November 30th 2023.
The horrific attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th was an invitation to death, destruction, and retaliatory violence of unspeakable proportions. The retaliatory action by Israel has caused a massacre of over 14,000 Palestinians, including nearly 5,000 children, besides displacing nearly two million people. In this unmitigated disaster of violence and death, it is clear the Israeli forces have targeted innocent Gazans in their war on Hamas, instead of focusing on the militant group alone.
The collective punishment of Gazans and the collective silence of the West, particularly the US, as well as the apathy of the Arab world towards Palestinians, suggests a lack of humanity and complicity in the name of “war on terror”. Conflict-casualty experts say that the pace of death during Israel’s campaign has few precedents in this century, and that the scale of strikes, as well as the nature of the weaponry used, has been more devastating in dense urban areas than even in the deadliest moments of the US-led attacks in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
The asymmetry between Hamas’ actions and Israel’s response raises serious questions about the latter’s right to defend itself. In a world of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit collective punishment, it becomes clear that Israel’s reaction is a bigger crime than Hamas’ abominable attack. The verbal assaults dehumanising Gazans — “human animals” and “children of darkness’ — that preceded the military assault showed Israel’s intent of obliteration of Gaza.
The US and its Western allies have given Israel a blank cheque in this conflict, and the country has now become a villain in the war. The lack of humanity, indiscriminate military operation, and the complete siege of Gaza has been declared war crimes by human rights activists. The US President’s support for “safe passage for Gaza civilians seeking safety” was meaningless because there is no safe place in Gaza.
India’s stand on the ongoing conflict has been controversial. While the Indian government has condemned the violence, it has also refused to call for a ceasefire. India’s silence has been heavily criticised by the international community, and India now finds itself in the midst of a global diplomatic crisis.
It is clear that blind retribution and killing will not bring peace to the contentious land of conflicting claims. The US and its Western allies must champion Palestinians’ rights, and call for a ceasefire. There must be a serious way towards a Palestinian state, and the US must stop giving Israel a blank cheque to its aggressive actions. Only then can a lasting peace be established in Gaza.
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