Recently, Israel announced a complete blockade of Gaza, ranging from cutting communication facilities including internet and phone services to restricting the provision of basic humanitarian needs like food and water. Israel has also launched the ground invasion of Gaza after days of bombing civilians, residential buildings, and hospitals in the region. Many believe that the reason behind cutting off the internet and communication services is intended to conceal the war crimes and atrocities of the Israeli forces in the occupation of Gaza. According to the Human Rights Watch, Israel is deliberately blocking the aid to the civilians in Gaza to intensify their suffering. Although the Israel-Gaza war started after the missile attacks of Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, yet, as the Secretary General of the United States aptly states, these attacks were not carried out in a vacuum while also condemning Hamas’ attacks. Indeed, he cogently mentioned the reasons that led to these attacks. He stated that the 56 years of suffocating occupation, violence, and occupation by the Israeli authorities, and the stifled economy have demolished the hopes of the Palestinian people of a political solution to their predicament.
Hamas named these attacks “Operation Al Aqsa Flood” because these attacks were in response to the incursion of the Al Aqsa mosque led by Israel’s fanatic minister Ben-Gvir. In the past, Israeli forces have attacked the Muslim worshippers going to Al-Aqsa Mosque on several occasions. The attacks by Hamas killed almost 1400 Israelis. However, the disproportionate and indiscriminate response by Israel has led to the killing of more than 7000 Palestinians, including over 3000 minors and children, which is deemed by many as a holocaust being committed by Israel in Gaza. According to reports, at least 27 journalists have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza as of now. Israel’s violations of human rights and its war crimes could be gauged by its alleged attack on Al-Ahli hospital, which resulted in the death of almost 500 Palestinians. Many independent human rights activists and groups have condemned this alleged Israeli attack.
President Joe Biden has shamelessly supported the Israeli disproportionate response to Hamas’ attacks, demonstrating the US’ impunity for committing and supporting war crimes, and held the latter responsible for the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital without any evidence, which sparked outrage all over the world. ICC must investigate the matter of the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital. Many, including the leaders of Hamas, hold that Israel intends to commit genocide of the Palestinian people. Amnesty International has also found damning evidence of the war crimes committed by Israeli forces as their attacks have wiped out entire families in Gaza. Human Rights Watch has also indicated the possibility of mass atrocities behind Israel’s complete information blockade of Gaza in its report. Moreover, Human Rights Watch has also suggested that the acts from both sides, Hamas and Israel, could be considered war crimes. It has also reported the use of white phosphorous by the Israeli forces in Gaza, which can cause severe long-term injuries to civilians. Many hospitals in Gaza also ran out of fuel due to the complete blockade of the city, which is also a violation of International Humanitarian Law as it makes the injured, including civilians, suffer. President Putin has also called the situation in Gaza a catastrophe and has hinted at playing the role of a mediator to resolve this predicament.
Most of the Western countries are supporting the Israeli violence in Gaza. This unequivocal support of the Western nations to the Israeli aggression and war crimes and condemnation of Russia exposes their paradoxical approach. When it comes to Ukraine, the West laments Russia despite knowing the fact that it was them and NATO which infuriated it to take military actions against Ukraine to ensure its sovereignty and safety. On the other hand, some independent Western intellectuals like Noam Chomsky have criticized the West, the United States in particular, for sparking Russian aggression and have mentioned that Russia is fighting more humanely than the United States did in Iraq. It is highly unfortunate to mention that those Western states which always criticize Iran and Afghanistan for women’s rights have turned a blind eye towards hundreds or thousands of unarmed civilian women in Gaza. The fact Ukraine abstained from voting in support of a humanitarian truce in Gaza also shows its duplicity. While the self-proclaimed champion of human rights, the United States, voted against the resolution. The United States’ need for a strong ally in the Middle East to perpetuate its presence and hold in the region forces it to support Israel. The United States supports Israel’s military superiority in the region to prevent all sorts of hostile activities against it from the region. The rising influence of China in the Middle East has further increased the worth of Israel to the United States. The latter wants to counter Chinese influence and dominate the region due to its energy resources. For this reason, Israel is the best proxy for the United States, as the former has a history of hostility towards the Arabs, and it possesses modern war equipment and technology.
The Western media is also supporting Israel’s atrocities and war crimes through lies and propaganda. Indeed, the Western media is biased in support of Israel. Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, also stated in one of his interviews on CNN that Israel controls Western media through its deep pockets. Fake news about 40 beheaded Jewish children was propagated by the media and even the American president Joe Biden to justify Israel’s brutalities and war in Gaza. Hours after the Hamas’ attack on Israel, a behemoth amount of disinformation was launched on social media platforms. The international media should act responsibly to stop any action that could spark a humanitarian crisis from both sides. Moreover, international organizations should also make hasty efforts to stop the genocide of the Palestinian people. The world should attempt to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict as this war could spread beyond the Middle Eastern region as indicated by President Putin. The only viable solution to this war is the establishment of two separate and sovereign states, which has been advocated by many analysts and political philosophers.
Abbas Hashemite- is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist, exclusively for “New Eastern Outlook“.