There are many places I could focus, but choose this week to gaze upon the butchery of Gaza. No, there will be no dissection or analysis of the underlying reasons for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but I am well and truly off the fence with my condemnation of the consistent and deadly targeting of women and children by the Israelis. Their targeting of safe havens and the day on day growing pile of bodies, most of them civilian, is, as was said by the head of the United Nations — a disgrace to humanity.
The people of Gaza live in the world’s largest open prison. There is a wall surrounding them and a vast military machine that has every house and factory and office pre-targeted into a range of weaponry both ground-based and airborne. Gaza is quite literally defenceless and the rockets fired by Hamas present no threat to the Israeli state militarily. Certainly, no existential threat. They inspire fear and kill few.
The tunnels that Hamas have built to insert its fighters into Israel present no threat in proportional terms either. The numbers of Israeli soldiers they have managed to kill are tiny, almost infinitesimal compared with the Gazan casualty list.
A humanitarian ceasefire is holding as this is typed, and John Kerry is trying to build bridges in Cairo. But the ramshackle ‘ceasefires’ are honoured more in the breach than the observance — and here is the armoured underbelly of why that is
The reality of the battle is that neither side can countenance the existence of the other, and both sides, if they are talking at all, are talking past, rather than to, each other. A dialogue of the deaf.
What neither side is saying is the fundamental truth. Hamas (but not necessarily all Gazans) want to bring down Israel, and if it ever did, would probably kill as many of its inhabitants as it could before the rest of the world intervened. Israel, though diplomatic politesse demands silence in this respect, would like nothing better than to see Gaza, indeed every Palestinian, either dead or gone. Those two positions have barely altered for decades. There is no suggestion that they are going to change in the foreseeable future.
But back to sights, sounds and smells. Especially smells. This type of warfare has a stink to it, a distinctive reek. It comes of body parts and whole bodies rotting under the sun. Pieces of people that were missed when the rest of them was gathered up in a body bag and taken for burial. Bodies suppurating beneath the rubble, unfound and leaving their fingerprint in the nasal cavities of anybody in smelling range. And that is everybody. It lingers in the nose for days and can hang over whole areas for weeks or even months. I know.
My olfactory memory is triggered by the reports from the correspondents, who struggle to say something broadcastable, and images that are unbroadcastable are carefully avoided by the cameramen and women picking their way through the butcher’s shop.
The reality of all this horror is censored and unseen by a world that would rather not look, and it is the images that I know are there based on past experience, and although some memories may dim with time, many are as sharp as broken glass.
It is the children. The bodies of the children. Infants. These small, broken creatures are now potent engines of hatred, crushed flowers robbed of their fragrance. Whatever else will come out of this conflict, we may be assured that there are going to be generations of unforgiveness. Generations where the folktales are blood-boltered and told through the dead mouths of the generation that never grew up. Dead children will march for years to come, their shades more potent than any gun or bomb, never to sit at any negotiating table.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (20)
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@numbersnumbers: Second try Dear Numbers, Perhaps you also have a link which shows the several thousand tons of high grade US supplied weaponry currently ensconced in Israel, and all the US ships on the high-seas constantly topping up the arsenal. Also of course the caliber and weight of the bombs and missiles, which are being used to pulverize Gaza into dust. Naturally, everybody knows that the US supplies Israel with over 3 billion dollars of weaponry every year
@Sexton Blake: Second try! Sexton you erred again! All can google "Hamas artillery rockets" to see the array of surface to surface rockets that Hamas launches against Israeli cities, with warhead ranging up to 150 KG, with their new Gaza manufactured M-75 rocket carrying a 60 KG warhead!!! How is it then that you claim that Hamas rockets (ONLY) have 10 KG warheads????
the out come of article looks more like, it is OK if Israeli children women die, but is it crime against humanity if palestinenian children die.
If Israeli children lose there parents it is not justified if they will not be hater, they will not become terrorists, they will sit on negotiating table. but if palestinenian children lose there parents it is justified that they will be haters, they will become terrorists they will not sit on negotiating table.
what kind of article is this? in the wild even though the Rhino is strong it never attacks an elephant !!!
does palestenians do not have any sense of responsibility towards there people. I heard that the west bank is QUIET, only Gaza is ravaging, why?
care author to write on that too
@Abid P. Khan: Im sorry my comments were not published. I'll keep trying. Here is the link to your question http://lubpak.com/archives/673
@Jat: I still did not get the answer about the figure being 24000 as claimed.
@Jat: And what are your intentions to divert attention away from Gaza here? Author did not mention the Pakistani Generals here. You might need to wait for that topic to come up.
