ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT

Recently, Palestine-based Hamas militants launched a barrage of rockets on Israel on Saturday infiltrating the towns near the Gaza Strip through land, air, and sea.

Hamas or the Islamic Resistance Movement: is a militant group that governs the Gaza Strip.

It emerged in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood during the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.

It was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian cleric.

Its military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was established around 1991.

About ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT:-

Both Israelis and Palestinians have been in a struggle for self-determination and sovereignty over the territory, developing respective movements for their causes.

Both Palestinians and Israelis see the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as their own, and Christians, Jews, and Muslims all hold parts of the land as sacred.

The past seven decades have brought war and uprisings. (15th India-Israel Joint Working Group)

Historic Timeline:-

Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire had controlled that part of the Middle East from the early 16th century until control of most of the region was granted to the British after World War I.

In 1916: the Sykes-Picot Agreement secretly negotiated between Britain and France planned to carve up the Middle East into spheres of influence, and determined that the land in question was to be internationalized.

In 1917: Britain’s foreign secretary, Lord Arthur Balfour, expressed his government’s support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.

1947: UN resolution

1947: After World War II, nearing the end of the British Mandate for Palestine, the United Nations General Assembly in 1947 passed Resolution 181, urging the partition of the land into two independent states — one Arab and one Jewish.

Religiously significant Jerusalem is to be under special international administration.

The plan is not implemented after the Arab side rejects it, arguing that it is unfavorable to their majority population.

Violence in the regional conflict grows.

1948: Israel declares independence.

Israel declared independence in May 1948.

The next day, a coalition of Arab states, allied with Palestinian factions, attacked Israeli forces in what became the first of several Arab-Israeli wars.

1967: the Six-Day War

In June of 1967, a war known as the “Six-Day War” or the 1967 Arab-Israeli War broke out amid lingering conflicts, including Egypt’s continued blockade of shipping into the Gulf of Aqaba.

Israel ultimately took control of the Gaza Strip, Sinai, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem.

The Arab armies suffered massive losses.

1987: First intifada

A Palestinian uprising, or intifada, brings largely spontaneous clashes, protests, and civil disobedience against Israeli occupation in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel, leading to harsh Israeli military crackdowns.

Unrest continues for years, with many killed or injured on both sides.

2023: Recent events:-

January 2023: Israeli forces raid the Palestinian city of Jenin, killing nine people in a shootout.

Summer 2023: Retaliatory attacks flare

Israel launches surprise airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in May.

October 2023: Israel is attacked by Hamas.

Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu formally declared war on Hamas on Oct. 8 following a surprise assault by Hamas militants that came a day after the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Mental health issues

Recent studies show that Mental health issues are 10 times common among asylum-seeking children.

Key Highlights of the report:-

The WHO estimates that one in five people in conflict-affected areas may experience depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.

Behavioural disorders may be more common among younger refugee and migrant children.

They are more severe in younger (6-14 years) compared with older (15-17 years) age groups, according to a worldwide review of asylum seekers and refugee children.

High rates of mental health conditions among refugee children were associated with being placed in detention.

Prolonged stay in an asylum centre was associated with a 30-fold increase in the risk of psychopathology among children aged 11-16 years.

Among refugees based in high-income countries, those originally from the Middle East and North Africa had a threefold higher risk of psychotic disorders compared with refugee groups from other geographies.

Evidence suggests that, among refugees and migrants, girls and women have a higher risk of depression and anxiety than boys and men.

Moreover, refugees and migrants who identify as LGBTQI+ were affected in terms of their mental health.

About Mental health issues:-

As per WHO, Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.

It is an integral component of health and well-being.

It underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships, and shape the world we live in.

Mental health is a basic human right. (Need for stronger mental health strategy)

It is crucial to personal, community, and socio-economic development.

Determinants of mental health:-

Individual psychological and biological factors: emotional skills, substance use, and genetics.

