Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Endless woes: On the Israel-Hamas conflict and Palestine

Endless woes: On the Israel-Hamas conflict and Palestine

Israel must stop bombing and find a solution to the Palestine question

Thirteen days after Hamas carried out a brutal attack on Israel, killing some 1,400 people, Israel’s air strikes (a sudden attack, assault, bombing) on the besieged, defenceless (अरक्षित, असुरक्षित) Gaza continue with disproportionate (असंगत) ferocity (क्रूरता), killing 3,785 Palestinians, including hundreds of children. As Israel is amassing (एकत्र करना, इकट्ठा करना) troops (सैन्यदल) and tanks (armoured vehicles; combat vehicles) on its border with Gaza (a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt) in preparation for a ground invasion (आक्रमण), after ordering some one million people to evacuate (ask people to leave, empty, move out of, get out of, exit from (from a dangerous place)) from the northern half of the land strip (a long, narrow area of land; swathe, piece, belt), U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak travelled to Israel to declare their support for the Jewish nation’s “right to defend itself”. Mr. Biden’s visit came hours after an attack on a hospital in Gaza left at least 500 dead. The Palestinians say the hospital, which was sheltering (आश्रय) thousands, was hit (strike, attack) by Israeli jets, while Israel claimed (दावा करना) that a rocket fired by Palestinian militants (fanatic, extremist, radical, sectarian/partisan) caused the explosion (विस्फोट, धमाका). While truth is the first casualty (victim, fatality, mortality) of war, a vengeful (प्रतिशोधी) Israel’s mindless bombing of a tiny, blockaded enclave (area, region (enclosed within)) is pushing its 2.3 million people into an unimaginable struggle of life and death, even as the powerful nations are either looking away or busy backing Israel’s campaign (अभियान). Mr. Biden announced that Israel has allowed to let some 20 trucks of humanitarian aid (मानवीय सहायता) into Gaza from Egypt. While any aid is welcome (स्वागत), 20 trucks of aid for two million people is, as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (it is the world’s largest humanitarian network and is guided by seven Fundamental Principles (Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality). The IFRC is comprising 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives, build community resilience, strengthen localization and promote dignity around the world) put it, “a drop in the ocean (a very small amount which is unimportant/negligible compared to what is required)”.

The October 7 Sabbath attack that Hamas carried out in Israel should be condemned (निंदा करना) without any hesitation (हिचकिचाहट, संकोच). At the same time, collectively (as a group, as a whole; generally) punishing Gaza in the name of (for the sake of, at the behest of, for the reason of) fighting Hamas and carrying out indiscriminate (thoughtless, unthinking, unconsidered, casual, careless, aimless, foolish, mindless, impulsive, ill-considered) bombing that is killing hundreds a day do not make Israel any better than Hamas (Hamas is an Islamist militant group based in Gaza). Moreover, this approach of the Israeli state towards the Palestinians has neither improved Israel’s security nor helped the stakeholders (a person with an interest in something) find a solution to the crisis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on whose watch (period stint, spell (in office)) the country’s biggest security crisis unfolded (happen, occur, take place, transpire, develop), says he will “crush (defeat, quash, quell, vanquish, extinguish, put an end to)” Hamas. But Israel does not have easy options. Reoccupying (recapture, seize gain, take over again, invade again) Gaza would lead to (cause, result in, bring about, bring on, give rise to) a prolonged (lengthy, extended, protracted, unending, unrelenting) urban war of attrition (a military strategy consisting of aggressive attempts to win a war by wearing down (weakening) the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel). Hamas rose to prominence (the position of being important; a high profile, noticeability) using the vacuum (gap, deficiency, lacuna, empty space, void, nothingness) left by the failures of Fatah and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. If Israel manages to diminish (decrease, reduce, lessen, shrink, restrict) Hamas’s influence (power, command, sway, authority, clout, weight) in Gaza, nobody knows what comes next as the Palestine question, which is the ongoing Israeli occupation (invasion, seizure, takeover, annexation), remains unaddressed (unnoticed, not considered, not dealt with, not tackled). In an ideal world (ideally, if possible, if only it were possible), the U.S., the most powerful country which is ruled by a President who has stated his commitment (dedication, devotion, allegiance, adherence, faithfulness) to “a foreign policy centred on (to have something as a centre or main subject) human rights”, should be enraged (anger, incense, infuriate, be furious, be fuming) by what its ally (a country/state with an alliance with another one in which they promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other) is doing and apply pressure on Tel Aviv (a city on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. (Jerusalem is the capital city of both Israel and Palestine, under their laws. Most other countries disagree. Most countries have their embassies with Israel in Tel Aviv)) to stop the bombing and start talking, involving regional powers. But as that is a non-possibility (an impossible thing; impossibility) as of now, Israel is set to continue the attacks with impunity (exemption from punishment, freedom from punishment, immunity, indemnity, non-liability), multiplying (increase, expand, spread) the woes of millions of Palestinians.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.defenceless (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अरक्षित, असुरक्षित
English Meaning - vulnerable, helpless, powerless, unprotected, undefended, weak.

2.disproportionate (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असंगत
English Meaning - inordinate, excessive, immoderate, unfair, unreasonable, unjustifiable.

3.ferocity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्रूरता
English Meaning - brutality, barbarity, cruelty, aggression, inhumanity; intensity, severity, strength.

4.amass (verb)

Hindi Meaning - एकत्र करना, इकट्ठा करना
English Meaning - gather, collect, assemble, accumulate, garner, increase.

