Short Analysis by Ambassador Soltanieh[1] and Ms. Öztürk[2]
Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip on 8 October 2023, Israel is collectively punishing civilians and violating international law and human rights.
A critical impartial analysis of the root cause of the unprecedented humanitarian tragedy indicates a dire reality: It was triggered well before 7 October 2023. As the Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on 24 October 2023 at the UN Security Council:[3] “Attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum” and “56 Years of Suffocating Occupation”. The Operation Al Aqsa Flood was the consequence of over 7 decades of occupation with massacre of thousands of innocent Palestinians, and millions expelled from their homes and forced to live in refugee camps including the Gaza, the largest open-air prison, a unique concentration camp. Finding a sustainable, feasible solution for lasting peace remains elusive. Peace negotiations are in a deadlock and have not solved this acute problem since fundamental human rights of Palestinians have been neglected.
It has to be recalled that besieged Gaza has been under Israeli bombardment and blockade since 2007 and many times has been brutally attacked by Israeli forces. It has to be recalled that before 7 October operation by Hamas, Gaza has been seriously attacked 4 times by Israel, where thousands innocent Palestinians were slaughtered.
In a nutshell: 1430 killed in 22- day war in 2008; 1080 killed in 7- day war in 2012; 2322 killed in 50-day war in 2014; 250 killed in 11-day war in 2021.Therefore, impartial analysis led us to conclusion that the 7 October 2023 event did not happen out of blue!
The following death toll figures speak for themselves:
| 2014[4] | 2023[5] | |
| Death Toll | 2322 | 5.791 |
| Children | 551 | 2.360 |
| Women | 299 | 1.292 |
| Wounded | 11.231 | 16.282 |
Now the world is witnessing, not from the lens of western media, but social media and esteemed journalist, some of whom killed so far, the war crime and genocide, civilians arbitrarily and constantly attacked while being deprived of basic needs such as food, water and medicine. The innocent children who survived are traumatised because they have witnessed their family perish and become ashes, the memory will not disappear overnight.
Recent statistics show the highest civilian death toll and the massacre of over 2500 children. Hospitals, churches, and mosques are being bombed, places which are protected under international law. Over 1.2 million have been displaced within the Gaza Strip since their homes were razed. They are refugees in their own refugee camp, an unprecedented human tragedy in history!
What the world public is witnessing now is the realization of Israeli official declaration by head of present Government on 8 October 2023:” We will turn Gaza into an island of ruin”.
The heartbreaking scenes in Gaza are all reminiscent of Hiroshima after the US dropped the atomic bomb[6], while the documentaries of residential towers in Gaza collapsing due to Israeli airstrikes are reminiscent of 9/11 in the United States.[7]
It is shameful that after two weeks of high-level shuttle diplomacy, only a handful of trucks have been allowed into the Gaza Strip, where the more than 400 trucks waiting at the border carrying water, food and medicine are urgently needed. In order to carry out this humanitarian aid effectively, an immediate ceasefire is essential.
Global calls from peace-loving people, intellectuals and international communities for intervention and an immediate ceasefire have so far been ignored by Israeli allies. The increase in daily demonstrations around the world underscores widespread calls for decisive action in the region. Serious steps must be taken to address the acute problem of illegal occupation and apartheid. We are all witnessing ethnic cleansing, which we can see live on social media.
Frustration is growing around the world over the perceived violation of international law and human rights in Gaza. The worldwide public demonstration in support of the Palestinians is astonishing. Citizens can exert political pressure on their governments to take immediate corrective action.
The effectiveness and response of institutions such as the United Nations are under scrutiny.
Indeed, the United Nations Security Council is more paralyzed than ever due to the polarization of the Council. The United States vetoed Brazilian resolution, supported by all others,[8] a week ago, causing the killing or wounding of thousand more Palestinians since then. Yesterday, Russia and China rejected the US draft resolution because, in their view, it completely undermined the main concerns, namely a prompt ceasefire and the immediate humanitarian needs, highlighting contentious politically motivated issues instead.[9]
The authors are of the belief that an extraordinary session of the United Nations General Assembly to decide on a prompt ceasefire and the immediate flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza is the only option left before it is too late.
[1] VIIMES President
[2] Intern of the VIIMES
[3] Secretary General Statement at UNSC-Session on 24 October 2023, https://www.un.org
[4] https://www.unrwa.org/2014-gaza-conflict
[5] https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/no-place-safe-children-gaza
[6] https://viimes.org/
[7] https://viimes.org/
[8] https://viimes.org/news/united-nations-paralyzed-by-veto-of-the-united-states-to-help-palestinians/
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALrbJrSZpjE