ガザ流血拡大 本格停戦への道筋を探りたい

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Concessions needed on both sides to secure durable Gaza ceasefire
ガザ流血拡大　本格停戦への道筋を探りたい

The United States, European countries and the United Nations should act in concert with Middle East nations capable of exercising influence over the warring parties to bring about a long-lasting cessation to ongoing hostilities.
　米国や欧州、国連は、紛争当事者に影響力を持つ中東諸国と連携し、本格的な停戦への道筋をつけてもらいたい。

The shedding of blood has been escalating in the conflict between Hamas, the militant Islamic group that dominates the Gaza Strip, which is part of the Palestine autonomous territories, and Israel. Although both sides temporarily reached a brief ceasefire in the fighting, there are no immediate prospects at all for an end to the conflict.
　パレスチナ自治区ガザを実効支配するイスラム主義組織ハマスとイスラエルの軍事衝突で流血が拡大している。両者は一時的には停戦したが、事態が収拾する見通しは立っていない。

In addition to air strikes, Israeli troops have launched a ground offensive in Gaza. This operation is aimed at finding and destroying Hamas’ large number of underground tunnels crisscrossing the Gaza border. This is because the tunnel network has been exploited for firing rockets and across-the-border assaults by Hamas militants against Israel.
　イスラエル軍は、空爆に加えてガザへの地上侵攻に踏み切った。ガザに張り巡らされた多数の地下トンネルの全面的な破壊を目標としている。トンネル網が、イスラエルへのロケット弾の発射や越境攻撃に利用されているためだ。

As many tunnels have been constructed beneath residential and other civilian facilities, a large number of civilians have been killed. This is a matter of grave concern. The number of people who have been killed on both sides since Israel began its offensive on July 8 has reportedly passed 1,000.
　トンネルは、住宅や民間施設の地下にもあるため、多くの民間人の犠牲者を生んでいる。ゆゆしき事態である。双方の死者は計１０００人を超えたという。

The United Nations has strongly condemned the Israeli offensive in which hospitals, schools and evacuation facilities have been attacked, as well as the despicable means Hamas has of employing civilians as human shields in the conflict, as both possibly “amounting to war crimes.”
　国連は、病院や学校、退避施設も対象とするイスラエル軍の攻撃と、民間人を「人間の盾」に使うハマスの卑劣な手段を「戦争犯罪となり得る」と強く非難した。

Israel, which has a firepower overwhelmingly superior to that of Hamas, justifies its offensive as “exercising our right of self-defense.” This is hardly reasonable. At the very least, Israel must avoid attacking civilian facilities. Hamas, for its part, must promptly stop responses that treat human life lightly.
　火力で圧倒的に勝るイスラエルが自国の攻撃を「自衛権の行使」などと正当化する説明には、無理がある。少なくとも、民間施設に対する攻撃は回避すべきだ。ハマスも、人命を軽んじる対応を早急にやめる必要がある。

More efforts essential

Such figures as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon have continued to mediate the situation. On top of their efforts, cooperation not only from the two Arab countries with diplomatic relations with Israel—Egypt and Jordan—but also from countries with influence over Hamas, such as Qatar and Turkey, is indispensable for resolving the crisis.
　ケリー米国務長官や国連の潘基文事務総長が、仲介外交を続けている。イスラエルと国交のあるエジプトやヨルダンに加え、ハマスに影響力を持つカタールやトルコなどの協力が欠かせない。

With many regions in the Middle East being thrown into turmoil because of the civil wars in Syria and Iraq, countries in the environs of Israel and the Gaza Strip have been unable to unite in halting the Gaza conflict. The influence of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah-Sissi, who has regarded Hamas with hostility for years, is considered limited.
　シリアやイラクの内戦などで中東各地が混乱する中、周辺の関係国が結束できずにいる。ハマスを長年敵視してきたエジプトのシシ大統領の影響力も限定的だ。

Prior to the latest 12-hour humanitarian truce, Kerry came out with a proposal for a seven-day lull in fighting so consultations could be held to realize a full-fledged accord on a prolonged ceasefire.
　ケリー長官は、戦闘を１週間停止し、その間に本格停戦に向けた協議を行うとの案を提示した。

Both Israel and Hamas turned down the proposal, but the United States and other countries concerned should persevere. They should tenaciously consider ways to work out a plan acceptable to both Israel and Hamas.
　イスラエルとハマスは提案を拒否したが、米欧や関係国はあきらめず、双方が受け入れ可能な案を粘り強く探ってほしい。

To put a full-scale truce in place, concessions on both sides are essential, with a guarantee of Israel’s security on one hand and steps to help rebuild Gaza, a chronically impoverished region because of a seven-year-long economic blockade by Israel, on the other. The impasse can never be resolved by military power alone.
　本格停戦には、イスラエルに対する安全の保証や、７年に及ぶ経済封鎖で慢性的な困窮状態に置かれたガザの再建に向けた、双方の歩み寄りが欠かせない。軍事力だけでは問題は解決しない。

The fact that Israel and Hamas reached an accord on the truce from a humanitarian viewpoint is praiseworthy, even though it is only for 12 hours. The pause in fighting makes it possible for Gaza residents, including those who have been wounded, to evacuate to safer areas and stock up on such supplies as food and medicine.
　イスラエルとハマスが、１２時間の時限的措置とはいえ、人道的観点から戦闘を中断したことは評価できる。これにより、負傷者を含むガザ住民の避難や、食料や医薬品などの搬入が可能になった。

Although there is little room for optimism over what lies ahead, the mutual concessions Israel and Hamas demonstrated this time should be made the first step toward a breakthrough for resolving the Gaza crisis.
　停戦工作の前途は楽観できないが、今回の歩み寄りを問題解決への一歩としなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 27, 2014)