@John: By the way John; whose orders was Gen Zia following when he hanged ZA Bhutto ?
Food for thought...
@John: give him the defence that he was merely following orders
Don't you think the Pakistani Generals have been particularly good at following orders where it concerns killing 'defenceless' civilians - be it Baluchistan, East Pakistan, Jordan or FATA. Too bad these civilians were not given the benefit of "defence" that you are so eager to give to Gen Zia...
That says a lot, doesn't it ?
@John: Am not supporting Israeli action. Mass indiscriminate killing of civilians by aerial and heavy artillery bombardment is reprehensible.
Was just trying to point out some events from recent history and provided links from Pakistani newspapers. Two such links were killed by ET mods for reasons best known to them.
@Jat:
Zia killed 24000 ok lets for the sake of arguement lets accept for sake of arguement that Zia was responsible lets not even give him the defence that he was merely following orders, the defence which was even available for those who commit holocaust. But question does it gives me, you or Israel licence to kill?
@Abid P. Khan: You are lucky today - here is one more link from your "The News"
In 1970, led by Brigadier Mohammed Ziaul Haq, the Jordanian army killed more Palestinians than Israel had since 1948 - by Harris Khalique
@Abid P. Khan: and this ?
A leaf from history: Enter: Ziaul Haq - Dawn (hopefully you are familiar with this newspaper)
@numbersnumbers: You are only talking about possibilities. Give palestinians what they deserve give their land and freedom back and dont have to worry about any rockets
If one looks at the map of the State of Israel in '48.......and what it is today. It says that might is right and the UN is just noise.
@Sun Tzu: "Yes, just like the 24000 Palestinians massacred by Zia and Pakistanis and Jordanians in the Black September incident in 1971 in Jordan. Pray shed some light ( smell) of that too?"
Can you quote any reliable source for these figures?
Europeans for 2,000 years persecuted and massacred the Jews amongst them. Russia, Poland, France, Britain, Spain, Hungary ..... and the mother of all massacres in Germany. Then they suddenly woke up to a conscience and decided to make a homeland for them, not in Europe, where they belonged, and where the atrocities were committed, but in Muslim holy lands. And now the entire West finances and arms the monstrosity called Israel
Numbers, you erred again. The rockets used by Hamas have a 10 kilogram warhead. You only got it wrong by 1500 per cent. Also, if Israel had not brutally attacked Palestine in the first place nearly 800 Palestinian children would still be alive, and there would have been no genocide, which Israel routinely appears to indulge in. Additionally, we have been putting up with Israel complaining for 70 years now, and somehow they always make it look as if their suffering is greater than others, and most people are getting a little sick of it. Keep up your usual litany of inaccurate statements, but also keep in mind that they are becoming somewhat droll. Incidentally, nobody invited the Ashkenazi into what was known as Palestine.
Your view of Hamas Rockets is unique, no doubt fostered by your inability to actually Google "Hamas Artillery Rockets" and see the wide range of heavy weapons available and used by Hamas, with warheads approaching 150 KG of high explosives and ranges past 80 kilometers! Perhaps you could arrange to be in an Israeli house/school/hospital/synagogue struck by one of these rockets 150 KG warheads, so that you can comment first hand how these Hamas rockets "present no threat to the Israeli state militarily"! The state of Israel is responsible to protect its citizens, hence the iron dome defense system, along with enough bomb shelters for the entire population of the country! The Hamas Gaza government is responsible for the protection of its citizens, hence the complete lack of bomb shelters sacrificed in its acquisition of an arsenal of UNGUIDED military rockets to be fired into Israeli cities (War crime according to UNHRC!) and concrete tunnels to launch terrorist attacks into Israel! After all, a dead Palestinian is so much more valuable as a PR tool to Hamas than live ones in (unbuilt) bomb shelters!
Hamas is an outcome of decades of oppression by the Israel on people of Palestine. Israel was killing Palestians long before Hamas and Intifada. But I really doubt it that Israel want to demolish Hamas. Hamas exist due to Gazan public support and whenever this support start to wane away we see another Israeli attack on Gaza which in effect renews this support. As if Israel needs Hamas to justify its security needs. On the other hand last attack on Gaza toppled Mubarak this one will certainly do same with Sisi. The dream of holy land from Nile to Euphrates is still alive and we know what's happening in the lands where these river flow. Dream is becoming reality by each passing day.
Yes, just like the 24000 Palestinians massacred by Zia and Pakistanis and Jordanians in the Black September incident in 1971 in Jordan. Pray shed some light ( smell) of that too?