By Emmanuel Elebeke

Panelists at the Nigerian Info FM Diplomatic Programme’s Borderlines Debate condemned the ongoing Gaza massacre and urged a ceasefire.

They deemed the Israel-Hamas war unjust, citing innocent lives lost, especially women and children.
Former Nigerian Aviation Minister Chief Femi Fani-Kayode criticized Israel’s refusal to heed UN and global calls for peace.

“The butchering of innocent civilians, women, and children must stop,” he said. “Recognize all human beings as equal; abandon the notion of being the master race, God’s chosen people.”

The panelists’ concerns reflect the growing global worry about the escalating conflicts and violence worldwide.

The nature of conflict has transformed significantly since the UN was founded, with conflicts now often waged between domestic groups rather than states. Homicides are becoming more frequent in some parts of the world, while gender-based attacks are increasing globally.

The UN is known for maintaining international peace and security through conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and promoting sustainable development.

The organization works to prevent conflicts, help parties in conflict make peace, and deploy peacekeepers to create conditions for peace to hold and flourish.

And Sustainable Development Goal 16:
Promotes just, peaceful, and inclusive societies, reducing arms flows and combatting organized crime, and significantly reducing all forms of violence worldwide.

In his submission, a former Minister of Aviation in Nigeria, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode faulted Israel’s refusal to heed wise counseling from United Nations and other well meaning voices from across the globe, calling for immediate cease fire and restoration of peace in the war torn region.

The visibly angered Kayode, said stance on the war called on Israel to end the killing of women, children and civilians in Gaza.

Fani-Kayode said: “The butchering of innocent civilians, women and children should stop.

“Accept the idea that all human beings are the same, get rid of that idea that you are the master race, God’s chosen race.”

He warned that should Israel failed to heed the wise counselling of accepting the two-state proposal by the United Nations, the victims and upcoming generations of Palestinians would continue to avenge for their lost ones.

On his part, a public analyst, Prof Anthony Kila, Said the crisis in the Middle East was a result of a collection of human flaws, blaming both Israel and Palestine for the crisis.

Kila, while predicting that the war could end amicably, charged both Israel and the Palestine to do think our of the box and reach a point of compromise with a view to restoring uncommon peace and normalcy in the region.

For him, “There must be one thing that Israel or Saudi Arabia is doing differently that made them every leader’s friends.”

Responding to question on the possible impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on the crisis in the Middle East, Prof Kila described the US president-elect was unpredictable.

He said, Trump is expected to act the Israel way but he is not a person you can predict, saying, “We have come to a phase where the leaders of Israel and Palestine Must come together to ensure that nobody dies again.”

Another panelist, Prof Mukhtar Imam, attributed the raging war to Israel failure to obey the UN two-state resolution.

He urged the wari g parties to shield their sword and save innocent lives being lost daily.

“Borderlines Debate”is a high-profile live discussion at Nigeria Info FM, that brought together ambassadors, diplomats, diverse perspectives and in-depth analysis of some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

The debate focused on the war in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine with a view to finding lasting solution to the lingering crisis.