ガザ空爆 早期停戦へ国際仲介を強めよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Intl community must step up to quickly bring about Gaza truce
ガザ空爆　早期停戦へ国際仲介を強めよ

To break the chain of violence and swiftly bring about a ceasefire, the international community should stand united and step up efforts to persuade all sides involved in the fighting to lay down their arms.
　暴力の連鎖を断ち、早期停戦を実現するため、国際社会は結束し、紛争当事者に対する説得工作を強めるべきだ。

Rocket attacks by the Hamas Islamist group that effectively controls the Palestinian autonomous territory of Gaza and retaliatory air strikes by the Israeli military have intensified.
　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などのロケット弾攻撃と、イスラエル軍による空爆の応酬が激化してきた。

Egypt proposed a truce centering on talks between the top leaders of both sides and the easing of the economic blockade on Gaza. Israel initially accepted the truce plan. However, Hamas rejected the proposal and the ceasefire did not come into effect. Both sides have since launched a fresh barrage of attacks.
　エジプトが、紛争当事者のトップ会談やガザ経済封鎖の解除を柱とする停戦案を示し、イスラエルはいったん受け入れた。だが、ハマスが拒否したため、停戦は実現せず、双方が攻撃を再開した。

A handful of Israelis have been killed or injured by the Hamas rocket attacks, but the number of dead and wounded in Gaza has topped 1,600. There are fears that there could be even more bloodshed.
　ロケット弾によるイスラエル側の犠牲者は少数だが、ガザの死傷者は１６００人を超えた。流血のさらなる拡大が懸念される。

Over 70 percent of the more than 200 people killed have been civilians caught in the fighting. The U.N. Security Council quite rightly issued a statement that unanimously called for all sides to ensure the protection of civilians.
　２００人超の死者の７割以上が巻き添えになった市民とされる。国連安全保障理事会が双方に対して、民間人の保護を全会一致の声明で訴えたのは当然である。

The flare-up in the fighting stems from the murder of three Israeli teenagers in mid-June, which was followed by the killing of a Palestinian teen. Skirmishes between Israeli forces and Palestinian people have developed into a military conflict.
　紛争の発端は、６月中旬以降、イスラエル、パレスチナ双方の若者が相次いで殺された事件だ。イスラエル軍と民衆の小競り合いが軍事衝突に発展した。

Militant groups in Gaza have fired about 1,000 rockets into Israel. Daily Israeli air strikes have targeted Hamas-linked facilities and rocket launching sites.
　ガザの武装勢力がイスラエルへ撃ち込んだロケット弾は約１０００発に上る。イスラエルは連日、ハマスの関連施設やロケット弾の発射基地を空爆している。

Nations taking sides

Another cause for concern is that rockets have also been fired at Israel from Lebanon and Syria.
　心配なのは、レバノンやシリアからもイスラエルへのロケット弾攻撃が行われていることだ。

The Middle East is already trembling due to civil wars raging inside Syria and Iraq. If the Israel-Palestine fighting escalates and spreads, the region will plunge into an extremely serious crisis.
　中東は既に、シリアとイラクの内戦で揺れている。さらに、今回の紛争が拡大すれば、極めて深刻な危機に陥ろう。

We think the United States should show strong leadership and urge its ally Israel to exert self-restraint.
　米国は、強い指導力を発揮し、同盟国であるイスラエルに自制を働きかけるべきだ。

We also hope the Palestinian Authority and Arab nations that wield some influence over Hamas will work closely with international organizations and other channels to seek ways to quickly bring about a solution to the current situation.
　ハマスに一定の影響力を有するアラブ諸国やパレスチナ自治政府も、国際機関などと緊密に連携し、事態の早期収拾に向けた道筋を探ってもらいたい。

Hamas’ hard-line position of refusing to accept the state of Israel’s existence lies at the heart of the problem. Under the rule of Hamas, which has shown scant ability to govern, Gaza’s economy has collapsed and its people are losing hope.
　問題の根底には、イスラエル国家の存在を認めないハマスの強硬姿勢がある。統治能力を欠くハマスの下でガザ経済は破綻し、住民は希望を失っている。

However, if Hamas were to lose strength, it could open the door to the rise of even more dangerous Islamist organizations such as the Islamic Jihad extremist organization. This conflict complicates efforts to resolve the Gaza problem.
　だが、ハマスが弱体化すれば、過激派組織「イスラム聖戦」など、より危険なイスラム主義勢力を台頭させかねない。この矛盾がガザ問題の解決を難しくしている。

The Israeli government and the Palestinians halted Middle East peace talks at the end of April. The negotiations remain suspended.
　イスラエルとパレスチナの中東和平交渉は４月末に頓挫し、現在も中断したままだ。

When dialogue is cut off, the situation destabilizes and military conflict starts. Unless leaders on both sides share a resolve to eradicate this chronic disease afflicting the Middle East, it will be impossible to escape from the quagmire in which they are stuck.
　対話が途絶えると、情勢が不安定化し、軍事紛争が始まる。この中東の宿痾を克服する決意を双方の指導者が共有しなければ、泥沼からの脱却はあり得まい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 17, 2014)