By Usama Malick
What is unfolding in Gaza? No food, no water, no medicine, and yet the remaining children, even as many as 50,000, have been brutally and inhumanely killed or injured by Israel, continue to roam the streets of Gaza, clinging to the hope that someone will come to their rescue, bring them food, and shield them from the sky, the same sky from which once only rain used to fall. Now, all that falls from the sky are rockets and bombs.
Unfortunately, all the world nations are watching in horror, yet not a single concrete step is being taken to stop this tragedy. As things stand, the ghoulish Israeli government has no regard for human life or values, let alone for religious sites and hospitals. On June 2, Israel bombed a mosque in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah city, leaving its structure hollow and in ruins. Israeli forces have also violated the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, by entering its premises.
The word ‘genocide’ cannot capture the grief of the husband and wife, both doctors, who have lost nine out of their ten children in Israeli blasts This is just one family’s tragic story. Before the immoral Israelis begin moving into the Gaza Strip to settle there permanently, the world must act. It must call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and compel Israel to allow medical and food aid into Gaza. The time to act is now because, in truth, it is already too late.
Apparently, the aid meant to provide transient relief to the starving Palestinians is also being used as an instrument to carry out mass killings. The reprehensible Israeli forces, during the first militarized food distribution, opened fire on famished Palestinians, killing at least three and wounding 35. Using hunger as a tool to lure Palestinians, the diabolical Israeli forces make it as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “The best of you are those who feed others”. (Musnad Aḥmad 23926).
The Israelis are also offering food to Palestinians not with the intention of feeding them, but of killing them. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a statement condemning this heinous Israeli act and calling for an inquiry. He said, “I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday. It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food.” Could humanity stoop any lower than this?
If this was not enough, the fiendish Israeli government has shamelessly announced plans to build 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank region. It is akin to daring the whole world, including the inactive Muslim nations, to stop it from acting on its whims and caprices. Moreover, in the northern part of Gaza, several Israeli military excavators have been seen demolishing the only specialized dialysis facility, Noura Al-Kaabi , along with the nearby cemetery, forcing people to evacuate the area. Going against their own words, the Israeli forces have also bombed areas where displaced families live, such as Al-Mawasi, which they themselves had designated as a ‘safe zone.’ Israel’s nefarious actions in the region are among the worst crimes in human history.
It is not surprising that the human beings with enlightened consciences from across the globe are taking to the streets to express their unwavering support for the Palestinians. It is not surprising that people with enlightened consciences from across the globe are taking to the streets to express their unwavering support for the Palestinians. On May 29, an 18-hour-long vigil was held in London in remembrance of those who lost their lives due to the tyranny of Israel. All the participants, including world-renowned personalities such as Chris O’Dowd, Steve Coogan, Dawn O’Porter, Nadia Sawalha, Misan Harriman, and Ncuti Gatwa, with tears trickling down their cheeks, read aloud the names of 15,613 children who died as a result of Israel’s war crimes. UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, has also asked, “How many more dead girls and boys will it take?”
The extent to which Israel has killed Palestinians and destroyed their homes is beyond condemnation. Now, nearly all world leaders, including those from Europe, have begun openly rebuking Netanyahu and his grossly inhumane genocidal policies without resorting to euphemisms. Some EU states are even insisting on suspending full trade relations with Israel. In a recent press conference, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he cannot allow the current situation in Gaza to continue and that France will toughen its stance on Israel if humanitarian aid is not permitted into Gaza.
The word ‘genocide’ cannot capture the grief of the husband and wife, both doctors, who have lost nine out of their ten children in Israeli blasts This is just one family’s tragic story. Before the immoral Israelis begin moving into the Gaza Strip to settle there permanently, the world must act. It must call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and compel Israel to allow medical and food aid into Gaza. The time to act is now because, in truth, it is already too late.
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
