This conflict comes at a time when the Middle East is already going through some major seismic changes. During the last couple of years, many regime changes have occurred and several countries are in a state of civil unrest, as a result. The Israel-Gaza conflict, at this point of time, is a source of major concern for not only the regional players but also for the world. Expectedly, this recent escalation of conflict has evoked strong responses from countries around the world.

Israel maintains that the attacks were in response to rocket attacks on southern Israel from inside Gaza. Western countries such as United States, Canada, Germany and United Kingdom have supported the Israeli operation and the right to defend itself.

However, the offensive by Israel has been condemned by most of the Arab and Muslim countries such as Iran, Egypt and Turkey. Sudanese President urged the Arab world to unite and face challenges, and enhance political and economic cooperation. Pakistan representative to UN, Ambassador Masood Khan, expressed concern that these developments threaten international peace and security.

Egypt has played an important role in negotiating the ceasefire truce and its role has been widely appreciated. It was an especially tricky situation for Muhammad Morsi, Egypt’s newly elected president, who had to balance the act of maintaining good relations with the Western countries and the expectations of his own people and the Arab world. The Arab league’s Secretary Nabil al-Arabi, expressing solidarity for the Palestinian cause, condemned Israeli’s aggression and backed Egypt’s efforts. The Arab League pledged to bring an end to the Israeli blockade on Gaza imposed since 2007. Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan also called for the abolishment of the economic embargo against Gaza and welcomed the truce.

U.N. Secretary-General held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Egyptian President Morsi expressed his concern for the safety of civilians and asked both sides to ensure their safety. He also urged nations to find a long-term solution to the broader problem, while working to ensure that the present situation does not deteriorate. United Nations Security Council also called on both sides to find ways to de-escalate tensions and resume dialogue.

Irrespective of the sides countries took, majority of them called on Israel and Hamas, which won the Palestinian elections of 2006 to exercise restraint and to resume dialogue. International opinion with respect to this conflict has been consistent – to bring an end to the impasse, de-escalate tensions and embark on a path of sustained dialogue.

Southern Israel has been the target of several rocket attacks by Gaza since 2009 to which Israel chose to show restraint and have also been applauded for this by other countries. However, Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defense with an air strike on November 14, killing Ahmed Jabari, Hamas military chief. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, famously stated that if Israel had to quit its arms, the nation would cease to exist. Similarly, if the Arabs had to lay down their weapons, war would cease to exist.

Egypt, Turkey and Qatar have come closer to Hamas due to their close alignment with the Muslim brotherhood. This puts a deeper constraint on their relationship with Israel. After Hamas’ departure from their Syria headquarters along with the reduction of funds from Iran, it was expected that the violence would cease. However, the recent violence that deployed Iranian long-range missiles indicates otherwise.

As the conflict persisted, the Israeli Prime Minister reached out to US President Barack Obama to reinstate a relationship between the two countries. Meanwhile, United States has come out in full support of Israel, despite the ongoing tensions between the two countries.

On the other hand, Egypt, the largest country in the region, played an assertive role in calling the recent truce between Israel and Gaza on November 21. It does not want their relations with Israel to be established by Hamas and, hence, did not visit Gaza during the war nor severed their relationship with Israel. However, if Egypt agrees to regulate the Gaza-Sinai border to prevent the shipment of long-range missiles from Iran to Gaza, Israel would have accomplished a part of its mission.

The countries that rank high on Israel’s list, Canada, European Nations and the United States, have shown support and understanding towards Israel’s act of defence. As Israel did not enter ground war, these governments give full credit to the Israeli government for successfully avoiding the situation.

This conflict has also highlighted the fact that Iran is at the centre of the trouble in the entire region and a nuclear deal with them only addresses a part of the entire problem, As Iran continues to send out ammunition and missiles to Syria and Gaza, the danger persists. The foremost point in the Israeli agenda in their meetings with the major countries would be how to stop Iran and subsequently the radical forces from gaining control of the entire region.

Nevertheless, gaining a reputation of restraint and moderation, Israel has emerged as a winner when it comes to foreign relationships during and after this conflict.

Diplomats from the Arab League met in Cairo and sanctioned Egypt’s efforts. The truce that took place on the 21st of November had agreed upon certain conditions laid down by the conflicting parties, all of which were not met or addressed. An official of the Arab League said that the organisation denounced the aggressive stand of Israel in rather strong words and has even warned of withdrawing their offer of recognising Israel they made almost a decade ago.

