The “Al-Aqsa Wave” operation on October 7, 2023, deserves all the acclaim and appreciation it has received and that which will be spoken and written in the future. If leveraged with sufficient resolve, it could mark a historic turning point, leading to a transformation in the political reality for many Arab and Islamic countries in the region. It might signal the end of an era of domination, colonization, and brazenness in the area.
The Palestinian people, through this operation, have not only managed to reintroduce their magnificent image and tremendous capacity for resilience but have also produced extraordinary and exceptional resistance, revealing the true nature of the Israeli occupation and its vulnerability and fragility on multiple levels.
Over 100 days past this conflict, it is imperative to illuminate several gaps associated with the battle that demands immediate action to fill and remedy. Whether it’s to support Palestinian resistance and the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people or as a response to the human conscience and the religious and national values to halt this open massacre and genocide executed by an army that defies all international laws and norms and continues to challenge international institutions.
A few of the most prominent gaps accompanying the heroic stance in the Gaza Strip include:
Firstly, the lack of engagement from all Palestinian components, referring here to the West Bank, the territories occupied in 1948, and the Palestinian diaspora, where the contributions in the battle remain limited and not up to the level that allows their direct and effective participation in achieving a qualitative Palestinian national accomplishment.
Secondly, the political performance of the official Palestinian leadership (“PLO and the Palestinian Authority”) is another significant gap. The official Palestinian political leadership seems entirely out of sync with the battle and fails to address it properly.
Thirdly, the Palestinian division is a vast gap in the scene representing a critical weakness for the Palestinians, a factor the occupation and also the United States have exploited significantly.
Fourthly, the absence of Arab and Islamic official support and weak popular engagement is hard to imagine the pain and bitterness felt by the Palestinians, particularly those in the Gaza Strip, due to Arab and Islamic official stances.
Lastly, the lack of military support for the resistance is glaring due to the imbalance in military capabilities resulting from the complete Western bias towards the occupation and reluctance from any Arab or Islamic nations or even international powers that believe in Palestinian rights and human values like freedom and justice to provide tangible, direct support to Palestinian resistance.
The continuation of these gaps poses a risk not only to the Gaza Strip’s people and its resistance but also to the future of the Palestinian cause in its various components. If the approach of the different parties mentioned remains unchanged, it will be recorded as irresponsibility on religious, national, communal, and ethical levels at this crucial historic juncture, reflecting on those parties’ future, both in the medium and long term affected by internal or external factors linked to world dominance powers.
The occupation’s talk of a third phase of the war suggest a period for the Palestinians everywhere to engage in a long wave of resistance resembling the second “Al-Aqsa Intifada,” which can lead to the occupation’s defeat and the attainment of some Palestinian political rights. It might also provide an opportunity for Arab countries to reassess their stance to align with their religious, national, and humanitarian duties and to serve their interests and future.
