Gaza Abandoned: Justice for Ukraine, Silence for Palestine

Europe has recently taken a historic step, launching an International Claims Commission to assess and compensate damages caused by the war in Ukraine. The scale of mobilisation has been unprecedented: tens of thousands of claims registered, governments committing legal, financial, and political support, and plans already underway to consider reparations, even from frozen assets. This structured, multilateral effort signals a firm belief that victims of war —regardless of nationality —deserve recognition, accountability, and justice.

Yet, while Europe acts decisively for Ukraine, the same principle of accountability appears absent for Gaza. Gaza has endured devastation of staggering proportions: thousands of civilians killed, tens of thousands displaced, homes, schools, and hospitals destroyed, and its already fragile infrastructure reduced to rubble. Entire communities live without water, electricity, or medical services. Economically, the Strip faces near-total collapse. The destruction rivals, and in some respects surpasses, that witnessed in Ukraine.

The time to act is now. Structural, enforceable mechanisms of accountability for Gaza must be pursued with the same energy, seriousness, and political will that Europe has shown for Ukraine. Anything less is not only morally inadequate but legally and ethically indefensible. The world cannot cotinue to turn a blind eye. Gaza’s tragedy deserves more than rhetoric — it demands justice

And yet, there is no formal international mechanism to assess, validate, or compensate for these damages. No commission, no claims process, no structured accountability framework —nothing approaching the scale or seriousness of Europe’s efforts for Ukraine. Humanitarian aid flows intermittently, but aid alone cannot replace destroyed lives, homes, or livelihoods, nor can it address the structural injustice inflicted on Gaza’s population.

This glaring disparity raises the big question: If Europe and its partners can mobilise resources, legal frameworks, and political will to create a structured compensation mechanism for Ukraine, why is Gaza left without a similar system despite equal or even greater devastation? Why does the international community —and particularly the Muslim world, which shares historical, cultural, and religious bonds with the Palestinian people —remain largely silent or ineffective in translating outrage into actionable accountability?

The silence is deafening. Regional organisations, Muslim-majority states, and global institutions have repeatedly condemned violence in Gaza, but these condemnations rarely translate into enforceable mechanisms of justice. Meanwhile, Western powers, citing geopolitical calculations, continue to prioritise conflicts closer to their strategic spheres, leaving Gaza trapped in cycles of destruction and neglect. This selective application of justice exposes a stark double standard: some victims of war receive immediate recognition, structured legal redress, and global attention, while others, equally deserving, are left in the shadows.

The moral and legal implications are profound. International law, human rights conventions, and humanitarian norms are intended to be universal, yet their application is uneven. The people of Gaza have a right to recognition, redress, and compensation. The absence of a formal mechanism not only perpetuates injustice but also erodes faith in international institutions and norms. If accountability is to be meaningful, it cannot be selective.

The world must confront this paradox. Gaza’s suffering is not a distant or abstract issue; it is a litmus test of the credibility of international justice. The comparison with Ukraine serves as a mirror, reflecting the inequities of a system where geopolitics often trumps principle. It compels the Muslim world, civil society, and international actors to ask difficult questions: Are we upholding the principles we profess? Are we willing to mobilise legal, political, and financial mechanisms to ensure that Gaza’s destruction is recognised, assessed, and addressed?

There is precedent, and there is possibility. The International Claims Commission for Ukraine demonstrates that it is feasible to establish structured, multilateral mechanisms to quantify war damage, validate claims, and pursue reparations. If such a framework can be instituted for Europe, why not for Gaza? The absence of action is not due to lack of options, but rather a lack of prioritisation, political courage, and collective will.

Gaza deserves more than temporary humanitarian relief. It deserves justice, recognition, and accountability —in line with the same principles being applied elsewhere. The big question must echo loudly in diplomatic halls, international forums, and the corridors of power: If Ukraine’s destruction can trigger rapid institutionalised justice, why does Gaza’s devastation not command the same response? Until this question is answered, the credibility of international justice remains compromised, and Gaza’s people remain the invisible victims of a selective system.

The time to act is now. Structural, enforceable mechanisms of accountability for Gaza must be pursued with the same energy, seriousness, and political will that Europe has shown for Ukraine. Anything less is not only morally inadequate but legally and ethically indefensible. The world cannot continue to turn a blind eye. Gaza’s tragedy deserves more than rhetoric — it demands justice.