With each passing day, Israel continues to break all records of brutality and inhumanity against the Palestinian people.
The recent massacre of at least 71 people in Gaza — including 42 innocent aid seekers — and reported deaths of five more Palestinians due to starvation, offer yet another painful glimpse into the scale of destruction that Israel is unleashing on an already devastated population.
As if aerial bombardments were not enough, Israel has resorted to starving Palestinians by blocking aid routes and criminalising humanitarian efforts. In a chilling development, Israeli forces have seized the Handala, a vessel which was carrying baby formula and essential aid to Gaza. The ship, intercepted in international waters, was on a peaceful mission to break the illegal and inhumane blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Foreign Ministry shamelessly justified the act, calling the humanitarian mission “dangerous” and “unlawful.” In reality, what is dangerous is Israel’s total disregard for international law and human dignity. What is unlawful is the suffocation of over two million besieged people, the collective punishment of civilians and the obstruction of life-saving aid.Such acts of cruelty should at the very least shake the conscience of those who continue to defend Israel under the guise of security and self-defense. The so-called champions of human rightsmust be asked: what exactly are you championing? If you cannot stop the mass killing and deliberate starvation of an entire people, then stop lecturing the world about democracy, freedom, or human rights. It is for the Muslim countries to move beyond hollow statements and diplomatic condemnations. The blood of Gaza’s children, the tears of its mothers and the suffering of its elderly are calling out to the world. The question is not just about Israel’s crimes — it is also about global failure to uphold justice, to honour humanity and to confront tyranny.
