A year of genocide in Gaza

October 7, 2023 is an unforgettable day. It is the day when Hamas attacks inside Israel shattered the myth of Israeli invincibility, followed by the IDF unleashing its military might the very next day (on October 8) on the innocent Palestinian citizens in Gaza and occupied West Bank. The Israeli brutality continues to this day, having already resulted in the death of more than 41 thousand hapless Palestinians, including thousands of women and children.

Never before in the modern history of the world, a country – armed with nuclear weapons and other means of mass destruction – continued to attack unarmed citizens of a besieged territory for a year, not only destroying the whole civic infrastructure (of Gaza) but also displacing millions (of Palestinians) including women and children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went ahead with brutal attacks disregarding condemnation from the international community and massive demonstrations in Tel Aviv calling for his resignation. The recent Iran-Israel conflict over Lebanon also resulted from the Hamas-Israeli war over Gaza.

An AFP report entitled "Gaza children 'extremely impacted' by conflict" quoted Jonathan Cricks, the UNICEF spokesman for the Palestinian territories, as saying: "Nearly a year of devastating conflict has left Gaza's 2.4 million people enduring a humanitarian tragedy, with children in the besieged territory the most vulnerable." Narrating the ordeals of Palestinian children, he lamented: "You see they are not allowed to have the life of normal children, no education, no play, no joy. The faces of these children are so sad. These children are extremely impacted by the violence and the bombings and insecurity they have been through for a year."

Images of devastated homes, markets, hospitals and schools in Gaza show how the entire generation of Palestinians, particularly children, has been ruined by the ceaseless Israeli attacks. Not just in Gaza, Palestinians in occupied West Bank have also suffered the wrath of Israeli aggression. For how long the plight of the Palestinians will continue cannot be said with certainty, because Israel is unwilling to cease attacks even after killing the heads of Hamas and Hezbollah. Even the South African-led petition in the ICJ which sought trial of the Israeli leadership for the genocide of Palestinians failed to have any impact on the Jewish state.

Critics argue that if Israel is guilty of Palestinian genocide in Gaza and occupied West Bank, the Muslim world too has utterly failed to prevent the Jewish state from its sustained massacre of Palestinians. It is also argued that when Hamas knew about the Israeli record of retaliation, why it conducted attacks inside Israel on October 7. The support rendered by American President Joseph Biden to the Jewish state for its aggression in Gaza gave an impetus to the killing fields in Gaza. Can the Israeli public opinion result in dislodging PM Netanyahu who he wants to go ahead with the war in Gaza in order to save himself from going to prison on corruption charges? From any standpoint, a year of carnage in Gaza should have been enough to shake the conscience of the international community, particularly the UNSC, to impose economic and military sanctions on Israel. But the reality on the ground is different because neither the so-called Muslim bloc nor the custodians of the world order are interested in stopping the Israeli acts of 'genocide' in Gaza and the massacre of Palestinian population in occupied West Bank.

A year of carnage in Gaza needs to be analysed from three angles while keeping in mind deadly implications of the relentless Israeli attacks in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon.

First, by carrying out coordinated sea, air and land attack on Israeli territories in the proximity of the Gaza Strip on October 7, Hamas was able to break the invincibility of Israel. But in the process of killing, injuring and abducting Israeli and foreign nationals, Hamas provided an opportunity to the Jewish state to carry out retaliatory attacks which are still continuing, now having killed more than 41,000 Palestinians and destroying Gaza's infrastructure. The entire generation of the Palestinians of Gaza and West Bank has been ruined because of the Israeli acts of 'genocide'. It is well documented how Israeli military destroyed schools, hospitals, markets, homes and roads of Gaza. Had there been sanity prevailing on the part of the so-called custodians of the world order, they would have ordered sanctions to be imposed on Israel and arranged compensation for the hapless Palestinians from the Jewish state. But in a situation when even the ICJ is helpless, what can other international organisations do? When the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) demonstrated their fragility in preventing Israeli genocide in Gaza and West Bank, it became clear that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Second, if the Palestinians of Gaza and West Bank face destruction, Israel has also been experiencing rocket attacks since October 7, 2023 from Hamas and Hezbollah. One needs to examine the Israel's capability of opening many fronts at the same time. Besides being engaged in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon, Israel has also locked horns with Iran. In its efforts to liquidate the leadership of Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel is paying a heavy price in the form of international isolation, besides affording huge military spending. In a mark of condemnation, the Israeli PM's speech to the UN General Assembly was boycotted by several member-states of the world body. Yet, the Israeli PM – who is accused of going ahead with the war in Gaza, armed incursion in south Lebanon and confrontation with Iran to keep himself in power – is adamant. Massive demonstrations in Tel Aviv demanding Netanyahu's resignation may get an impetus because of his failure to get the remaining Israeli hostages released from Hamas's captivity. For how long the US will continue to support Israel's genocide in Gaza and its attacks over Lebanon cannot be predicted. With the US presidential election scheduled next month, neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris can afford to antagonise Israel. It means the Jewish state will take advantage of the domestic political situation in America and will not rethink its belligerent stance against Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran.

Finally, the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli brutalities in occupied West Bank and the escalation of the conflicts with Lebanon and Iran will have adverse ramifications at regional and international levels. Vacuum in global leadership tends to further promote Israeli jingoism and blatant use of force against the beleaguered population of Gaza and occupied West Bank. Since the Muslim world is totally incapable of preventing further Israeli aggression, one should expect China and Russia to play their role for de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.