(GAZA 2024) REVISING THE ‘REASONS TO LIVE’ AN ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT SCENARIOS & FORESIGHTED FUTURE

Abstract

The occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel caused a lot of problems in the domain of physical, moral, social, economic, and territorial livelihood. The paper explores the concept of 'reasons to live' amidst the adversity of the War on Gaza 2023/2024. It further examines the physical, moral, social, economic, and political dimensions of living reasons for Gazans. The paper illustrates the universal search for meaning and hope during crises through a literature review and case studies from recent conflicts. It emphasises the critical role of community support, faith, culture, and the pursuit of happiness in fostering resilience. In this paper, we use the foresight framework to analyse the ‘reasons to live’ for Palestinians in general and Gazans in particular despite the challenges and the misery. This framework consists of making future forecasts based on the past, present or current scenario, scanning the trends, and diagnosing complex issues. Then, providing different alternatives based on the preferred goals would lead to peace, stability, and better livelihood for the Gazans. The authors develop a bridge to sustain Gaza’s resilience through alternatives based on physical, moral, social, economic, and territorial domains. The qualitative approach used helped to analyse current scenarios, trends, and the potential for future foresight in improving Gazans' livelihoods. The Houston Foresight Framework is applied to anticipate and prepare for future challenges, aiming to create adaptable and resilient communities in Gaza that would continue the journey till Palestine is freed from the Israeli occupation. Findings suggest a persistent desire for life among Palestinians despite severe adversities, highlighting the importance of stratifying and customising all types of international support, community solidarity, and sustainable development efforts towards improving livelihood goals and avoiding accepting perishable services. One of the implications of this work is that it gives war-torn societies hope for advocating for a future foresight approach that empowers communities and guides recovery efforts over a short period of time. Conclusively, the paper asserts the necessity of addressing 'reasons to live' for individuals and communities facing the horrors of war through a vision that combines continuity towards resilience, hope, and the will to live to restore peace and dignity. It calls for strategic interventions and practical, comprehensive, empathetic engagement to support the people of Gaza and the Palestinians in general in their quest to achieve a sustainable future that frees the world from injustice, but also preserves its humanity.