Geostrategic Media Political Commentary, Analysis, Security, Defense
Zamir Awan
The Gaza Strip, once densely populated and impoverished, now stands as a tragic emblem of one of the 21st century’s gravest humanitarian crises. Since October 2023, when the latest Israeli military offensive began, the enclave has witnessed devastation on an unimaginable scale—indiscriminate bombings, widespread displacement, collapse of healthcare infrastructure, and now, the cruelest form of warfare: starvation. More than nine months into the conflict, the specter of famine haunts Gaza, and children, the elderly, and the sick are dying—not from bullets, but from hunger.
According to a recent report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Gaza has entered Phase 5 (Catastrophe) of food insecurity, the most severe level. International humanitarian organizations warn that over 1.1 million people—half the population—are facing famine conditions. In northern Gaza, where aid is systematically blocked, dozens of children have already died from starvation and dehydration, according to reports from UN agencies and local hospitals. Independent figures suggest the number of starvation-related deaths has crossed 30,000, and this includes not only those dying from hunger but those unable to survive without access to medical care, clean water, and shelter.
Let us not be afraid to call this what it truly is: a genocide. And let us not shy away from pointing out the enablers and sponsors of this human tragedy.
What is Happening in Gaza is Not a Conflict—It is Extermination
Israel claims it is fighting Hamas. But the scale, scope, and intensity of the assault on Gaza reveal a far darker agenda. Over 38,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, the overwhelming majority of them women and children. Schools, hospitals, refugee camps, water tanks, bakeries, UN shelters, and entire residential neighborhoods have been flattened by Israeli airstrikes. More than 70% of the housing infrastructure in Gaza is destroyed. The health system has collapsed. The education system is gone. People live in tents or open air, exposed to disease, hunger, and trauma. This is not a military operation—it is the systematic erasure of a people.
The weaponization of food, water, and medicine as tools of war is a crime against humanity under international law. And yet, this is exactly what Israel is doing. Humanitarian aid is blocked at checkpoints. UNRWA trucks are denied passage. Aid convoys are bombed. Airdrops are unreliable, symbolic at best. Entire hospitals are besieged and turned into war zones. Children are left to die slowly as the world watches.
Where is the United Nations? Where is the Conscience of the World?
The founding charter of the United Nations was built on the ashes of the Holocaust, with the solemn pledge of “Never Again.” And yet, here we are, witnessing the slow-motion genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. The UN Security Council (UNSC) has proven helpless—paralyzed not by indecision, but by deliberate obstruction from the United States, which has vetoed every resolution that sought a ceasefire or humanitarian relief.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), despite issuing arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, lacks the power to enforce them. UN agencies, such as WHO, UNICEF, and OCHA, have sounded alarms repeatedly, yet their calls fall on deaf ears. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has condemned Israeli actions, but without binding resolutions or political will, his statements remain symbolic.
The United States, meanwhile, continues to provide Israel with not only weapons and funding but also diplomatic cover. Billions of dollars in military aid are flowing, precision-guided bombs are dropped, and advanced surveillance and intelligence are shared. The U.S. Congress, under bipartisan consensus, has stood unwaveringly behind Israel, ignoring the cries of the Palestinian people and even silencing voices of dissent within America.
Let us be clear: without U.S. support, Israel could not continue its campaign of destruction.
America’s Complicity: A Matter of Moral and Legal Accountability
Washington claims to uphold democracy and human rights globally. Yet its unflinching support for Israel, despite mounting evidence of war crimes and genocide, exposes the deep hypocrisy at the heart of U.S. foreign policy. While the Biden administration speaks of peace, it sends bunker-busting bombs. While it claims concern for civilians, it vetoes ceasefire resolutions. While it champions humanitarian principles, it sanctions UN agencies for speaking out against Israel.
Even humanitarian aid, supposedly sent by the U.S., is wrapped in political conditions. The U.S. refuses to pressure Israel to open border crossings or guarantee safe passage for aid workers. This is not neutrality; it is active collaboration in a war that has crossed all moral lines.
The Silence of the “Civilized” World is Deafening
The European Union, despite its internal divisions, must bear part of the blame. Nations like Germany, France, and the UK—quick to condemn aggression elsewhere—have largely parroted Israel’s narrative. Some have even criminalized expressions of solidarity with Palestine, banning rallies and threatening journalists.
The Arab and Muslim world, too, has failed the Palestinian people. While public sentiment across these countries remains strong in favor of Palestine, leadership remains cautious and compromised. Economic and diplomatic interests have taken precedence over moral duty.
The Global South, though more vocal and sympathetic, lacks the collective clout to force action. Yet their voices matter—and their unity can be the turning point in demanding accountability.
Israel’s Record of Atrocities: A Chronicle of Brutality
This is not the first time Israel has used overwhelming force against Gaza. In 2008-09 (Operation Cast Lead), 2012 (Operation Pillar of Defense), 2014 (Operation Protective Edge), and 2021 (Operation Guardian of the Walls), Israel launched major assaults on Gaza, killing thousands of civilians. Each time, the pretext was “self-defense,” and each time, the outcome was collective punishment.
Israel has repeatedly violated international law by building settlements in the occupied West Bank, displacing Palestinians, enforcing an apartheid regime, demolishing homes, detaining children, and now—starving an entire population.
It is a regime of occupation, apartheid, and genocide. And it is doing so under the protection of the only superpower that can stop it but chooses not to.
A Call for Action and a Plea for Humanity
It is time the international community moved beyond statements of concern and took practical and decisive action. The people of Gaza cannot survive on sympathy alone. They need food, medicine, shelter, protection—and above all, justice.
The following steps are urgent and necessary:
- Immediate and unconditional ceasefire under international supervision.
- Full and unrestricted humanitarian access to all parts of Gaza.
- Lifting of the blockade imposed by Israel since 2007.
- Deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to protect civilians and aid workers.
- Criminal prosecution of Israeli leaders and military officials responsible for war crimes.
- Sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law.
- Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement should be supported globally as a non-violent means to pressure Israel.
- Recognition of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
- End to U.S. military aid to Israel, which violates American laws forbidding support to human rights violators.
Standing with Palestine: A Moral Imperative
We must remember: the Palestinian struggle is not merely a territorial dispute—it is a fight for dignity, freedom, and justice. It is about a people’s right to live free from occupation, to raise their children in peace, to drink clean water, to go to school without fear, and to grow old without trauma.
It is our collective duty—as citizens of the world, as human beings—to speak out, to act, and to hold those responsible to account. Silence is not neutrality—it is complicity.
To the people of Palestine: you are not alone. The world may be silent today, but history will remember your suffering and your resilience. Justice may be delayed, but it cannot be denied forever. Every voice that rises in your defense, every protest that demands your freedom, every act of solidarity—brings us one step closer to a world where no child goes to sleep hungry, no home is reduced to rubble, and no people are condemned to extermination.
Let Gaza live. Let Palestine live. And let us never forget that what we allow today, history will judge tomorrow.
