IN the wake of the recent wave of Israel’s military attacks in Gaza, which started a month ago, the death toll of Palestinians stands at over a heart-wrenching 10,000 lives lost, with over 4,000 of them being children. The situation in the Gaza Strip is dire, marked by a complete siege, power breakdown, lack of access to food, drinking water, fuel and medicines. The widespread violence has forced around 1.5 million people, representing more than half of the Gaza Strip’s population, from their homes. All these factors collectively contribute to a severe humanitarian crisis, calling for the attention of global powers.
Israel has justified its brutal assault as a response to Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Southern Israel that left at least 1,400 Israelis dead. However, it’s equally crucial to understand the context in which these actions occur. Palestinians in Gaza have been living under a continuous state of fear and siege, the historical backdrop of dispossession, displacement and occupation has created a deeply complex and dire situation, with multiple generations growing up in an environment marked by conflict and hardship.
Israel’s justification of collective punishment of all the people of Gaza in the name of punishing Hamas and defending itself can never be acceptable under the principles of justice and human rights. A complete siege of the territory, cutting off electricity and water and preventing the entry of food, fuel and medicine with continuous airstrikes on the city are certainly not an act of defending itself. There has been widespread killing of civilians and human rights groups are accusing Israel of committing war crimes. In a world that aspires to uphold principles of justice, human rights and international law, the unending agony in Gaza serves as a stark reminder of the inadequacies in our global response to humanitarian crises. It questions the essence of our collective conscience and the values we champion.
After World War II, the global community has made significant strides in recognizing the importance of human rights and the protection of civilians in conflict zones. The situation in Gaza challenges our commitment to these ideals. It compels us to question the very foundations upon which the international order is built and our willingness to ensure that justice and compassion triumph over indifference. The people of Gaza are not statistics; they are individuals, families and communities enduring immense hardship.
In the case of Gaza, major global powers have expressed reluctance in condemning the aggression of Israel or taken a cautious approach due to their strategic interests, alliances and geopolitical calculations. While these nations possess the capacity to make substantial impacts on global affairs, their geopolitical interests have taken precedence over their stated commitment to humanitarian principles- classic realpolitik. Inaction in the face of humanitarian crises can lead to charges of hypocrisy, as the public increasingly turns to these superpowers, amplified by the reach of social media, expecting them to uphold the principles they promote and leverage their influence to mitigate ongoing violence and human suffering. Massive protests in major world cities around the globe have further highlighted the strong desire of people for an end to the plight of Palestinian people.
As we witness the heart-wrenching scenes and hear the pleas for help from Gaza, it is a critical moment to uphold the moral principles that major global powers have championed for so long rather than protecting their self-interest. Major global powers must intervene more decisively in ending the violence, negotiating a ceasefire and enhancing international humanitarian support to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
—The writer is Assistant Director, NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS)
views expressed are writer’s own.
