The heart-wrenching reality for civilians in Gaza: A wake up call for the world

In the face of the ongoing tragedy unfolding in Gaza, it is the innocent civilians that always have to bear the brunt. At the time of writing, the death toll in Gaza has reached over 5000 Palestinians and half of them are children. Innocent children and babies. How can anyone justify this? The hospitals are on their knees with the amount of civilian casualties. 130 babies who are in electric incubators at Al Shifa Hospital are currently at risk of dying within minutes, if power fails.  And, yet, world leaders in the UK and US continue to block any attempts for a ceasefire and have failed to get humanitarian aid to those who need it.

Countless protests around the world and, particularly here in the UK, have gone against the government’s narrative and are calling for a ceasefire because they have humanity in their hearts. Muslims, Jews, Christians and people from all walks of life united in London last week calling for an end to the suffering of the civilians in Gaza.

It is imperative that the world wakes up to the stark reality of the situation. The United Nations has issued a chilling warning, one that should send shivers down the spines of humanity: “mass ethnic cleansing “ and “risk of genocide” against Palestinians that is taking place on all of our watch.  We cannot allow ourselves to be caught in the same web of excuses and feigned ignorance that plagued past international crises. This time, we must demand immediate action to prevent further bloodshed of innocent women, children, men and elderly in Gaza. These are civilians, who by virtue of international law, should be protected, but the world has been failing them for over 75 years – and continues to fail them.

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In a video I saw posted on social media, an elderly Palestinian woman was seen crying, saying she can only rely on Allah and that “Allah (God) is sufficient for me”. She was calling on the world to do something as she helplessly watched injured children being taken out of the ambulances, many of whom had already been pronounced dead.

In the aftermath of Hamas’s reprehensible actions, Israel’s military campaign has left in its wake thousands of civilians killed with continual bombing. I am against the violence on any civilian, let that be clear, whether it is an Israeli civilian or Palestinian, but one must address the imbalance in the value of human life when it comes to Palestinians.

It is heart-breaking to watch the cries of children beneath the rubble and those who have had their entire family wiped out. What is even more disturbing is that this devastation is not a tragic accident, but a result of intentional policies and statements by Israel’s political leaders. They have left no room for ambiguity about their objectives. Their emphasis is on causing damage, not on accuracy. They openly speak of reducing Gaza to a “city of tents” and refer to Palestinians as “human animals’ and yet no one questions them about their use of words.

To add insult to injury, some have attempted to justify these actions on the grounds of proportionality and adherence to international law, when there are clear, continual breaches of international law which amount to war crimes.  The indiscriminate bombing of densely populated civilian areas, hospitals, churches, mosques, schools, journalists and their families– all amount to a war crime.

But when legal authorities from within Israel argue that to eliminate Hamas means destroying Gaza, there can be no doubt about the intention behind these actions. This is a public confession of what could amount to existing war crimes and future ones.

The situation in Gaza extends beyond proportionality. It involves collective punishment through the deprivation of essential resources, including water, food, energy and medicine. Indiscriminate bombings of civilian areas, in violation of international law, have become the norm. The United Nations has decried these actions as “crimes against humanity”  but has still not been able to secure a resolution that demands a ceasefire.

As the atrocities mount, we must ask ourselves what the survivors, particularly the children who endure the horrors of Gaza, will think of those who allowed this tragedy to happen. There is no room for equivocation. The international community must act swiftly and decisively to prevent further suffering and loss of innocent lives.

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The ongoing massacre in Gaza is a stain on our collective conscience. We cannot allow “If I knew then what I know now” to become the refrain of those who stood by and did nothing. We do know now, and we must act. The world must come together to demand an immediate ceasefire and take all necessary steps to avert the impending catastrophe. Those complicit in this great crime against humanity must be held accountable, and history will judge us by our actions, not our words.

It is of paramount importance that world leaders cease referring to this as if it were a struggle between equals. This is not a conventional conflict; it is an asymmetric struggle that pits an occupying force against an occupied people, an oppressor against the oppressed.

Palestinian civilians find themselves at the receiving end of countless human rights violations and war crimes. Their suffering is palpable, and their plight is heart-wrenching.

Yet, Western leaders continue to perpetuate a one-sided narrative. This imbalance in discourse not only fails to reflect the reality on the ground, but also enables the perpetuation of injustice.

As a British Muslim and independent journalist, and, more importantly, as a fellow human being, I plead with the Arab world to do more to address the plight of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, because the West will continue to ignore their suffering. The international community should unite in demanding justice and peace, making it abundantly clear that the suffering of the Palestinian population is a global concern, transcending borders and faiths. It is a call for compassion, human rights, and a just resolution to a conflict that has endured for far too long.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.