The situation in Gaza, fueled by Israel’s persistent military invasion, stands as possibly the biggest contradiction in a world where people are pledging commitment to compassion and rights. The UN Human Rights Council’s recent appeal to stop military shipments to Israel is a desperate attempt for rationality in a conflict that has devolved into what can only be described as an extermination campaign, even though some detractors view it as a procedural warning.
Unquestionably, over 33,000 lives have been lost, tens of thousands more have been injured, and the remaining survivors are on the verge of starvation, surviving on less than 245 calories per day. The acts of the Netanyahu administration demonstrate a blatant contempt for both human decency and international law. The rules of warfare have been essentially rewritten by the use of famine as a weapon, the use of artificial intelligence to target populous regions, and the withholding of vital humanitarian relief to 2.4 million Palestinians.
Israel’s military actions are characterised by lawlessness, as demonstrated by the terrible episode at the World Central Kitchen, where a targeted strike claimed the lives of seven charity workers, six of whom were foreign nationals. US President Joe Biden issued a rare censure in response to the incident, and he has since hinted at a possible change in US policy. But this wasn’t the point at which the world became indignant. It’s a sad indictment of selective empathy and the weight of Western blood over Palestinian blood that it took the murder of these specific individuals to move Washington. By continuing to supply Israel with weapons, the US is allegedly implicated in the carnage—it even approved munitions on the day the strike took place.
Should this death-dealing persist, the nation’s professed devotion to justice and human rights will be severely undermined on the international scene. In the meanwhile, Israel’s brief approval to send aid into Gaza as a result of strong US pressure is a pitiful gesture in comparison to the larger crimes carried out. These actions are equivalent to applying a band-aid to a bleeding wound. It is past time for the international community—especially the US—to adopt a new paradigm when it comes to how it views the Israel-Palestine conflict. It is insufficient to criticise acts after the fact or to give warnings without taking any concrete steps. Israel has long grown accustomed to breaking international law, thus there needs to be a determined effort to stop arms sales to it and hold it accountable.
“Nothing can justify the collective punishment” in Gaza, as UN Secretary General António Guterres put it. It’s been an arduous six months. The violence, the devastation, and the bloodlust must stop, and they must stop immediately.