Exposure to unfavourable social, economic, geopolitical, and environmental circumstances: poverty, violence, inequality, and environmental deprivation.

Risks occurring during the developmentally sensitive periods, especially early childhood, are particularly detrimental.

For example, harsh parenting and physical punishment are known to undermine child health and bullying is a leading risk factor for mental health conditions.

Protective factors: they serve to strengthen

They include our individual social and emotional skills and attributes as well as positive social interactions, quality education, decent work, safe neighborhoods, and community cohesion, among others.

Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20 Summit)

Presiding Officers of G20 Nations began arriving in India for the 9th Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20 Summit) recently.

Background:-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Summit.

About Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20 Summit):-

Year: 2023.

Host Country: India

Inauguration: 13th October 2023.

Venue: New Delhi.

Frequency: Annual

Theme: Multilateralism for Inclusive Development.

Objective: To bring together Speakers of Parliament from G20 countries for discussions on global issues.

Under the banner of “Multilateralism for Inclusive Development,” the P20 Summit 2023 underscores the imperative role of international cooperation in addressing pressing global concerns, including climate change, poverty alleviation, and inequality.

During the global event, four high-level sessions will be organized on the topics namely:

Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Energy Transition

Women-led development

Transformation in People’s lives through Public Digital Platforms.

India aims to provide consensus-based solutions to complex global issues towards a more inclusive, peaceful, and equitable world during the P20 Summit with the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future.

9M730 Burevestnik missile

Russia recently, tested the 9M730 Burevestnik missile, a next-generation nuclear missile.

Background:-

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow has successfully tested a next-generation nuclear missile.

About 9M730 Burevestnik missile:-

Country: Russia.

Type: nuclear-powered cruise missile.(BrahMos Missiles)

Range: intercontinental range.

The missile is claimed to have an essentially unlimited range.

It is also known as the “Storm petrel“.

It is designated SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO.

Its primary objective is to penetrate any interceptor-based missile defense system, thereby enhancing Russia’s nuclear strike capability.

It is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

It is nuclear-powered. (Ballistic missiles)

No country has to date deployed a cruise missile using an onboard nuclear reactor, largely given the engineering challenges and safety concerns involved.

This makes it a truly revolutionary weapon.

It is a ground-launched, low-flying cruise missile which would make it harder for air-defense radar to detect.

Bharat NCX 2023

Bharat NCX 2023 was inaugurated recently.

Background:-

Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India Ajay Kumar Sood today inaugurated the ‘Bharat NCX 2023.

About Bharat NCX 2023:-

Date: 09 – 20 October 2023.

Duration: 12 Days.

Conducted by: National Security Council Secretariat in strategic partnership with Rashtriya Raksha University.

Objective: to train senior management and technical personnel of Government and Critical Sector organizations and Public and Private agencies on contemporary cyber threats and handling cyber incidents and response.

Bharat NCX 2023 will showcase an exclusive exhibition spotlighting the innovation and resilience of Indian cybersecurity startups and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs).

It is the second edition of the National Cyber Security Exercise 2023 ‘Bharat NCX 2023’.

It will be conducted as a hybrid exercise.

This exhibition will shine a spotlight on the cutting-edge solutions and technologies developed by these dynamic entities, underscoring their pivotal role in fortifying India’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

It will host a prestigious conclave, gathering over 200 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from government, public organizations, and the private sector.

This exclusive gathering of industry leaders will provide a unique platform for in-depth discussions and deliberations on the evolving cyber threat landscape.

The participants will be trained in various key cyber security areas.

These areas include Intrusion Detection Techniques, Malware Information Sharing platforms, Vulnerability Handling and Penetration Testing, Network Protocols and Data Flows, and Digital Forensics. (Cyberattacks)

Significance:-

It will help strategic leaders to better understand cyber threats, assess readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation. Cybercrime

This will also help develop and test cybersecurity skills, teamwork, planning, communication, critical thinking, and decision-making.