters it is an “urgent problem” that aid isn’t getting into Rafah or Kerem Shalom. He also said the humanitarian situation is at risk of backsliding. However, there’s no plan for the future, Blinken said.

Israel “cannot and says it does not want responsibility for Gaza. We cannot have Hamas controlling Gaza. We cannot have chaos and anarchy in Gaza. So there needs to be a clear, concrete plan. And we look to Israel to come forward with its ideas,” Blinken said.[32]

As expected, the Biden administration notified Congress on May 14, 2024, that it is moving forward with more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on May 13, 2024, that the US is continuing to send military assistance to Israel. The only shipment paused involves the 2,000-pound bombs, for fear they’d be used in a major invasion in Rafah.[33]

The International Court of Justice said it will hold hearings over Israel’s attacks on Rafah during the war in Gaza after South Africa sought new emergency measures as part of its ongoing case accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in its offensive on Gaza. Hearings will be held on May 16, and May 17, 2024, in the Hague.

Earlier, South Africa first brought the case before the ICJ in December alleging Israel violated its obligations in its offensive on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.[34]

South Africa’s justice minister says the country’s genocide case brought against Israel at the ICJ has helped sway public opinion and grow international support for the Palestinian cause. “You can see the collective conscience of the population in terms of protests and people raising their views. We believe this will turn the tide in favor of peace and justice in the Gaza Strip,” Ronald Lamola said.[35]

On May 16, 2024, South Africa told the ICJ  that the conflict has reached “a new and horrific stage” and Gaza has been “largely wiped off the map”, as it sought new emergency measures to halt Israel’s assault on Rafah.[36]

Israel denied it was committing genocide in Gaza after South Africa filed a request at the International Court of Justice for emergency measures to stop what it called the destruction of the Palestinian enclave.

South Africa earlier this month asked for an urgent order from the court seeking protection for Palestinians in Gaza from “further, severe and irreparable harm” of their human rights due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. South African legal representatives claimed on May 16, 2024, that “Israel’s aim of destroying Gaza from the map is being realized.”[37]

The ICJ’s panel of judges is hearing arguments from Israel at the court on Friday after hearing from South Africa on May 16, 2024. The verdict is expected in the coming days or weeks although the court hasn’t yet announced when it will deliver a ruling. Hamas is a designated terrorist organization by the US and European Union.[38]

Genocide is defined as the killing of members of a national, ethnic, racial, and religious group, causing them serious bodily harm or deliberately inflicting conditions meant to harm them. 

Earlier, in January, South Africa’s government called upon the ICJ to rule Israel’s actions in Gaza to be genocide and order Israel to withdraw its troops. In an interim order on Jan. 26, the ICJ told Israel it must act immediately to prevent the killing of innocent Palestinians but rejected South Africa’s demand for a ceasefire.[39]

The Hague tribunal in March ordered Israel to ensure measures for the unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza, increasing the capacity and number of land crossing points and maintaining them open for as long as necessary. 

The Hague-based tribunal’s judgments are binding with no right of appeal. As a signatory under the UN Charter, Israel must abide by whatever the court rules, but there is no mechanism to enforce any such order. Other countries have chosen to ignore them in the past, notably Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.[40]

A new study from a network of human rights researchers concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide under international law and called on the international community to take action as the United Nations’ top court digs into the conflict.

The University Network for Human Rights study, published jointly on May 15, 2024, by researchers at Boston University, Cornell Law School, the University of Pretoria, and Yale Law School, reviewed the reports of journalists, independent human rights monitors, and UN agencies as the researchers sought to determine whether Israel was in violation the laws stemming from the Genocide Convention of 1948.[41]

In December, the Consulate General of Israel to New England said in a statement that the accusation of genocide is “not only wholly unfounded as a matter of fact and law, but it is also morally repugnant.” The consulate said Israel has been acting lawfully in its actions against Hamas militants and is trying to minimize civilian casualties.

The study’s authors claim that “Israel has worked to eliminate the Palestinian people through violence directed at Gaza’s population, medical facilities, and aid efforts, and that Israeli officials have demonstrated through their words an intent to do so.”

“From the publicly available evidence, we have concluded that genocide is taking place,” said Boston University International Human Rights Clinic director Susan M. Akram, who contributed to the report.[42]

She said researchers “aimed to draw direct connections between what they characterized as dehumanizing rhetoric used by Israeli officials and the actions of Israel’s military in Gaza.” She noted that classifying a genocide, which is among the greatest of international crimes,” often “hinges on being able to prove intent.”

The report quotes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, the latter of whom said Israeli forces “are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly,” the Times of Israel reported.