The league is now reconsidering its initiatives and even their relationship with Israel is under scrutiny by the diplomats. There are reports that the Arab League may even deploy the sympathy this aggression has garnered for Palestine in building support for its bid to upgrade its status in the United Nations General Assembly. Israel is opposed to this move. An Arab League diplomat said that some nations would abstain and some might vote against it. H also stated that the attacks would help these parties recheck their position.

The Palestinian Commissioner for International relations, Nabil Shaath, requested the league for a “firm and urgent” action in order to end the violence in Gaza and also said that they will take up the issue of the killing of civilians by the Israel armed forces with the UN Human Rights Council.

Both the Israelis and Hamas had laid down certain conditions before agreeing for ceasefire and the Arab leaders are striving hard to meet these demands. The Arab league officials along with European foreign ministers have stated that an immediate termination of this hostility is in the best interest of everyone due to their incorrigible impact on the civilians. Moreover, at a time when there’s profound instability in the entire region, the situation only gets worse from here.

The conflicts in the Gaza strip with an unusually large number of civilian deaths and casualties have acutely affected ordinary people. People in Gaza have been facing severe hardships both socially and economically for years, owing to the blockade restricting imports and exports with over eighty percent of the population being dependent on international assistance. Already living under such dire circumstances, people of Gaza are faced with compounded misery during such times of escalated conflict.

With the announcement of the ceasefire came some relief and people have been returning to what can be called normal life in this part of the world. However, the remnants of the conflict can be found all around – rocket-hit public buildings and homes and conflict-scarred lives. Several homes have been hit by rockets, leaving people scurrying for shelter. Residents have lamented the attacks that affected quite a few densely populated areas. Many people have been left homeless by the latest attacks which ravaged many residential places.

According to the truce agreement, farmers are allowed to work on their lands and fishermen could go fishing for up to 6 miles from the coast. However, there have been recent reports that Israeli soldiers have not been fulfilling these commitments. According to these reports, farmers have been prevented from working on their lands. Also, incidents of fishermen being attacked have come to light. As it is, Gazan fishermen are impoverished and face immense difficulty in providing for their families. The Israeli restrictions even during normal times deprived the Gazan fishermen to benefit from the fish-rich coastal area. Prolonged restrictions will adversely affect these fishermen.

During times of such conflict, with death and destruction so close, children go through serious psychological trauma. Research studies conducted a few days after the conflict ended indicate various problems in children such as sleeping disturbances, insecurity and appetite changes. Since the announcement of the ceasefire, Gaza schools have reopened and thousands of children have returned to school. Teachers have spent time talking about children’s experiences during the conflict to mitigate the effects of trauma these children have had to endure. Also, some organisations have been working with children to alleviate the suffering caused by the recent attacks.

In spite of the ceasefire, tensions remain high, leaving the people of Gaza in a state of uncertainty and anxiety. For now, Gazan people are trying to pick up their lives and rebuild from there.

Demonstrators cut the fence wires and entered the palace, shouting, “We want this regime to end.” Many protestors even went on to kiss the security officials while chanting ‘peaceful, peaceful’ and ‘Leave, Leave.’ On the other hand, while Morsi did offer a few concessions to finish the country’s political crisis in a national speech he made on Thursday, nothing was substantial. He refused to withdraw a dubious constitution drafted by his followers, which has given him unconditional powers. The opposition refused to talk unless he refuted the referendum and met their demands. They want him to annul the verdict completely.

“The National Salvation Front is not taking part in the dialogue,” said Ahmed Said, the opposition leader. He is also the head of the liberal Free Egyptians Party.

This clash resulted in the death of 7 people, while more than 350 people were injured. The funeral of six Morsi supporters was held by Islamists at Cairo’s al-Azhar mosque on November 23, 2012.

The Front’s coordinator and a Nobel peace laureate and, Mohamed ElBaradei, appealed to the national forces to turn away from an offer that he claimed was “based on arm-twisting and burden of a fait accompli.” Several other peace and justice foundations feel that the only solution to end this crisis is dialog, rather than more clashed and consequently, bloodshed.

The crisis in Egypt is now in its third week, with anger mounting on all fronts. This chaos has also uncovered the difference in opinion between the two groups of the country – the Islamists who the army had suppressed for decades and their rivals who fear that the extremists aim to snub their voices and completely eradicate all forms of social freedom.

This unrest in the country is reducing its hope for stability and economic recovery. This crisis is the worst since Morsi assumed office in June, following the upheaval of Mubarak. The nation comprising of 85 million people caught in this unrest are anxiously looking forward to the end of this crisis, as it is costing their livelihood and jobs. Moreover, the longer this crisis continues, the more difficult it will become for the Morsi government to manage the huge budget deficit, along with avoiding the issue of balance of payments. Many other measures directed towards lifting the country’s economy have taken a backseat due to the ongoing situation.

