UNjust

UN’s effectiveness is tested as more conflicts emerge in different corners of the world

The worsening of the war against the terror group Hamas, which has a just cause of seeking accountability and the release of hostages after the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,139 individuals of various nationalities, is the burden of the United Nations.

The UN mishandled the conflict as it gave in to bias against Israel and even anti-Semitism, as alleged by some sectors.

The problem has spread as it threatens to spill over into a campaign against Iran that will pull the United States in.

Fast shaping up is the feared full-blown Middle East crisis, which is the ultimate target of Hamas as it calculated that its cross-border invasion would lead to the extremist group’s aspiration of erasing the Israeli nation from the map.

UN’s effectiveness is tested as more conflicts emerge in different corners of the world.

Thus far, it has failed miserably in stemming the Gaza conflict, which was made worse by its unrealizable demand on Israel to agree to a ceasefire instead of asking Hamas to surrender and hand over the hostages and the bodies of the captives killed.

War is spilling over the border as in the past few days, the exchange of threats between Iran and Israel had escalated.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, indicated that Israel’s alleged strike on a building in an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus constituted an attack on Iranian soil. Therefore, Israel “must be punished.”

The Israeli response came swiftly as Foreign Minister Israel Katz said explicitly, “If Iran attacks Israel from its territory, Israel will attack inside Iran.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made similar remarks.

Being closely monitored is the prospect of Iran responding to a heightened conflict with Israel by ramping up uranium enrichment activity and making a dash for a nuclear weapon.

Supreme leader Khamenei issued a fatwa, an Islamic legal ruling, against the assembly of nuclear weapons because they are contrary to “the spirit of Islam.”

Recently, however, during Ramadan prayers last week, the regime’s leading imam gave a sermon calling on Khamenei to cancel the fatwa and order the Iranian nuclear agency to build a bomb.

Analysts said that Khamenei is creating a situation that will impress growing pressure from religious figures to issue the directive for a nuclear option.

As the situation worsens, humanity sits on the edge of its seat over one country, crossing the line on the use of nuclear arms.

Israel sees the UN as heavily influenced by Arab nations from which it obtains substantial financial infusions, making the international body ineffective as a mediator.

Israel had said that it did not want the war to drag on. Still, it would not compromise its two objectives of recovering the hostages and making Hamas answer for the atrocities inflicted on Israel since the terror incursion last year.

UN’s actions in the Gaza conflict gauge how it will address other geopolitical frictions brought to it, such as the possible elevation of the West Philippine Sea conflict.

US and Israeli officials fear that most of the hostages held by Hamas since 7 October have been killed in captivity.

While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the deaths of 34 of the hostages, a Wall Street Journal report said, “Israeli and American officials estimate privately that the number of deaths could be much higher.”

The dynamics of the Gaza war would prove that Israel has been doing its share of warning the population to leave the battleground while allowing aid to come in, as those who chose to stay are facing famine.

Put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages and for the terror group to lay down their arms and face the consequences of their wicked deeds.

The UN must take those steps to end the war instead of kowtowing to its cash-rich patrons.

Hamas is the aggressor as it inflicted terrorism on hapless civilians, and the UN must be on the side of rendering justice to them.