The Risk of a Fourth Palestinian War

Palestinian officials warned this morning that a new Palestinian intifada against Israel could flare up again if Israel continues its daily raids on Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, or if Jewish settlers attack Palestinians.

The United Nations also called on both sides to exercise restraint and warned that Israel could commit war crimes.

Attacks and shelling occur almost daily between Israel and Palestine. Photo: Times of Israel

On March 27, another Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during clashes between Palestinian protesters throwing stones at Israeli troops in the Dheisha refugee camp, near the town of Bethlehem, in the West Bank.

On the same day, about 150 students threw petrol bombs and rocks at Israeli soldiers after Israeli soldiers raided their school in the West Bank. Israel responded by firing tear gas and rubber-coated metal bullets, injuring three students and requiring treatment for tear gas inhalation.

Earlier, Israel also launched airstrikes on the Palestinian Gaza Strip and deployed additional troops to the border in response to a previous Hamas rocket attack.

In the face of the current tense developments, from the United Nations headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutterres called for restraint on both sides: “We strongly condemn the rocket attack. But we now believe that it is essential to avoid escalation. At this time, we call for restraint so that people do not have to suffer further, both in Israel and in the Gaza Strip and in the Palestinian people in general.”

The violence on the Gaza-Israel border since last year has been summarized in the latest report released this morning by the United Nations Human Rights Committee. UN investigators said that Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity when they killed 189 Palestinians and injured more than 6,100 during weekly protests in the Gaza Strip in 2018. The investigators said that Israeli security forces killed and maimed Palestinian protesters who did not pose any immediate threat.

“The Commission has found substantial evidence of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by Israeli security forces. These violations clearly require investigation and criminal prosecution,” said Canton, who chaired the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 2018 Gaza protests. “We call on Israel to conduct meaningful investigations into these serious violations and to provide timely justice and reparations to those killed and injured.”

Palestinians have been protesting at the Gaza-Israel border since last year, calling for an easing of the blockade on the Gaza Strip and recognition of the Palestinians' right to return home. However, Israel says it is forced to open fire to protect the border from infiltration and attacks by armed gunmen.

Regional observers are concerned that Israel's almost daily raids on Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, or the attacks and occupation of Palestinian land by Jewish settlers and the blockade of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government... will eventually lead to a fourth war in the Palestinian territories.

The US government said it would continue to send envoys to the Middle East to lobby for a US peace initiative, which will be announced after the Israeli elections in April, and which includes proposals to improve the Palestinian economy. However, many say any initiative will be impossible if violence continues almost daily./.