The height of Israel's rampage was seen on 29 February as starving people in northern Gaza waited for humanitarian aid and food supplies. Then, targeting these starving people, Israeli army tanks opened indiscriminate fire, killing 112 helpless Palestinians, including children. The number of injured is 113. The said incident is being condemned at the international level. This heinous war has entered its sixth month.
Israel's objective is clearly to 'crush' Hamas and commit genocide against the people of Gaza. In the last 24 hours, 86 bodies were brought to local hospitals, two-thirds of which were women and children. The alleged retaliatory attack by the Israeli army on a city with a population of 22 lakh in Gaza Strip was so brutal that till now more than 31,000 people have been killed and 72,500 were injured. Israel has killed 25,000 women and children since the October 7 attacks. Nineteen lakh people have become homeless. More than three lakh settlements have been completely destroyed. 7 out of every 10 schools have been damaged and 6 lakh 25 thousand students have been deprived of school. Hospitals and shelters have been specifically targeted. Only 15 hospitals out of thirty-six are providing poor service and they too are facing shortage of doctors, paramedical staff and medicines. Furthermore, over the past two decades, Palestinians in Gaza and other parts of the Palestinian Authority have faced severe persecution at the hands of Israeli security forces. Hundreds of Palestinians, including hundreds of women, have been imprisoned in Israeli prisons for a long time. The Jewish occupiers have displaced thousands of Palestinians.
Their houses have been captured and their crops and businesses have been destroyed. Apart from these, India, Brazil, France and Germany are also among those countries which have expressed their displeasure against this cruel action of the Israeli Army. While Israel's allies like America, Germany and France are angry, many countries including the UN Secretary General also condemned and demanded a high-level investigation. India has also said that the killing of so many people in this barbaric operation and the worsening situation in Gaza is a matter of concern. US President Joe Biden, while commenting, acknowledged that this incident will hinder the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire agreement and the release of prisoners. However, the reality is that Israel is not ready to listen to anyone because of America's blind support including military equipment. Apart from this, America vetoed every resolution that came in the United Nations, which was brought on the international platform to condemn Israel. America has vetoed the ceasefire proposal for the third consecutive time. On the other hand, Israel has claimed that many people have been killed in the stampede that broke out while seeking help. Israel said that many people ran over others in the rush to grab food and that the army was forced to take limited action due to the threat posed by the unruly crowds.
The Israeli military has promised a “comprehensive and proper investigation” into the deaths, but has said an international investigation is needed to get to the bottom of the matter. South Africa, which has filed a genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, also condemned the brutal incident. It is not the war but Israel's genocidal campaign against Palestine that is fueling global outrage against belligerent Israel and its imperialist allies. Protests have also taken place in London, Washington DC, Norway and Denmark. Aaron Bushnell (25), a senior US Air Force airman, set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC on February 25. He chanted 'Palestine Zindabad' and said, “I cannot be a part of this genocide in Gaza.”
Millions of protests have taken place in favor of Palestinians around the world and this trend is continuing. This campaign of peace loving people around the world in favor of Palestine is not slowing down. Surely the sacrifice of the Palestinians will be successful. Five months ago, on October 7, when Hamas attacked inside Israel's border, killing about 1400 people and taking 200 hostage, it was criticized by all the countries and Israel called its counter-attack self-defense. But this action of Israel in Gaza is clearly the result of the political compulsions of its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been facing sharp criticism in the country and abroad for a long time and who came to power with the help of any trick. Actually, they are busy saving their political existence. Now is the time for the people of Israel to stand up and change the regime. But seeing this atrocities by Israel, it is not possible for even the countries standing in its favor to ignore it. It is difficult to imagine that despite an ongoing war, soldiers of any country would attack and kill people who were hungry and helpless and expecting humanitarian aid and food from somewhere. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has brought some areas to the brink of starvation.
Safely and quickly delivering relief materials to people affected by the Hamas-Israel war has become a major challenge. It is also worth noting that American Air Force planes have also started dropping food items on Gaza. Meanwhile, the international community is urging Israel to keep the border crossing open for convoys bringing humanitarian aid. Now it is also necessary that the United Nations takes a tough stance towards Israel and holds it accountable for the mistakes that have led to the deaths of many Palestinians who came seeking help. Will the death toll of Palestinians continue to rise in Gaza? Will children in Gaza continue to die of hunger and disease? Will the homeless and displaced people be forced to live on piles of debris? Will the world continue to sit helplessly? Israel, a warmonger against humanity, should be declared a war criminal by the peace-loving community for its oppression and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.