The unforgiveable genocide in Gaza

Recently, while in the sacred city of Makkah, I watched in horror as an inconceivable tragedy unfolded on TV screens and social media sites.

As a mother, the agony of seeing the innocent children of Gaza lose their lives daily is a burden too heavy to bear. The relentless roar of Israeli bombs has spared no sanctuary, not even hospitals where desperate families are seeking shelter. Amid the rubble, a chilling fact stands stark – most of the population is under 18. This is a generation robbed of its future. Every day, 400 young souls are torn from this world, their laughter silenced, their dreams forever unfulfilled.

In the face of such immense sorrow, the world must join hands, weaving a tapestry of hope, compassion, and unity. Only then can we ensure that these children, their stories, and their pain are not lost to history, but rather become a beacon guiding us towards lasting peace. In the city of Gaza, brutality flows like rivers of blood, and hope has become an elusive dream. It is a place where the walls of an open cage close in on a beleaguered population, while the world watches in sombre silence.

This occupied territory has witnessed the destruction of thousands of buildings, leaving more than a million people displaced. Gaza, a place under siege, has been stripped of its basic necessities – water, food, and any semblance of normalcy. Hospitals here teeter on the brink of despair, a desperate cry for supplies in a desolate landscape. Three small convoys of aid have managed to penetrate this blockade, a mere trickle in comparison to the deluge of aid needed. Prior to the war, around 500 aid trucks a day flowed into Gaza, but now not a drop of fuel has entered since the conflict began, leaving hospitals dependent on fuel-powered generators for their electricity.

Israel has imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip, with the avowed aim of ‘annihilating’ Hamas. This siege has dire consequences, affecting 2.3 million people by obstructing the flow of essential supplies, including food, water, and fuel, leading to a humanitarian crisis in the region.

Amidst this chaos, there is a cruel reality that plagues the Gaza Strip. One child, innocent and pure, meets a tragic end every 15 minutes. This is not a mere statistic; these are lives, dreams, and futures extinguished with each passing moment. As a mother, it is impossible to fathom the agony of losing your child, especially when their lives are taken mercilessly.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports that children make up a staggering 40 per cent of the dead since the Israeli bombings began. Unicef’s warning is a chilling reminder of the dire situation. Approximately 120 infants, fragile and vulnerable, lie in incubators, with 70 of them being premature newborns, fighting for their lives with the help of ventilators powered by backup generators. When the electricity supply from Israel was severed, these machines became their lifelines. A mother in a Gaza hospital whispers through tears, "Death is certain for our children and others in the same ward if the generators stop running."

No one disputes the importance of condemning terrorist acts wherever they occur in the world, but it’s vital to draw a clear line between calling out terrorism and acts of genocide, mass murder, and unrelenting brutality. War, by its very nature, is never a peaceful endeavour, but the scale of devastation in Gaza is beyond comprehension.

The way forward is not obscured by the cloud of despair but illuminated by the collective hope for a brighter tomorrow. UN General Assembly Resolution 3236 (XXIX) underscores the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence, sovereignty, and the right to return to their homes and property. The international community, in the spirit of peace and justice, must rally together to ensure these rights are not mere words on paper but a reality for the people of Gaza and the broader Palestinian population.

Gaza has bled for too long, and the cycle of violence must be broken. There can be no more rivers of blood, no more tears shed, and no more lives lost. This region, once engulfed in chaos and conflict, has the resilience to rise from the ashes. The war must end, and the path to peace, reconstruction, and reconciliation must begin.

The international community, alongside the Muslim world through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), must unite with unwavering resolve to aid the Palestinians. In this critical moment, the world must not remain silent or indifferent. Together, we can inscribe a brighter chapter in the annals of humanity’s history.

This is an urgent plea to halt the merciless mass genocide unfolding before our eyes. Palestinians need our collective support, a united front that transcends borders and politics. Let us raise our voices, offer our assistance, and extend our hands in solidarity. The time for inaction has passed; the time for a united stand against this humanitarian crisis is now. By doing so, we can rewrite the narrative of oppression into a story of resilience, justice, and compassion.

Innocent lives should not be mere statistics, and the anguish of mothers should not go unheard. As the world watches, it is time for us to unite, to demand change, and to work towards a future where children in Gaza can grow up in peace and without fear. Gaza’s children, and indeed all the people of this war-torn region, deserve nothing less. Together, we can turn the tide and ensure that this narrative of sorrow transforms into a story of hope and resilience.

The writer is a former member of the Sindh Assembly.