Days later, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated there was “an entire nation out there that is responsible” for the attack, and he “dismissed arguments that Gazan civilians were unaware of the plan.” However, the report details so many statements by Israeli leaders that “show the plan to decimate the Palestinian population.”[43]

International law defines genocide as committing specific acts of violence with the intent “to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.”

“Specifically, Israel has committed genocidal acts of killing, causing serious harm to, and inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza, a protected group that forms a substantial part of the Palestinian people,” the authors wrote in the study’s executive summary. The current conflict in Gaza is the latest chapter in hostilities dating back decades.[44]

Prosecutors from the UN’s International Criminal Court at The Hague are facing increasing pressure to act. In March, a UN-appointed special researcher found there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration said that “Israel likely had violated international humanitarian law while using US-provided weapons, but wartime conditions prevented US officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes”.[45]

This latest report highlighted that the Israeli bombing has destroyed up to 70 per cent of the homes in Gaza, as well as the majority of its civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. Israel’s actions, according to the report, have also led to famine in northern Gaza and a lack of access to water and medical services throughout much of the area.[46]

The researchers “condemn all violations of international law committed by all parties, including violations committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians on or since October 7, 2023.” However, researchers wrote, “violations of international law by any party do not justify the commission of other violations of international law, including and especially the paramount crime of genocide.”[47]

Elyse Semerdjian, a professor at Clark University’s Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies who was not involved with the report, said the study “helps push back against the narrative that “everything starts on Oct. 7, and instead highlights historical patterns of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians”.[48]

She said that “the study’s findings are likely to make it into the International Court of Justice’s case against Israel, but she added that arguments over whether Israel’s campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide are not likely to come to any conclusion soon.”[49]

The report concluded with a statement that “these violations give rise to obligations by all other States: to refrain from recognizing Israel’s breaches as legal or taking any actions that may amount to complicity in these breaches; and to take positive steps to suppress, prevent, and punish the commission by Israel of further genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”[50]

Akram said proof of genocide obligates other countries, including the US, “to stop providing Israel with weapons and technology and to not defend the nation’s actions as lawful self-defense.” [51]

Meanwhile, public opinion has shifted across the world. Today, Western public opinion has become “more inclined to support the Palestinians and lift the injustice inflicted on them”.[52]

Meanwhile, Israel has failed to achieve its war objectives including destroying Hamgas, and is now mired in fighting that has dragged on for more than seven months, he said.

What Next?

 Israel’s Netanyahu doesn’t have any plan for a ‘day after’ the war on Gaza. Nor is the Biden administration any better. It is stuck on an old and decadent paradigm of American supremacy, exceptionalism, and global influence. Most importantly, the Biden administration is simply bending to the exigencies of local politics being scared of the disruptive politics of the rival Republican party in an election year. There is now a serious rift within the Israeli cabinet as the defense minister is openly criticizing Netanyahu over the absence of an exit plan for the Gaza war. Meanwhile, as Israel crushes Gaza, there are now many questions about when it will stop and what it will do next.[53] The US and Israel have serious differences about the issue. For the first time, the Biden administration is questioning Israeli leadership on the conduct of the Gaza war.

Meanwhile, the Bahrain summit happened, and some strong declarations were issues. Given the strong sway of public opinion in support of Palestine in the Arab world, this was expected. However, it remains to be seen whether the Arab leadership can meet these extraordinary challenges, and the world is watching how the Arab leaders act to meet them, or otherwise.

The Manama summit is expected to live up to public expectations and produce tangible results. The ideas about a UN conference to be followed by a new UN peacekeeping force were really good ones. Therefore, the Arab leadership must have followed up on the Bahrain Summit at the level of experts to formulate an action plan first to end the Gaza war, and then establish an interim setup to rule the enclave, as per the aspirations of the Palestinian populace. Nothing else will be sufficient to meet the rising expectations of the world public. It is global public opinion that has galvanized in an unprecedented manner against the atrocities and callousness of Israel in Gaza. For the first time in history, student demonstrations have simultaneously shaken up the ruling elites of so many countries to do something for the Palestinians in their hour of intense suffering and need. It is hoped that the Bahrain summit will be the catalyst for robust united Arab action leading to an effective outcome leading to an eventual two-state solution. It is earnestly hoped that this time around there will be serious action by the Arab leadership. Given the history of the Arab League, this is expecting too much from the organization. Unlike previous Arab League summits that just made pious and meaningless declarations on the Palestinian issue, this is the time a doable action plan to establish a two-state solution in Israel will be duly realized. Only an independent and sovereign Palestine can bring the volatile region to peace and security. Nothing else can work. Much depends on the next steps taken to achieve tangible outcomes of the Bahrain Summit declaration. The impetus of the whole new movement rests on just four countries, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Qatar. The leadership of the new effort rests on the shoulders of two Arab leaders: primarily, Saudi Arabia’s MBS and secondary UAE’s MBZ alone. Whether they will be able to deliver remains to be seen. The world anxiously awaits and hopes they will succeed somehow. Bold action and single-minded focus are now needed to bring an end to the Gaza war and the establishment of an independent Palestine, ushering into regional peace and security.

