ISRAEL'S latest attacks on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon have left over 600 people dead, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and hundreds more injured. They have possibly decapitated the top leadership of the most aggressive semi-state actor in the Levant. Israel's ground offensive was followed by Iran's missile attack in retaliation to Nasrallah's assassination. The world now awaits Israel's response. These ominous developments have set the stage for a dangerous escalation with no off ramps.
The conflict that commenced on October 7, 2023 with Hamas attacking and murdering hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians and taking many others hostage was followed by a disproportionate Israeli response that has left over 40,000 dead in Gaza in a yearlong retaliation.
Such a cycle of violence been repeating incessantly since the British mandate over Palestine expired on May 14, 1948 and Israel was carved into existence from Palestine.
However, the conflict's genesis is much deeper and has everything to do with the broader reorganisation of West Asia after the dismemberment of the Ottoman empire at the end of the first world war.
Some terms deserve to be explained before delving into the history. Today, Palestine is a disjointed geographical expanse in the eastern Mediterranean region bordered by Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. It is part of the wider span called the Levant, which was a junction of various cultures and empires across antiquity. The term Levant traces its etymology to the Latin levare, meaning 'to raise'-denoting the direction of sunrise. From 1497, Levant has found mention in the English language for Mediterranean lands to the east of Italy.
Denne historien er fra October 04, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 04, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Engaging emotional core makes up for preachiness
THERE has not been many films or series about characters sustaining a deep emotional wound carried from their childhood.
'Rebellion creates art'
At the 55th International Film Festival of India, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, speaks about censorship, Masoom 2, and more
Sundeep Kishan to headline Jason Sanjay's directorial debut
N Friday, Lyca Productions announced the cast and crew of Jason Sanjay's directorial debut.
Spectacular Visuals elevate a generic yet charming story
BACK in 2016, when Moana hit theaters, it opened to a wave of positivity. At its core, the film conveyed the age-old message of good triumphing over evil.
FILMMAKING OVERTAKES STORYTELLING IN THIS MOSTLY EFFECTIVE PRISON DRAMA
We are often told that hell is for sinners and heaven is for the morally upright. In Sidharth Vishwanath's metaphorically rich Sorgavaasal, we are shown how the prison, which operates much like hell, is a place where sinners rule, and more often than not, the innocent are condemned to either rot or turn sinners themselves.
Paediatric urology: Why timely treatment matters
GENITOURINARY disorders are among the most common surgical issues in children, comprising over 40 per cent of paediatric surgical cases seen in clinical practice.
PILL SCARCITY & PERILS
While there is a worry of ban on over-thecounter emergency contraceptive pills, people share their difficulties in finding these drugs in pharmacies
WHOLESOME GOODNESS
OW much food do you feed your child – a small bowl, a third of the plate, or maybe using the \"fist-sized stomach\" rule? No matter how you measure, there's always that lingering question – \"Is my child full, or am I overfeeding them?\"
A fashion symphony
Shifting the lens on the artistes' attire rather than just their art, the Marvellous Marghazhi is back for a second time this Sunday
Plastic Pollution Negotiations at the Crossroads in Busan
India proposes dedicated multilateral fund to compensate developing countries for their transition towards plastic-free living - without overlap with the mandates of other multilateral agreements
