KARACHI:
Much has been written and said about the ongoing carnage in the occupied Gaza by Israel following Hamas’ attacks in Israel on the 7th of October. More than 6,000 innocent civilians have been killed across Gaza. Israel has been carrying out war crimes against the Palestinians since the establishment of a Jewish state in 1948 but in the last few years, human atrocities against unarmed Palestinians have risen to a new level.
Gaza is known as an open-air prison because the movement of Palestinians is severely restricted and strictly monitored by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Palestinians lack access to basic amenities including food and healthcare supplies. These items are transported to them on a daily basis through the Rafah border with Egypt. Currently, the supply has been limited due to Israel’s ongoing air strikes and bombings. The Western world has given Israel a free hand to continue killing innocent Palestinians. Israel has violated several international laws, yet the United Nations (UN) has remained largely dormant and apathetic. The silence of Muslim countries has further emboldened the callous Israeli regime.
In light of this, it is clear that the UN has failed miserably in establishing peace and advocating for the rights of the vulnerable and persecuted. It is nothing more than a platform for mindless chatter. Israel is torturing and killing Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank with full impunity. The international community, particularly Muslim-majority countries need to take a firm stance to end these violations urgently. Muslim countries must fulfil their responsibilities and ensure that Gazans receive life-saving medicines, food and water immediately.
Sajjad Khattak
Attock
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2023.
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