REFERENCES

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[1] Arab leaders head to Bahrain for Gaza-focused summit, Gulf Today, May 16, 2024, https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/05/16/arab-leaders-head-to-bahrain-for-gaza-focused-summit

[2] “Arab League calls for UN peacekeepers in Palestinian territories,” by AFP, May 17, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/middleeast/arab-league-calls-for-un-peacekeepers-in-palestinian-territories/ar-BB1mwt9p?ocid=BingNewsSerp&cvid=1fea981b4147416f96538b152c030a66

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid

[7] Ibid

[8] Mohammad Alrumaihi in his excellent article “Historic Arab Summit in Bahrain tackles old and new challenges” published in Gulf News, May 16, 2024, https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/historic-arab-summit-in-bahrain-tackles-old-and-new-challenges-1.102627769

[9] Samar Al-Gamal, “Arab Summit draft statement calls for UN peacekeepers in occupied Palestinian territories pending two-state solution,” Ahram Online, May 16, 2024, https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/523703.aspx

[10] TRINIDAD DEIROS BRONTE, “Why take Rafah now? Israel’s latest operation condemns thousands of Gazans to an impossible exodus,” ELPAIS, May 8, 2024, https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-05-08/why-take-rafah-now-israels-latest-operation-condems-thousands-

[11] Ibid

[12] UAE strongly condemns Rafah move, urges smooth aid flow, Gulf Today, 08 May 2024, https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/05/08/uae-strongly-condemns-the-incursion-and-control-of-the-rafah-crossing-by-israeli-forces?utm_source=projectagora&utm_medium=contentdiscovery

[13] Ibid

[14] UAE HITS OUT AT NETANYAHU FOR SAYING IT MAY HELP RUN GAZA, Such TV, May 12, 2024, https://www.suchtv.pk/world/item/126310-uae-hits-out-at-netanyahu-for-saying-it-may-help-run-gaza.html

[15] Ibid

[16]Kareem Khadder and Lucas Lilieholm, “Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 10 people”, CNN, May 17, 2024, https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-05-17-24/index.html

[17] Gaza war death toll reaches 35,272, says health ministry,  AFP, May 16, 2024, Live updates: Israel-Hamas war (thenews.com.pk), At least 35,303 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, says health ministry, The Guardian, May 17, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/israel-gaza-war-live-Israel-defends-plans-for-rafah-offensive-at-icj-hearing/ar-BB1mxWYU?ocid=BingNewsSearch, Gaza death toll rises to 35,303 Al Jazeera, May 17, 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/17/israels-war-on-gaza-live-700000-palestinians-flee-military-onslaught?update=2905946, Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 35,233: health authorities, Xinhua, http://www.china.org.cn/world/2024-05/16/content_117191405.htm;

[18] 450,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah, UN says-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

May 14, 12:13 PM https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-gaza-live-updates-israel-has-amassed-troops-for-rafah-incursion-us-officials/ar-BB1mhrTt?ocid=bingnewssearch&cvid=16b0b35d25e748a998e606a7c9390564&ei=16

[19] 450,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah, UN says-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

May 14, 12:13 PM https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-gaza-live-updates-israel-has-amassed-troops-for-rafah-incursion-us-officials/ar-BB1mhrTt?ocid=bingnewssearch&cvid=16b0b35d25e748a998e606a7c9390564&ei=16

[20] Luis Martinez and Selina Wang, “Israel has amassed enough troops for the full-scale incursion of Rafah: US officials,” ABC News, May 15, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-gaza-live-updates-israel-has-amassed-troops-for-rafah-incursion-us-officials/ar-BB1mhrTt?ocid=bingnewssearch&cvid=16b0b35d25e748a998e606a7c9390564&ei=16

[21] Intense Israeli bombardment in Jabalia and Beit Hanoon, Tareq Abu Azzoum May 17, 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/17/israels-war-on-gaza-live-700000-palestinians-flee-military-onslaught?update=2905946

[22] US says aid trucks have begun moving into Gaza from the temporary pier, Al Jazeera, May 17, 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/17/israels-war-on-gaza-live-700000-palestinians-flee-military-onslaught?update=2905946

