One Year of Escalating Tragedy in Gaza: Will the World Remain Silent?
“Do not expect the world to be fair to you, for I have lived and witnessed how it remain silent in the face of our pain.” Al-Syahid Yahya Sinwar
For over a year, the world has borne witness to an alarming intensification of violence in Gaza, which has now extended to other occupied Palestinian territories. The relentless actions of Israel have led to the tragic loss of over 43,000 lives, including more than 16,000 children, with injuries sustained by over 101,000 and nearly 10,000 still unaccounted for. This has occurred amidst a sustained blockade that has sparked widespread international condemnation. Yet despite this outcry, no tangible actions have been taken, especially by the global great powers capable of making a difference. The people of Gaza endure suffering so profound it defies description, standing as a unique and grievous tragedy. Even as this article is penned, fatal assaults in Jabalia, North Gaza, persist with more than 50 children tragically lost within a span of 48 hours.
As Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, poignantly noted, despite the lessons of the Holocaust and the moment of “never again” in history that inspired the Genocide Convention, such tragedies have, regrettably, repeated themselves, bringing untold suffering. The prevention of genocide and the imperative to hold perpetrators accountable is essential to upholding human rights, especially for those who bear the weight of these horrors. The situation in Gaza must be viewed as part of a protracted conflict that has traced back to Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories. Israel’s recurrent military operations in Gaza—most notably in 2008-09, 2014, and 2021—have led to the deaths of thousands of Palestinian predominantly civilians, including many children. Yet, the scale and severity of violence witnessed over the past year have reached a level that constitutes nothing short of genocide.
Over the past year, Israeli airstrikes and military campaigns in Gaza have intensified markedly. According to the latest figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Palestinian government, as of October 27, 2024, Israeli assaults have damaged or destroyed over half of the housing in Gaza, 80 percent of commercial establishments, 87 percent of school buildings, healthcare facilities with only 17 out of 36 hospitals remaining partially operational as well as 68 percent of the road network and agricultural land. Additionally, around 611 mosques and several churches have been reduced to rubble.
From a health perspective, 75%, of Gaza’s population, around 2.3 million people, have contracted infectious diseases as a result of inadequate sanitation, open sewage, and limited access to hygiene. Since 2007, Gaza has endured a stringent Israeli blockade, restricting the movement of goods, food supplies, fuel, people, and essential services including medical supplies. This blockade poses a threat to at least 350,000 chronic patients who urgently require treatment. Additionally, 10,000 cancer patients are now deprived of essential care, while 15,000 others, either injured or suffering from chronic ailments, are in need of treatment outside Gaza.
As highlighted by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Israel’s harsh actions have left hospitals unable to function, with ongoing sieges that expose an intent to endanger the lives of patients and the injured. The continuous blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza serves as a weapon of war. Humanitarian organizations, including the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) have condemned this blockade as collective punishment and a grave violation of international law. With Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins, its people—predominantly children—are confronted with hunger and disease. The deliberate deprivation of essential supplies such as food and water is an element of genocide, dismantling the very foundation of life for the entire population.
Despite compelling evidence of these atrocities, the response from world leaders, particularly from major powers, has been, as expected, profoundly disappointing. The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, continues to supply military aid and weapons, along with its veto power, thereby blocking efforts at the UN to hold Israel accountable. European countries, while voicing “concern,” generally refrain from taking meaningful actions such as imposing sanctions or arms embargoes. Egypt, Palestine’s closest neighbor, has often taken regrettable actions. On November 1, 2024, an Israeli, German-made warship, Saar, passed through Egypt’s Suez Canal. The canal authorities cited the 1888 Constantinople Convention, which ensures free passage for all nations in times of peace or war, yet Article X of this convention does grant Egypt the right to restrict vessels that threaten national security. Meanwhile, countries from the Global South, particularly those with a colonial past, have demonstrated commendable solidarity with the Palestinian people. Nevertheless, the geopolitical interests of major powers seem to overshadow these voices. The International Criminal Court has also initiated an investigation into potential war crimes, yet the slow progress of justice offers little solace to those enduring suffering in Gaza.
The violence in Gaza has laid bare the global system’s profound failure to protect human rights, with the international community’s inaction not only fueling further atrocities but also setting a disgraceful precedent that undermines the very foundations of international law. For the people of Gaza, enduring the genocide, any hope in global intervention is fast eroding, replaced by deepening despair. To truly address this crisis, more than symbolic gestures or hollow condemnations are needed; an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of the blockade, and real accountability for those responsible for war crimes are imperative. Silence is complicity in a critical era, as history will judge us by our actions or silence. To restore hope and dignity to Palestinians, we must demand accountability and respect their right to self-determination. Waiting for less is complicity, and betraying humanity is essential.
