NEW DELHI
Even as a war rages following Hamas’ attack on Israel,
some national and international students have said that war is not the solution and efforts to restore peace should be made.
Since the beginning of the war, according to Gaza’s health ministry, over 1,537 Palestinians, including 500 children and 276 women, have been killed and 6,612 others wounded in Israeli air strikes on the blockaded enclave. There have been numerous Israeli deaths in the conflict. The Sunday Guardian talked to a few national and international students about the current conflict. They suggested that war is not the solution, and efforts to restored peace be made, and any country should not be judged on the basis of the ideology of extremists.
A student from Iran said, “War is not the solution to anything, and peace should be there. It’s like genocide, and it should not be considered an issue between these two countries but an international issue.”
“Today, the narrative is built from an economic point of view because of the hegemony of capitalism, and those who don’t fit it are called militants and not rebellious. So, these things also should be considered, and we should not judge things by just one narrative,” she added.
Shireen, an Indian student worried over the possible escalation of violence, said, civilians should not be killed. “If you ask me, Palestine should be given more land as their population is high and Israel has captured it illegally. Recently, I saw that they have cut power and even water supply in Gaza, though the Palestinians are the ones who have always suffered. The civilians are the worst sufferers, and according to me, we should not judge the country on the basis of the ideology of extremists because not everyone supports that idea. According to me, two states is the solution,” she added
A student from Iraq said, “In these 50 years, Gaza has been constantly attacked, and now this has happened. Though I believe peace should be there, it should be implemented with mutual understanding where both parties can come and talk about their needs and requirements.”
The conflict has not only taken the lives of Israelis and Palestinians; according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, nearly 100 foreign nationals have also been killed and are missing in countries including the US, France, Thailand, and other countries. In fact, India has launched Operation Ajay to facilitate the return from Israel of Indians who wish to return, as still more than 17,000 Indians are stuck there.