Ms. Amina Iqbal is studying international relations at Kinnaird College for Women University, Lahore.
The Israel-Gaza War
The Israel-Gaza War is one of the most pressing issues of contemporary times. The Israeli war in Gaza started on October 7, when Hamas, a Palestinian militant organization, launched a highly organized and unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel. Numerous Hamas fighters crossed Israel’s strongly protected surrounding fence, arrived at sea, and employed paragliders to invade southern Israel. This attack has been regarded as the most catastrophic one in almost a generation, killing 1,400 individuals, mostly civilians, amid raids on military stations, kibbutzim, and a music festival. However, the attackers took hostages back into Gaza.
Moreover, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was at war and pledged that Hamas would face serious consequences for launching the attack. Israeli forces were surprised to see the attack conducted by Hamas, which emphasized the region’s growing tensions between Israelis as well as Palestinians, notably in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In response, the military of Israel conducted a series of forceful operations such as significant bombings on Hamas sites, and ground forces also increased their operations.
Furthermore, Israel has cut off access to food, water, and fuel for more than 2.3 million people residing in Gaza. The conflict has been marked by massive explosions in Gaza, accompanied by a blackout of mobile phone and internet networks, hindering communication and medical response. The blackout created fear among the people as they could not contact each other, and they had lost contact with the rest of the world. With communication blackout, the people of Gaza are left unable to access emergency services or share their experiences, highlighting the harrowing and perilous nature of the situation for civilians.
Until now, nearly 11,000 people have been killed by the Israeli forces in Gaza, including women, old people, and 8,000 children. One Palestinian child is murdered every 10 minutes in Gaza. In addition, more than 27,490 people have been injured and 3,000 Palestinians remain missing. The death toll in Gaza is so high these days, and a 212-page document, including names and identity numbers of those who had been killed heartlessly, has been released by the Ministry of Health that collected data from morgues and hospitals.
Israel is bombing Gaza ruthlessly, the atomic bomb named “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima by the US was estimated to have amounted to 15 kilotons, which is equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT whereas, the explosive force of the bombs dropped on Gaza by Israel is said to be nearly 12,000 tons. Therefore, the explosive force of the bombs dropped by Israeli warplanes on Gaza since Hamas’s cross-border attack on Israel on October 7 is “equivalent to the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima” nearly 80 years ago.
The Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a dire warning about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that the region’s humanitarian system is on the brink of total collapse, with devastating consequences for over two million civilians. He urgently called for a humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages, and the delivery of critical aid supplies on a huge scale. The World Health Organization reported that one-third of Gaza’s hospitals were non-operational due to shortages of electricity, medicine, and staff, with the functioning ones admitting only emergency cases.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, only a few life-saving equipment in hospitals such as incubators for newborn babies remained operational. Additionally, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, had to significantly reduce its operations due to nearly depleted fuel reserves, with over 600,000 of the 1.4 million displaced individuals seeking refuge in its facilities. In the current times, Gaza has been facing an intense humanitarian crisis, and the flow of aid is drastically limited. Furthermore, there is also an enormous shortage of fuel which is required for a variety of significant reasons.
Still, fuel delivery has been rejected by Israel citing fears about potential military use by Hamas. With an increasing population, the situation has resulted in congestion in areas like Khan Younis, and Israel’s continuing bombings on what it considers Hamas military objectives in southern Gaza have made it extremely dangerous. Hence, the regional humanitarian chief of the UN has expressed that “nowhere is safe in Gaza.” Thus, the live broadcast from Al Jazeera depicts an extremely dark and frightening environment with frequent large explosions caused by Israeli bombings in the blockaded area.
Israeli Bombing of Hospitals in Gaza
Recent attacks have struck dangerously close to critical healthcare facilities. Israel has now started to attack al-Shifa Hospital where about 650 patients—including 22 in intensive care and 36 premature babies—some 400 medical staff and more than 2,000 displaced people are taking shelter. However, Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a doctor present in the facility reports that there are 1,000 medical personnel trapped on the site, unable to treat patients, and 100 patients are in a critical state.
The attacks, which consisted of bombings have now turned into a full-blown raid on the hospital. Prior to the attacks, Israel had already cut off the hospital’s electricity supply, plunging patients and babies into a critical state. The Indonesian Hospital, as well as the Bureij refugee camp, have faced a similar fate.
The Children of Gaza
Half of Gaza’s population are children and many of them have been killed inhumanely by Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. As a result, the innocent children of Gaza will face the brunt of Israel’s expanded ground operations in the Gaza Strip. The children are being murdered every minute and most of them have experienced severe body damage. In addition, almost one million children are stuck in an active dispute zone in Gaza and there are very limited safe spaces for them.
International Call for Attention
The ongoing Israel-Gaza War requires immediate global attention because of the rising humanitarian catastrophe and terrible impact on civilians. The violence has resulted in numerous barbaric killings of innocent people, including children, and it has also led to the displacement of countless families. In addition, critical infrastructure for instance, hospitals and schools has been damaged severely, aggravating Gaza’s already precarious living conditions.
Therefore, the residents of Gaza have been suffering greatly owing to the Israeli war, as important services such as electricity, water, food, healthcare, and communication have been disrupted. The international community must take decisive action to broker an immediate ceasefire, provide humanitarian aid, and promote a long-term solution to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The situation in Gaza serves as a stark reminder of the region’s urgent need for a peaceful resolution and the protection of human rights.
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