Palestinians in Gaza kept on constantly fleeing their homes in search of safety, moving from place to place, tent to tent, only to face attack and to flee again. The entire population of the Gaza Strip, more than half of them children, has seen unimaginable but all too real levels of cruelty. After the Israeli military issued a new evacuation order and told Palestinians to head south as it stepped up its offensive across the enclave, several civilians in Gaza City suffered demise by snipers. The attacks reportedly took place as civilians evacuated several areas in Gaza City ordered to leave on Wednesday, even as mediators from Qatar, the United States, and Egypt were meeting with Israeli officials in Doha for talks seeking a ceasefire. An Israeli sniper shot a man on a bicycle carrying canned food. The sniper shot him directly. People were unable to move his body. Even the paramedics were unable to access it. They could not retrieve or evacuate the body of this person. The ambulance staff turned back as they had not received instructions to retrieve the bodies. They got a warning that no one approaching the deceased would be alive. Unceasing attacks on safe zones make clear that Israel’s intention is not to destroy Hamas, but to eliminate Palestinians. Al-Mawasi, a safe zone, used to be a rare beauty spot on the otherwise overcrowded coast of the Gaza Strip. Stretching for about 12km (7.5 miles) between Khan Younis and Rafah, it was one of the most magnificent beach areas, with rolling golden dunes. Its beautiful landscape, breathtaking sunsets, and calming sea breeze made it a popular spot for families. However, al-Mawasi, the serene beach spot, is no more. Israel’s genocide has transformed it from an area of recreation to an area of endless horror. With every displacement, Palestinians endure the torment of searching for family members dead or alive while looking for new temporary shelter and securing water, food, toilets, and other necessities. Palestinians believe the Israeli occupation forces aim to destroy the humans, the stones, and the trees that mean everything. Nine months into this genocide, it is more than evident that this aggression is not against the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement, also known as Hamas. It is a total war against Palestinian existence. The systematic and constant attacks on Palestinians in the so-called safe zones, alongside the destruction of their infrastructure, do not make military sense. They appear solely aimed at killing and terrorizing as many civilians as possible. Palestinians die from Israeli bombs, from Israeli bullets, but also from the feeling of oppression. It is that unbearable feeling that they have when they witness the ongoing genocide, hour after hour, they know that their and their family’s turn is coming and they are unable to stop it. It is an unbearable feeling they have hearing the cries of the wounded dying in agony, seeing children without limbs, and knowing they cannot help them. It is an unbearable feeling they have knowing the world has been watching the genocide for nine months and has done nothing to stop it. This killing is nothing short of the destruction of Palestinian life. The inaction and complicity of the Western world, the lack of proper investigation into these crimes, and the dragging out of procedures at international bodies including the delay of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the International Criminal Court reflect a gross disregard for accountability and justice. The deliberate targeting of Palestinian life is not just a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, but an assault on the very foundations of humanitarian principles and human dignity.
ECP’s Election Audit Raises More Questions than Answers
Seven months after the controversial 2024 general election, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) remains embroiled in uncertainty, with new...
Read more