Jesus of Nazareth, a most extraordinary Jew, was born in what was later called Palestine. There, he grew up and brought a mission to the people and challenged the Jewish authorities of his time to change their cruel and oppressive ways. He taught by word and example and challenged people to respect the poor; give freedom and truth to the oppressed; love one another; end the deaths caused by hunger, sickness and violence; and help suffering women and children. His message was not welcomed then, and they executed him with the help of a foreign power.
Today, his message has become more relevant as the situation in the Gaza Strip worsens day after day. Israeli forces and their attacks there continue to kill Palestinians, many of them women and children, every day. Human rights advocates, journalists and campaigners who proclaim the same message are being targeted by Israeli forces for harassment, even death. These are indeed dark and terrible times for the Palestinians because of the genocide committed by the Israeli forces, supported by Western nations, especially the United States. These are also dark days for nonviolent Israelis — the good, peace-loving Israelis who want peace, reconciliation, harmony and justice. They support a two-state solution — a secure, independent state for both Israel and Palestine — but are silenced, ignored and discriminated against.
During the occupation of Palestine from 1948 onward, Palestinians lost their rights and lands, and hundreds of thousands of them were driven into exile. Those who remained were corralled or “imprisoned” in the West Bank and Gaza and are still controlled by Israel ever since. The Israeli military believed it was invincible — until Hamas fighters launched attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, 282 women and 36 children among them. The fighters also took hostage 250 Israelis and foreigners, including 38 children, during the attacks. As many as 96 are still being held in Gaza despite the destruction Israeli forces wreaked on the territory.
Those attacks were a gross violation of humanitarian law and war crimes committed by Hamas forces. Those were also the worst assaults Israel had ever experienced, triggering a disproportionate response from Israeli forces that led to a US-backed war of unrelenting ferocity. As a result, Israel has lost the respect of other nations and has morally damaged itself by failing to respect the rights of civilians, women and children included, caught in the constant violence.
Serious accusations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide have already been leveled against Israel over the war in Gaza. The International Court of Justice found Israel responsible for racial segregation and apartheid against the Palestinians. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. But the extremist right-wing and war-loving members of Netanyahu’s government have ignored all these condemnations. They seem to pursue a more severe war not just against Hamas but against all Palestinians.
They deny all the allegations but seem to be driven by hatred and revenge. They appear bent on exterminating as many Palestinians as possible using disproportionate force, sickness and starvation. They are bombing Palestinian homes one every four hours, some claim; tents and other temporary shelters every 17 hours; hospitals and schools every four days; and food distribution points and warehouses every 15 days.
The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli violence as of Jan. 1 has exceeded 45,000, and more than 105,000 are seriously wounded. According to The Lancet journal, the death toll, including those buried under the rubble and those who died of sickness, malnutrition and lack of medical care, could be as high as 185,000. Survivors, meanwhile, endure more misery as heavy rain pours down on their makeshift tents. Some 1,500 such tents have been flooded amid the severe cold. No heating is available other than burning scrap wood.
Israeli’s bombing campaign has destroyed Kama Adwan Hospital, the last working health care facility in northern Gaza. It was forced to close this past week. Patients were forced to be evacuated; all its staff were arrested, searched and held in custody. Some were tortured, and the hospital’s director has not been found after his arrest. With the hospital gone, Palestinians in northern Gaza have nowhere to go for medical care. Israel claims the facility was a Hamas headquarters but offered no evidence of this or captured no Hamas fighters after the raid.
A United Nations report said that in the period covered by the report, there were at least 136 strikes on at least 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities, claiming significant casualties among doctors, nurses, medics and other civilians and causing significant damage, if not complete destruction, of civilian infrastructure. It says as many as 500 health professionals have been killed, and 77,704 Palestinians were injured. Many of those injured reportedly died while waiting to be hospitalized or treated due to the lack of facilities.
“As if the relentless bombing and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza were not enough, the one sanctuary where Palestinians should have felt safe, in fact, became a death trap,” said Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “The protection of hospitals during warfare is paramount and must be respected by all sides, at all times.”
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This column was first published in The Sunday Times (www.manilatimes.net) on January 5, 2025. Print, digital, and online republication of this column without the written consent of the author and of The Manila Times is strictly forbidden.
