Off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered by Israel to the east is one of the most densely populated cities on Earth. A 25-mile strip of land called Gaza is home to millions of Palestinians, almost half of whom are children. Today, Gaza and its people are helpless, waiting for Israel’s inevitable ground invasion.
Israel suffered a vicious attack by Hamas, and there is no excuse for civilian murder. However, the Israeli government has long committed similar atrocities against Palestinians, having forced them to live under a system of apartheid and oppression for decades. Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza since 2007, which has made for dire living conditions in the area.
Already, Israel has killed more people in retaliation than Hamas killed last Saturday, having dropped approximately 6,000 bombs on Gaza. Gazans fled per Israel’s evacuation order, which has since ended. However, there was nowhere to go, as Israel also bombed the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, which is the only remaining escape for Gazans. Around 2,215 Palestinians have already been killed since Hamas’ attack, which killed over 1,300 Israelis. While both numbers will inevitably rise, Palestinian deaths are rising at a significantly higher rate. The world is calling it a war, but this is closer to genocide.
There is no such thing as a war in which one side is a nuclear power backed by the U.S., and the other side lives in an open-air prison with restricted access to basic necessities. To support Israel’s government is to support decades of oppression and the murder of innocent people. And, while yes, innocent people have been killed on both sides throughout this decades-long conflict, the death toll has been consistently disproportionate, with 5,590 Palestinians being killed to Israel’s 251 from 2008 to 2020.
Actions speak louder than words, and Israel’s call for evacuation as a way to prevent civilian death means absolutely nothing when it then blocks said civilians’ only way out. It is clear that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, does not care to avoid civilian death, he just wants the world to think he does.
In fact, Netanyahu displayed a complete lack of regard for civilian life when he cut off all influx of water and electricity to Gaza. At this moment, hospitals in the strip are running on limited backup generator power. When this power runs out, all life-saving equipment supported by it stops working.
There is no reason to cut off access to these essential supplies if not to kill as many Palestinians as possible.
This is a humanitarian crisis. A man living in the Gaza Strip posted a photo of himself and his young son to X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption, “I don’t forgive the world East & West for what will happen to us. I hope our pictures haunt you.”
Millions of people in Gaza, many of them children, currently await their deaths, terrified and devoid of access to fuel, water, medical care and electricity.
Of course, Hamas’ attack on Israel was an act of pure evil. It is possible to acknowledge this fact while also acknowledging that Hamas is not who will pay the price for it. The citizens of Gaza, the women, children and families, will continue to be killed en masse by the Israeli government. This is not a war, this is an attempt to wipe out the entire Palestinian population.
Brianna Tassiello is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the opinions expressed in this article do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Brianna? Email her at bt977520@ohio.edu
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