5.troops (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सैन्यदल
English Meaning - armed forces, forces, soldiers.

6.invasion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आक्रमण
English Meaning - attack, offensive, onslaught, incursion, assault.

7.shelter (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आश्रय
English Meaning - protect, keep safe, shield, safeguard, save.

8.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना
English Meaning - allege, state, argue, contend.

9.explosion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विस्फोट, धमाका
English Meaning - attack, blast, eruption, blowing up.

10.vengeful (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिशोधी
English Meaning - retaliatory, revenging, avenging.

11.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
English Meaning - an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group.

12.humanitarian aid (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मानवीय सहायता
English Meaning - material and logistic assistance that’s used to relieve suffering during emergency situations.

13.welcome (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वागत
English Meaning - appreciated, desirable, acceptable; promising, much needed.

14.condemn (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निंदा करना
English Meaning - denounce, criticize, censure, castigate, hit out at, discredit, find fault with, slam.

15.hesitation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हिचकिचाहट, संकोच
English Meaning - delay, doubt, reluctance, dubiousness, reservation.

16.collectively (adverb)

English Meaning - as a group, as a whole; generally.

17.in the name of (phrase)

English Meaning - for the sake of, at the behest of, for the reason of.

18.stakeholder (noun)

English Meaning - a person with an interest in something.

19.woe (noun)

English Meaning - trouble, difficulty, problem, tribulation, distress, heartbreak, anguish, affliction, grief, pain.

20.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash.

21.Hamas (noun)

English Meaning - Hamas is an Islamist militant group based in Gaza.

22.strike (noun)

English Meaning - a sudden attack, assault, bombing.

23.besieged (adjective)

English Meaning - surrounded, encircled, blockaded, under attack.

24.Gaza (noun)

English Meaning - a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt.

25.tanks (noun)

English Meaning - armoured vehicles; combat vehicles.

26.evacuate (verb)

English Meaning - ask people to leave, empty, move out of, get out of, exit from (from a dangerous place).

27.strip (noun)

English Meaning - a long, narrow area of land; swathe, piece, belt.

28.hit (verb)

English Meaning - strike, attack.

29.militant (noun)

English Meaning - fanatic, extremist, radical, sectarian/partisan.

30.casualty (noun)

English Meaning - victim, fatality, mortality.

31.enclave (noun)

English Meaning - area, region (enclosed within).

32.look away (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - avoid, deter, turn away from, divert, deflect, fend off.

33.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, defend, endorse, approve of.

34.humanitarian (adjective)

English Meaning - compassionate, humane, generous, human-centered, socially concerned.

35.aid (noun)

English Meaning - assistance, support, help, backing.

36.International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (noun)

English Meaning - it is the world’s largest humanitarian network and is guided by seven Fundamental Principles (Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality). The IFRC is comprising 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives, build community resilience, strengthen localization and promote dignity around the world.

37.a drop in the ocean (phrase)

English Meaning - a very small amount which is unimportant/negligible compared to what is required.

38.indiscriminate (adjective)

English Meaning - thoughtless, unthinking, unconsidered, casual, careless, aimless, foolish, mindless, impulsive, ill-considered.

39.not any better than (or) no better than (phrase)

English Meaning - just the same as (something bad); in a similar way to (something bad).

40.watch (noun)

English Meaning - period stint, spell (in office).

41.unfold (verb)

English Meaning - happen, occur, take place, transpire, develop.

42.crush (verb)

English Meaning - defeat, quash, quell, vanquish, extinguish, put an end to.

43.reoccupy (verb)

English Meaning - recapture, seize gain, take over again, invade again.

44.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - cause, result in, bring about, bring on, give rise to.

45.prolonged (adjective)

English Meaning - lengthy, extended, protracted, unending, unrelenting.

46.war of attrition (noun)

English Meaning - a military strategy consisting of aggressive attempts to win a war by wearing down (weakening) the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel.

47.prominence (noun)

English Meaning - the position of being important; a high profile, noticeability.

48.vacuum (noun)

English Meaning - gap, deficiency, lacuna, empty space, void, nothingness.

49.Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (noun)

English Meaning - It was founded in 1964 with the purpose of liberating Palestine, achieving Palestinian self-determination, and securing the return of the refugees.

50.diminish (verb)

English Meaning - decrease, reduce, lessen, shrink, restrict.

51.influence (noun)

English Meaning - power, command, sway, authority, clout, weight.

52.occupation (noun)

English Meaning - invasion, seizure, takeover, annexation.

53.unaddressed (adjective)

English Meaning - unnoticed, not considered, not dealt with, not tackled.

54.in an ideal world (phrase)

English Meaning - ideally, if possible, if only it were possible.

55.commitment (noun)

English Meaning - dedication, devotion, allegiance, adherence, faithfulness.

56.centre on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to have something as a centre or main subject.

57.enrage (noun)

English Meaning - anger, incense, infuriate, be furious, be fuming.

58.ally (noun)

English Meaning - a country/state with an alliance with another one in which they promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other.

59.Tel Aviv (proper noun)

English Meaning - a city on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. (Jerusalem is the capital city of both Israel and Palestine, under their laws. Most other countries disagree. Most countries have their embassies with Israel in Tel Aviv).

60.non-possibility (noun)

English Meaning - an impossible thing; impossibility.

61.set to do something (phrase)

English Meaning - likely to do something.

62.impunity (noun)

English Meaning - exemption from punishment, freedom from punishment, immunity, indemnity, non-liability.

63.multiply (verb)

English Meaning - increase, expand, spread.