UN Day for Solidarity with Palestine Bloodshed and Politics: Wake Up!

Twelve-year-old Mazyouna suffered devastating injuries to her face from an Israeli rocket and endured five months of unbearable pain before finally receiving approval for emergency surgery. She was unable to eat, speak, or move without discomfort. Although global attention led to her evacuation, 2,500 children in Gaza are still being denied access to critical medical care.

UNICEF reports that less than one child is evacuated daily, with many medical applications denied without explanation. Parents are often barred from accompanying critically ill children, causing painful family separations. In a miscarriage of justice in 1947, the UN, backed by Western powers, sanctioned an European Zionist invasion, forcibly evicting indigenous people to establish Israel.

Act now to demand international pressure on Israel to allow urgent medical evacuations.Meanwhile, Israeli forces have raided homes across Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency. They searched and reportedly destroyed the contents of Issa Abu Mayala’s home in southern Hebron and raided other homes in Ash-Shuyukh and Sair, though no additional arrests were reported.

Neglect or Moral Failing

As global citizens, we cannot remain silent while children endure needless suffering and death. Mazyouna’s story is a stark reminder that the youngest and most innocent are the greatest casualties of war. They lose their lives not only to bombs but also to the unjust barriers denying them life-saving medical care.

Every moment of inaction costs children’s lives. The right thinking citizens of the world must unite to break this cycle of violence. Sri Lankans have stood up before for Palestinian  lives. As Gaza’s children continue to die, we must act again to demand an end to these atrocities.

Palestinian civilian deaths currently stand at over 45,000, representing an almost unimaginable ratio of nearly forty Palestinian civilians killed for every one Israeli civilian. This stark disparity raises an urgent and haunting question: what number of lives lost will satisfy the Israeli demand for revenge? Is there a limit to the destruction, or does the scale of the ongoing assault point to an even more sinister objective, a new Holocaust targeting 3.5 million Palestinians, amounting to nothing less than ethnic cleansing and genocide?

If the goal is not outright extermination, then the actions must be halted, and the perpetrators must be held accountable for the profound human rights violations that have occurred. The world cannot turn a blind eye to the mounting evidence of disproportionate force, collective punishment, and a blatant disregard for civilian lives. This is no longer a question of geopolitics or security, it is a moral crisis demanding global intervention.

The actions of Hamas are reprehensible, but it is crucial to recognise that Gaza’s children are innocent and cannot be blamed for the deeds of terrorists. Ensuring the safety and well-being of children is a shared global responsibility. Unfortunately, political biases often shape responses to such conflicts, overshadowing the innocence of those most affected. The interplay of terrorism, powerful states, and geopolitical interests frequently prioritises national agendas over justice and humanity.

The Israelis, driven by pain and fury, launched widespread retaliation against nearly two million Palestinians in Gaza for the horrific acts of Hamas terrorists based there. The attacks have now expanded to include Palestinian areas in the West Bank, home to 1.8 million people. Palestinians in both regions face constant fear of losing their homes and lives under relentless Israeli airstrikes, enduring a terror reminiscent of what Jews faced in Germany during the 1930s, targeted solely for their ethnic identity.

Using Starvation as a Method of War

A November 14, 2024, UN Committee report stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza display ‘characteristics of genocide’,  accusing it of ‘using starvation as a method of war’,  leading to ‘mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions’. Last week, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defence Minister Gallant, and deceased Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

Can politicians bring peace? Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve problems at the same level of thinking that we were at when we created those problems.” Joe Biden, after  vetoing the Brazilian ceasefire proposal, rushed to Tel Aviv, with Sunak following to show solidarity. In such crises, the apolitical global community must prioritise peace, justice, and humanitarian aid while addressing the root causes of conflict. Impartial international authorities need to act swiftly.

Collective compassion, support for human rights, and diplomacy are essential to easing suffering and building a just, peaceful future. Since Egypt and Syria’s surprise attack on Israel on October 6, 1973, pushed negotiations over the Sinai and Golan Heights, many thought the conflict had cooled. Yet, unresolved tensions smoldered, erupting catastrophically on October 7, 2023.The Gaza Strip remains in ruins after the October 7 Hamas attack, where 2,000 militants killed over 1,000 civilians and took more than 200 hostages, including Americans. 

On October 18, President Biden affirmed U.S. support for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This raises a key question: how far should Israel’s self-defence go in response to the massacre?

What motivated them to deliberately target hospitals and its defenceless occupants?All humanity should take action to stop this unprecedented brutality in Gaza. This historical context serves to highlight the long and complex history of the Jewish people in the region, marked by periods of displacement, occupation, and dispersion. It is important to recognise the historical experiences of both Israelis and Palestinians in order to better understand the roots of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

How many more innocent Palestinian lives must be lost, how many more billions of dollars must be spent by the U.S., before Israel’s desire for revenge is fully quenched? When will the punishment of innocent Palestinian civilians be considered sufficient in the eyes of Israel and the U.S. for the October 7 Hamas attack?

The re-election of Donald Trump has shifted the ideological path of the United States, at least for the foreseeable future, and it has sealed the fate of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, potentially forever. Trump, eager to showcase his commitment to Christianity, took his oath on two Bibles, perhaps as a safeguard against one catching fire during the ceremony. There was backlash from the Arab-American community, particularly in Dearborn, Michigan, an essential battleground state, and it was a major factor in Trump’s victory in a state that Biden had won handily in 2020. This played a crucial role in securing Trump’s re-election.

In November 2024, Trump won Michigan by 120,618 votes, largely due to the anger of Arab-American, Muslim, and Palestinian communities over Biden’s support for Israel’s ongoing attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.Months into the conflict, with tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, the Biden-Harris administration has continued backing Israel’s right to self-defence, providing military and financial aid despite the worsening humanitarian crisis.

Let us stand united for justice and humanity, demanding an end to the suffering and a path toward lasting peace.

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