The Brutal War on Gaza

By Mohammed Abunahel, World BEYOND War, March 1, 2024

After more than 140 days of Israeli war in Gaza, the situation in Gaza has reached to a more disastrous’atmosphere and enhanced the state of uncertainty. How can the severity of the war be reduced or even ended while the United States supports Israel with lethal weapons and uses its veto power to prevent a ceasefire?

Israel, with all its developed weapons, which the United States supplies a huge portion of, is deliberately murdering the innocent citizens of Gaza as well as destroying houses, universities, hospitals, schools, and places of worship as well as UNRWA functioning facilities which are inviolable under international law.

For the third consecutive time, the United States, on Tuesday, exercised its veto power against an Algerian draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council regarding the Israeli war on Gaza. This obstruction hinders the call for an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.

The Israeli occupation continues to commit horrific massacres unknown in recent history and unparalleled due to the modern weaponry now available to the Zionist entity. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, and Gaza faces the catastrophe of famine due to the shortages in basic necessities including food, clean water, and healthcare, which are prevented by Israel from reaching the people. There have been more than 370 attacks on health care workers and facilities in Gaza since the Israeli War on Gaza. These are war crimes.

According to the United Nations, a staggering 1.7 million people, constituting approximately 75% of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, are internally displaced. This displacement has given rise to formidable challenges affecting the population and straining the humanitarian response, particularly in the areas of shelter, food, sanitation, and health.

The current climatic conditions in Gaza further exacerbate the hardships faced by the displaced individuals trying to survive in tents, due to heavy rains and cold temperatures. Living in tents or other makeshift shelters is a situation resulting from Israel destroying their homes and leaving them homeless. This further exacerbates the hardships faced by the displaced people.

This dire situation has triggered a surge in diseases associated with overcrowding, poor sanitation, and malnutrition.  The head of the World Health Organization warned that Gaza has become a “death zone.”

All network connections have been nearly severed in Gaza due to Israel’s destruction of these networks in the initial days of its bombings of Gaza. Consequently, the rest of the world is struggling to witness or comprehend the atrocities unfolding on the ground, including widespread massacres against humanity. The deliberate targeting of communication infrastructure has created an information blackout, hindering the ability of the international community to fully grasp the gravity of the situation and respond effectively to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Furthermore, Israel is controlling the entrance points of Gaza now, including the Rafah Border Crossing, with the clear cooperation with Egypt. Jeremy Bowen noted that international journalists are not allowed to report freely on Israel’s brutal and barbaric war on Gaza due to Israeli restrictions. This prevents the world from being aware of the daily Israeli massacres in Gaza.

The war on Gaza, compounded by the complete blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza, has plunged the residents of Gaza into an unprecedented vortex of deprivation and multidimensional poverty. Consequently, it has led to a humanitarian catastrophe on all levels. The relentless conflict, coupled with the stringent Israeli blockade, has resulted in an unparalleled state of suffering for the population.

This multifaceted deprivation encompasses not only the basic necessities of life but also extends to economic, social, and health dimensions. The cumulative impact of these challenges has given rise to a humanitarian crisis that permeates every aspect of daily life in Gaza.

Israel followed a clear displacement policy by expelling the residents of the north by force of bombardment and pushing them into the south. Israel claimed it was a safe area; however, Israel is now bombing them repeatedly and deliberately after the people gathered people there.

According to the Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, “Rafah, the latest destination for well over 1 million displaced, hungry and traumatized people crammed into a small sliver of land, has become another battleground in this brutal conflict.”

At the same time, a small portion of Gaza’s population remains in the northern part of Gaza, where some people, including children, women and men, some of the men and women elderly, been kidnapped and questioned in a humiliating and inhumane way. Simultaneously, others are facing the grim reality of starvation, and the fate of yet another group remains unknown.

Israel bears the ultimate responsibility for the suffering of the Palestinian people, and the international community must hold it accountable through rigorous prosecution, and by ceaseing to provide weapons, funding, military support, and veto protection.