THE HUMANITARIAN DISASTER IN GAZA
Israel should listen to the international community, and stop the carnage
As we join the rest of the world to mark the 2025 Humanitarian Day, the catastrophe in Gaza and West Bank should prick the conscience of our collective humanity. With the theme, “Strengthening Global Solidarity and Empowering Local Communities”, this year’s humanitarian day offers a unique opportunity for the global community to exert sufficient pressure on Israel to stop the carnage in Gaza. Whatever the country may be trying to achieve in Gaza, as we stated last year, the aftermath will be deeper hate, greater violence, and a further deferment of the much-needed peace in the region. Israel must pay attention to what the international community is saying.
From Asia to Africa, and South America, the list of countries that now recognises Palestinian statehood has swelled to more than 140. With the recent announcements by France, United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal, Malta and Canada, the task at hand must be to end what is perhaps one of the greatest humanitarian disasters in history. As long as Palestinians are denied basic humanity, the crisis will persist, and it is not likely to be resolved by the force of arms.
It is noteworthy that the current Israeli military operation in Gaza started with the 7th October 2023 killing of about 1300 Israelis and abduction of more than 250 others in an attack that stands condemned. But the current Israeli military operation has exceeded proportionality of response. The justifiable right to self-defence has tipped over into the territory of reckless invasion and wanton abuse of human rights. We are now witnessing the arrogance of might without due regard for the rights of others, notably ordinary Palestinians. Incidentally, the only path to Israel’s peace and security is through facilitating an independent Palestinian state next door. The extremities of the current operation make that end even more distant, hence an urgent global call for an immediate ceasefire followed by an honest quest for enduring peace.
In January last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) urged Israel to “take all measures within its power” to prevent all acts within the scope of the Genocide Convention. The ruling was based on the nine provisional measures requested by South Africa in its genocide claim against Israel. “The imminent risk of death, harm and destruction that Palestinians in Gaza face today, and that they risk every day during the pendency of these proceedings, on any view justifies — indeed compels — the indication of provisional measures,” South Africa’s lawyer, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, had told the court. “Some might say that the very reputation of international law — its ability and willingness to bind and to protect all peoples equally — hangs in the balance.”
While today is an international day dedicated to honouring humanitarian workers and celebrating their incredible impact around the world, no territory exemplifies their sacrifices than Gaza that has been under Israeli bombardment for almost two years. “Humanitarian workers are the last lifeline for over 300 million people caught in conflict or disaster. Yet, funding for that lifeline is drying up. And those who provide humanitarian aid are increasingly under attack,” the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated in his message to mark today’s World Humanitarian Day. “Too often the world looks away, even when these attacks violate international law. The laws meant to protect aid workers are ignored. Those responsible walk free. This silence and lack of accountability cannot continue.”
The UN Mandate to partition Palestine into two independent States, one Palestinian Arab and the other Jewish, with Jerusalem internationalised, has failed because Israel believes that might is right. But the current military siege imposed on Gaza has already caused untold hardships for the people and a humanitarian disaster of monumental proportion that should not continue.
