For 18 long days, the people of Gaza have been living through a harrowing ordeal as they endure the relentless onslaught of Israeli forces. Women, children, and men have all fallen victim to the violence and plunder carried out by Zionist soldiers. In a significant turn of events, following the valiant resistance by Hamas, an Israeli tank and two bulldozers were forced to retreat, leaving destruction in their wake. However, this offensive, met with resistance, prompted the Israeli air force to intensify its airstrikes on Gaza, resulting in further destruction and claiming the lives of 266 more Palestinian civilians within the span of just 24 hours.
Amid these relentless attacks, two more names have been added to the ever-growing list of Palestinian casualties. One was Roshdi Sarraj, a Palestinian journalist, and the other, Hiba Abuanda, a renowned 32-year-old author and poet. Meanwhile, on the western front, Jewish settlers continue to launch attacks on Palestinians.
The situation has escalated to the point where the United States has issued a warning to Israel, urging them not to engage in a two-front battle. President Joe Biden has said that such actions could plunge the entire Middle East into turmoil, with potentially dire consequences for the Israeli military.
The conflict between Israel and Gaza has now extended its shadow, with escalating verbal confrontations between the United States, Israel, China, and Iran. This tension has heightened regional instability to new heights.
The airstrikes by the Israeli military on Gaza have left its residents in a state of silent suffering, with cities in ruins and countless Palestinians wounded or killed. In their quest to identify the fallen, parents inscribe the names of their children on scraps of paper and bind them to their wrists.
It is incumbent upon the United Nations, global organizations, and those advocating for human rights to break their silence and step forward. The treatment and rehabilitation of the wounded must be urgently coordinated at an international level, with the Red Cross playing a pivotal role.
