Exterminating Gaza

Gaza faces a staggering population decline, with 100,000 lost lives and a humanitarian crisis amid ongoing conflict.

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In the shadows of a seemingly endless conflict, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached alarming proportions. Recent statistics released by the Palestinian government reveal a staggering 6 per cent decline in the enclave's population since the onset of war with Israel nearly 15 months ago. This drop - reflecting the loss of approximately 100,000 individuals and the presumption of over 55,000 deaths - is not just a number; it signifies lives torn apart, families shattered and a community struggling to survive amid unimaginable hardship.

The vast majority of confirmed casualties are women and children, which rubbished Israeli claims of respecting the laws of war, or even human decency. Meanwhile, thousands of Gazans are dying slow deaths of starvation, which has been brought on by Israel's refusal to allow aid to enter the region. Though Israel often boasts about granting temporary permission for aid workers to enter Gaza, there have been several cases where aid workers have been attacked by Israeli soldiers, leading to aid agencies justifiably being wary of sending their staffers into the line of fire.

The population impact of Israel's brutality will also echo for decades. Even if the Israelis were to discover shame today, the huge number of children killed has already skewed the region's demographics in a way that future labour force development and population growth will be heavily skewed.

While International bodies, including the International Court of Justice, move towards formally labeling Israel's actions as acts of genocide, as long as the US is firmly in Israel's corner, the only powers on earth that can force Israel's government to change tack are Israeli voters, and the Israeli judiciary. Elections, however, are not scheduled until 2026, meaning that the likeliest scenario to end the war is a leadership change brought on by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally going to jail, for his crimes - not genocide, but corruption, a trial over which will finally be decided in 2025 after being delayed in part due to the war in Gaza.