[23] US urges Israel to do more for aid access to Gaza, Reuters, May 16, 2024

Live updates: Israel-Hamas war (thenews.com.pk)

[24] Dov Lieber, Michael R. Gordon, “Netanyahu Rejects U.S. Calls for Postwar Plan in Gaza,” The Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/netanyahu-rejects-us-calls-for-postwar-plan-in-gaza/ar-BB1mtbfT?ocid=BingNewsSearch

[25] Ibid

[26] Dov Lieber, Michael R. Gordon, “Netanyahu Rejects U.S. Calls for Postwar Plan in Gaza,” The Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/netanyahu-rejects-us-calls-for-postwar-plan-in-gaza/ar-BB1mtbfT?ocid=BingNewsSearch

[27] Ibid

[28] Ibid

[29] Ibid

[30] Dov Lieber, Michael R. Gordon, “Netanyahu Rejects U.S. Calls for Postwar Plan in Gaza,” The Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/netanyahu-rejects-us-calls-for-postwar-plan-in-gaza/ar-BB1mtbfT?ocid=BingNewsSearch

[31]  Will Gretsky, ABC News, Israel Gaza Live updates, May 16, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-gaza-live-updates-israel-has-amassed-troops-for-rafah-incursion-us-officials/ar-BB1mhrTt?ocid=bingnewssearch&cvid=16b0b35d25e748a998e606a7c9390564&ei=16linken calls continued closure of Rafah gate ‘urgent problem.’

[32]  Anne Flaherty, ABC News, May 14, 7:02 PM https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-gaza-live-updates-israel-has-amassed-troops-for-rafah-incursion-us-officials/ar-BB1mhrTt ocid=bingnewssearch&cvid=16b0b35d25e748a998e606a7c9390564&ei=16

[33] -ABC News’ Selina Wang and Allison Pecorin, US moving forward with $1B in new weapons deals for Israel: Sources

May 14, 12:52 PM https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-gaza-live-updates-israel-has-amassed-troops-for-rafah-incursion-us-officials/ar-BB1mhrTt?ocid=bingnewssearch&cvid=16b0b35d25e748a998e606a7c9390564&ei=16

[34] International court to hold hearings over Israel’s Rafah attacks, ABC News, May 13, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-gaza-live-updates-israel-has-amassed-troops-for-rafah-incursion-us-officials/ar-BB1mhrTt?ocid=bingnewssearch&cvid=16b0b35d25e748a998e606a7c9390564&ei=16\

[35] South African minister says genocide case is swaying public opinion, Al Jazeera, May 17, 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/17/israels-war-on-gaza-live-700000-palestinians-flee-military-onslaught?update=2905946

[36] South African minister says genocide case is swaying public opinion, Al Jazeera, May 17, 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/17/israels-war-on-gaza-live-700000-palestinians-flee-military-onslaught?update=2905946

[37] Cagan Koc, Gaza War Is ‘Terrible’ But Not Genocide, Israel Tells UN Court, (Bloomberg), May 17, 2024, — https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gaza-war-is-terrible-but-not-genocide-israel-tells-un-court/ar-BB1myHFs?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[38] Cagan Koc, Gaza War Is ‘Terrible’ But Not Genocide, Israel Tells UN Court, (Bloomberg), May 17, 2024, — https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gaza-war-is-terrible-but-not-genocide-israel-tells-un-court/ar-BB1myHFs?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[39] Cagan Koc, Gaza War Is ‘Terrible’ But Not Genocide, Israel Tells UN Court, (Bloomberg), May 17, 2024, — https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gaza-war-is-terrible-but-not-genocide-israel-tells-un-court/ar-BB1myHFs?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[40] Cagan Koc, Gaza War Is ‘Terrible’ But Not Genocide, Israel Tells UN Court, (Bloomberg), May 17, 2024, — https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gaza-war-is-terrible-but-not-genocide-israel-tells-un-court/ar-BB1myHFs?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[41] Sean Cotter,” New study claims Israel is committing genocide in Gaza,” The Boston Globe, May 16, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/new-study-claims-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza/ar-BB1mse7M?ocid=BingNewsSearch

[42] Ibid

[43] Ibid

[44] Ibid

[45] Ibid

[46] Ibid

[47] Ibid

[48] Ibid

[49] Ibid

[50] Ibid

[51] Ibid

[52] Arab leaders head to Bahrain for Gaza-focused summit, Gulf Today, May 16, 2024, https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/05/16/arab-leaders-head-to-bahrain-for-gaza-focused-summit

[53] Does Israel’s Netanyahu have a plan for a ‘day after’ the war on Gaza? Al Jazeera, May 17, 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/17/israels-war-on-gaza-live-700000-palestinians-flee-military-onslaught?update=2905946

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