Egypt takes a strong step in trying to play peacemaker between the two parties. Its major goals are to win over international support for the cause of the Palestinians and to move towards negotiating a truce between these countries, so that other bordering countries are not endangered in this game of hostility and hatred. There was a temporary cessation of hostilities in October as a result of a temporary agreement, which has long since collapsed. Therefore, Egypt wants to form a new agreement, the drafting of which is backed by the Cairo–based Arab League, so that the fresh agreement guarantees ‘long-term’ validity.

The foreign ministers of various Arab countries will form a delegation led by the league chief, Nabil Elaraby, which will soon leave for Gaza and lend its support to the efforts made by Egypt in the peace negotiation process. The Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi, is in talks with other ministers and officials regarding their strategies and plans. He has given some indications that a ceasefire is possible in the near future but nothing has been finalised as yet.

According to the reports of The State News Agency QNA, Qatar has lent financial aid to Egypt by giving $10 million to help revive the condition of the wounded Palestinians. The government of Egypt does not have any prior experience in dealing with such global conflicts, as the one in Gaza. Despite this being a disadvantage for Egypt, it moves ahead to accomplish its aims. It is communicating with both Israel and Gaza to end this bloody battle and reconcile for the good of the whole of Middle East.

Though the real war is between Israel and Gaza, the threat to the bordering countries of being automatically drawn into this conflict is increasing with each passing day. Trade and commerce have taken a hit, while many have been killed and injured, with the numbers piling up steadily with time. This war is not only claiming the lives of innocent people of these two countries but can also give way to or lay the path for ethnic clashes.

The Arab ministers and Egypt have recognised all these voices that can lead to an aftermath of sorts, and they are, therefore, providing support to mediate successful negotiations between the two countries. The meetings are expected to pave way for finding a long-term solution for ending the ongoing hostility.

The 21-month long uprising in Syria has only escalated and Turkey, the neighbouring country, has been pushed to the point of frustration. Turkey accused Syria of state terrorism, looking at the current death toll. Only three days ago on December 3, 2012, Syrian warplanes bombed a security building where rebels had been taking refuge along Turkish borders that left at least 11 people wounded. A Turkish official said that many civilians also fled the scene into Turkey. Turkey is now one of the strongest critics of the Assad Regime, especially considering the fact that Turkey hosts about 145,000 refugees who have fled Syria in an attempt to escape death and violence.

Even though direct military intervention seems unlikely, covert means are being adopted to end the conflict. Among all the countries taking action, Turkey is a country that is directly suffering the most as result of Assad’s decision to offer base and backing to PKK fighters in and around south-east Turkey. Reportedly, PKK-related violence has now reached a new 10-year high and shows signs of spreading. Perhaps, the open condemnation of Assad’s regime by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his demand to remove Assad has escalated matters. Every day brings new attacks on Turkey, with Turkish soldiers and civilians losing lives in the battle.

The continuing bloodshed and fights have prompted Turkey to consider a stronger stance. Turkey’s Prime Minister sharply criticised the Security Council in its failure to end the civil war in Syria. Turkey had also asked U.N. Security Council for a safe zone within Syria to house all the refugees seeking asylum, which had been ignored by United States, Britain and other NATO countries. Turkish foreign minister even said that all differences must be set aside by major powers to resolve the issue in Syria. The minister said that the war has been going on for too long in the country and the prevention of a disaster should take priority.

In the meantime, clearly desperate and concerned about the escalating conflict within its borders, Turkey has taken up retaliatory artillery strikes against Syria to safeguard its territory and protect border security. While Turkey made it clear that they were a peaceful country and had no interest in starting a war, they had to retaliate against Syria to protect its citizens.

A turning point in this battle has been the use of warplanes by the Assad government in August this year. The fighting finally reached Aleppo, which had been relatively calm for most of the time during the revolt. Since the beginning of the civil war, Aleppo continues to be the target of bombardment and violence. Meanwhile, several warplanes and tanks continue to assault Aleppo causing the collapse of houses and leaving a good number of people dead. Aleppo has become a battle scene, with continued fighting between the forces loyal to Assad and the rebels respectively. An activist, Mohammed Saeed, said that the fighting inside the city had reached the districts of Al-Jadidah and Maadi Telal where the rebels had made some headway, while the government forces are still trying to make headway in Aleppo.

