The reports coming out of war-ravaged Gaza make for grim reading. Thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed, whole neighbourhoods flattened, 85 per cent of the population displaced and 40 per cent of people at risk of famine.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s collective punishment of Palestinians is despicable, illegal and deserves to be condemned by the international community in the strongest possible manner.
The surprise Hamas attack on October 7, which left more than 1,200 people dead, was one of the most terrifying terrorist attacks of the 21st century. But the grief and solidarity shown with Israel in the immediate aftermath soon degenerated into a tragedy of epic proportions, with Netanyahu’s response pushing the boundaries of humanity.
And 12 weeks since the Hamas attack, we need to ask: what is Netanyahu’s end game? Is his ‘mission’ in Gaza really intended to annihilate Hamas?
Many are now rightly asking whether we are now dealing with a leader who feels he has a licence to kill and is bent on turning Gaza into rubble, knowing he has the backing of the world’s superpower.
With more than 21,000 people killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, Israel’s actions are surely in violation of international law, transcending any reasonable measure of retaliation. The vast majority of those killed were innocent of the atrocities of Hamas.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now catastrophic, with only 20 per cent of hospitals reportedly still standing. Operations are being carried out without anaesthesia or pain relief. Imagine that! Famine and disease will kill thousands more and the world simply cannot continue sitting still and watch this bloody spectacle unfolding.
If the sadistic status quo persists, there will be no winners but a more dangerous world where the ramifications of this brutality risk transcending the Middle East
What Israel is orchestrating in Gaza goes beyond the realm of politics and military strategy in response to terrorist attacks. Civilian infrastructure is being deliberately targeted. The theory that Palestinian civilians are being forewarned about impending air attacks are convincing nobody – let’s stop being fooled into believing that people cooped up in a war zone the size of Malta with no exit route have somewhere to hide.
For its pledges to return the poor hostages snatched away from family and friends on October 7, Netanyahu’s plan has failed abysmally. Most hostages remain in Gaza, some even killed by mistake by the Israeli forces themselves.
It is disheartening to watch the US, Israel’s most influential ally, continue to support Israel despite its outrageous behaviour. It is equally disheartening to note Washington’s calls for restraint are continuously ignored by Netanyahu.
Just two weeks ago, the US abstained from voting on a UN security council resolution calling for ceasefire, repeatedly stonewalling and lobbying to weaken it.
The refusal to accept a permanent ceasefire is just bringing more death and destruction to people on their knees. If it was one of the US’s foes, like Iran and North Korea acting like Israel, you can be rest assured the US’s response would have been very different.
Netanyahu’s conduct in this war has effectively guaranteed no prospect of peace in the region for years to come. We now have a generation of Palestinians who have seen their loved ones killed, their homes and futures destroyed.
As many influential world leaders sit in splendid oblivion, the resentment and desire for retribution grows.
If the sadistic status quo persists, there will be no winners but a more dangerous world where the ramifications of this brutality risk transcending the Middle East.
It is incredible to see the way Israel managed to turn the widespread public sympathy after the Hamas attacks into deep resentment in just 12 weeks.
Israel is home to a good and resilient people who have faced adversity throughout history. It is a shame that one of their leaders has jeopardised their future, authored his country’s darkest chapter and helped fuel the scourge of anti-Semitism.