By Ding Long

It's been a year since the new round of Palestine-Israel conflict broke out last October 7th, which is rare in terms of its long duration, massive casualties, and broad involvement. The war has caused a serious humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip with spreading spillover effects. One year on, instead of seeing the advent of peace in Gaza, we have witnessed Iran and Israel, two major Middle Eastern states, come to the point of conflict too, pushing the region once again to a dangerous state where it may fall into an all-out war with multiple outbursts and frontlines. As we look back on the tragic and dramatic developments in the Middle East in the past year, the urgency of putting an end to the current conflict cannot be clearer.

This round of Palestine-Israel conflict is characterized by a grave humanitarian disaster, extensive spillover effects, multiple forms of warfare, and great difficulty in mediation.

First, the conflict has brought about what's believed to be the most serious humanitarian disaster since the end of WWII. Over the past year, more than 40,000 people of both conflicting parties have died, with another 100,000 injured and almost all Gaza residents displaced, and about 2/3 of the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or razed to the ground. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimated that building ruins and relics in Gaza amounted to 42 million tons, enough to build 11 Khufu Pyramids, and clearing them would take 14 years and more than US$1.2 billion while rebuilding Gaza would take 80 years.

Second, the conflict has the most extensive spillover effects in history. After it broke out, the "Axis of Resistance" under Iran's leadership collaborated in Hamas' struggles against Israel. With Palestine and Israel in the center, several frontlines have emerged in turns in the Middle East, continuously intensifying the geopolitical confrontation and pushing the region to the edge of an all-out war. The first head-on conflict between Iran and Israel, two major military powers in the region, has sent them into a cycle of retaliation, adding more risks to the regional situation.

Third, "unrestricted warfare" has hit through the ethical bottom line. The extensive employment of "unrestricted warfare" during this round of conflict has refreshed our perception of the form of warfare. Merchant ships in the Red Sea become targets of attacks, international transport security is threatened, and international freight is going through the roof. Tools of civilian communication are weaponized, causing concerns over the security of the global supply chain. "Targeted elimination", attacks on diplomatic agencies, and similar events have taken place frequently. The ethical bottom line in warfare has been constantly lowered, and the seeds of hatred have taken root, further imperiling the Middle East.

Fourth, international mediation has made little headway. Rounds of international mediation have failed at the last minute because the conflicting parties didn't reach a basic consensus in dialogues and negotiations. This is further compounded by the ambiguity displayed by the US, the chief mediator that, however, has been fanning the flames under the table. 

The current conflict between Palestine and Israel concerns not only the two parties themselves but also generates regional and global consequences that are likely to linger for a long time. The international community has seen more divergences on the issue, causing division within the Western bloc and in individual Western countries.

Despite its scale, the conflicting parties have nevertheless exercised great restraint to avoid a broader region-wide war. So far, there has been no territorial or boundary change, and Arab countries, which are a majority in the region, haven't been involved either. The conflict is still incomparable to the past five Middle East wars and unlikely to escalate into the sixth either. 

There remains a silver lining in the current situation, and the international community should believe in and magnify the hope of peace. The conflict has brought the Palestine issue back into the international spotlight as a priority, awakened people's conscience, and set off the significant meaning of the "two-state" solution. The call for peace is gaining ground, and China and other countries of the "Global South" are busy mediating for a ceasefire, acting as the mainstay force for peace. China has brought about a historic reconciliation among various factions in Palestine. More Western countries are recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state, and it is enjoying a heightened standing at the UN. All these are adding bricks to the foundation for solving the Palestine issue with the "two-state" plan.

The century-old conflict in the Middle East won't be resolved overnight, but peace for the region is a must-achieve goal no matter how far away it looks now. The Palestine-Israel conflict is the root cause of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, and reaching a ceasefire deal is the top priority at the moment. Once that is realized, it is also important to further augment the peaceful outcomes through a series of measures, such as cementing the reconciliation within Palestine, convening a new regional peace summit, and granting Palestine an official membership at the UN. Only then will the crisis truly be transformed into an opportunity and a new starting point for Middle East's peace process.

(The author is a professor at The Middle East Studies Institute, Shanghai International Studies University)

Editor's note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.