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2024 and the Israel/Palestine conflict

The year ahead promises tragedy, war, but also opportunities to help one another.


By Jake Austin

1 January 2023


As many around the world celebrated the end of 2023 and looked forward to 2024 with optimism, many millions of people could not afford such hope. People in long-suffering areas that have slipped out of international consciousness, including Sudan, Myanmar, the Central African Republic, and others, were instead focused on immediate survival - food, water, warmth, and shelter from warfare that shows no regard for innocent life. Gaza risks becoming another forgotten conflict in 2024. We cannot allow that to happen.


If, as the IDF predicts, the war will last through all of 2024, it will mean further stretching of thin humanitarian resources for the 1.5 million internally displaced Palestinians since October. A brief ceasefire in November failed to provide the basis for further talks or much-needed aid, and the talks hosted in Qatar resulted in some hostage exchanges. In both cases, a brief bridge of negotiation collapsed as Hamas and the IDF accuse the other of violating terms, making future deals unlikely. Global calls for a ceasefire, from sources ranging from the the Palestinian diaspora to Israel's closest military allies, are falling on deaf ears.


What will happen in 2024? Predicting the future is the bane of politics, but I can highlight three points to pay attention to in the coming months. First, famine. Gaza is the most food insecure region on earth and thousands of families are going without food. When aid transports are turned back or shot upon by the IDF, it is a willing abandonment of Israel's legal duties as the occupying state. Second, the Palestine Islamic Jihad armed terror group (PIJ). This group, smaller and not in political power like Hamas, has a history of suicide bombings and rockets targeting innocent Israelis. Their 2024 activity and continued goal to destroy Israel risks unbalancing any fragile ceasefire between the ISF and Hamas. Third, the West Bank. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 2,200 Palestinians have been expelled from their homes in the West Bank since October due to settler violence. These criminal acts against families expand the scope of the conflict, risking all future diplomacy in the region.


What can we do? We at ONE commit ourselves to another year engaging with our excellent community and learning more about the intricacies of the conflict every day. If you know someone willing to engage in good faith about controversial topics, please invite them to our Discord server. If you know of a well-reviewed organization seeking to promote dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, please let us know. That same news cycle that discards old conflicts for new stories risks our empathy - but we cannot let apathy take over. We can lean on one another, share our stories, and keep hope alive.



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