The damage to a major water pipeline in Syria has left many parts of Aleppo stranded without drinking water. As reported by the observatory, the pipeline was damaged by the army warplanes. As of now, some parts of the city do not have electricity or water, which is only adding to the suffering of the people. The residents of Aleppo, returning after months and with the bid to resume with their normal lives, have started public demonstrations demanding an end to the violence in Aleppo. However, there is heavy fighting still ongoing along the front lines of the city.

Daraa, the birthplace of the uprising, also stands conflicted. There is intense fighting between Assad’s forces and the opposition going on in this place, as the death toll continues to rise. The southern city of Daraa saw the rebels detonate a car bomb near the house of a senior member of the ruling party killing him and his bodyguards as told by the activists.

In an unprecedented move, Assad has cut off Internet and cell phone connectivity in the region. Confirmed by an US Internet security company, it said that all internet activities in Syria have effectively stopped at 12:26 p.m. local time on November 29, 2012. According to many reports, more than 40,000 people are thought to be dead in the Syrian civil war. UN, in its reports, says that more than 200,000 people have fled Aleppo to escape the clashes between the army and the rebels. More than 400,000 people have registered as refugees in neighbouring counties and many more thousands have not yet registered. Currently, almost 1.2 million Syrians have been displaced from their home country, with as many 2.5 million people needing aid in some form or the other.

Morsi’s visit to Iran was in order to participate in the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Tehran. The Non-Aligned Movement comprises of all the countries that are not officially aligned or against any major power blocs or the west. About 120 countries from mainly the Middle East, Africa and few countries from Asia and South America are members of this group.

This visit could start a new relationship between the two countries that have been distant and not very affable for decades. The trip came within a few days of Morsi including Iran in a proposal to form a contract group that would try to mediate peace in Syria to stop the escalating civil war.

Egypt’s president, Morsi, was welcomed by the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the conference hall in Tehran. This is the first time both the presidents have met after Morsi became the first elected president of Egypt, subsequent to the uprising in Egypt. Morsi called the President Bashar Assad regime ‘oppressive’ and openly denounced former ally, Syria, over the civil war. There seems to be a difference between the two countries with regard to the crisis in Syria. While Iran supports the Damascus regime, Egyptians generally sympathise with the opposition seeking to oust Bashar Assad.

United States claims that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons in Tehran to fight against Israel. However, in this summit, Iran has tried to counter claims made by the United States saying that Iran is isolated due to its nuclear programme and stated that the weapons are only for peaceful purposes. Morsi’s trip to Iran was after his trip to China, where he announced that Egypt would restart their nuclear programme.

Egypt has signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and has, recently, made an agreement with Russia to develop nuclear facilities. Reportedly, Morsi has been invited to tour the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran.

It is said that one of the more ambitious agenda of the Tehran summit was to launch a peace effort from countries like Egypt, Iran and other counties to resolve the crisis in Syria, although the outcome is yet not decided.

Syria’s main opposition leader in exile has called for a no-fly zone by the powerful countries in its border areas to protect the civilians from regime helicopters and warplanes. A lot of Syrian refugees have sought shelter in its neighbouring nations. For instance, Turkey is housing over 12,000 Syrian refugees. Abdelbaset Sieda, the President of the Syrian National Council, had called for a no-fly zone move during Friends’ of Syria meeting held in Paris, which was attended by several world powers. Sieda had urged for the move to be implemented along the border of Turkey and Jordan in order to protect his nation’s people and the country from huge catastrophe and destruction.

The no-fly zone is an attempt to provide ‘safe havens’ to the refugees. Syria has also been involved in air force attacks and, therefore, this no-fly zone move was called for providing special protection. The opposition of Syria includes rebel fighters, religious minority groups and veteran dissidents. Such a move has been specifically proposed to safeguard the people from artillery bombings and the aircrafts, which are causing massive loss of lives. This move was deliberately called to make the regime realise its eroding powers from the nation. Sieda had renewed the plea to continue with the opposition after U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton had mentioned that Washington and Turkey had discussed various steps, which also included no-fly zone in certain parts of Syria due to escalating air force attacks from the regime.

The newly united Syrian opposition has also received formal recognition from Britain as the ‘sole legitimate representative.’ The opposition has also gained formal recognition from France on 2012, November, 13. The foreign minister of France, Laurent Fabius, had mentioned that France will take a strong stand on chemical arms. Some Gulf Arab States recognise and have acknowledged the Syrian National Council for the Opposition and Revolutionary forces. On the contrary, United States, most European countries and the Arab League are yet to confirm their recognition, as they are being more cautious on it.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has cut the food rations for people affected during the Syrian full blown war due to cash shortages. The refugees are finding it difficult in other nations to adjust due to no work opportunities; however, they are composed and a little more fearless because of decreased noises of planes hovering in the sky.