The article below expressed the opinion of the author and might not represent the position of the Stork on the issue discussed. As a newspaper we are committed to our objectivity and do not aim to side, express a specific opinion or offend any of our readers.‘Nakba’ which translates to ‘the catastrophe’ is an Arabic term entrenched in the heart of every Arab. It refers to the tragedy of the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. While the fear of another Nakba has lingered within every Palestinian for the past 75 years, the emergence of peacekeeping international organizations and international law conventions has been a beacon of hope for Palestinians.
But, a second Nakba did take place. The events following October 7th have shown how the Liberal West has failed in fulfilling its promises of maintaining peace and security. Israel’s brutal attacks were responsible for the tragic loss of more than twenty-six thousand Palestinian lives. Gaza has been annihilated by the attacks with 360,000 residential units, 378 educational facilities, and 221 places of worship destroyed and only 14 out of 35 hospitals partially functioning. Moreover, civilians in Gaza are deprived of their basic needs including water, food, shelter, fuel, and medicine.
The action that nobody is taking
These striking numbers only leave us with a consensus on what should be called for: an urgent ceasefire. However, the international community has demonstrated its powerlessness in upholding human rights and putting an end to the humanitarian catastrophe of Gaza.
South Africa has boldly recognized Israel’s acts of “genocidal character”, as it files a case in the International Court of Justice shedding light on the ongoing Nakba of the Palestinian people. Recited from South Africa’s speech at the ICJ: “This killing is nothing short of destruction of Palestinian life. It is inflicted deliberately, no-one is spared, not even newborn babies.” Amnesty International has also deliberately described what is happening as “apartheid.”
Despite these bold condemnations, Israel persists. It blatantly disregards the ruling by the world’s highest court and continues to commit its atrocities against the people of Gaza. In a world where international law exists in the absence of the rule of law, what meaning does law truly have to offer? Where does justice reside when the very principles to protect humanity shatter in the wake of political interests?
Israel is not acting in isolation. The UN’s largest donor and host state, the United States, is complicit in what is happening in Gaza. It provides Israel with $3.8bn in military aid, enabling the continuation of the mass killing of innocent civilians. Not only that, but the U.S. is repeatedly and deliberately using its veto power in the Security Council to obstruct any efforts for an immediate ceasefire.
Final thoughts
These events have only revealed the tangible gap between the values of the Liberal West and their actual conduct, shattering the illusion of indivisible humanity they once made us unquestionably memorize. Yet amidst the heart-wrenching events, Gaza has become a moral compass for all. Its resilience echoes in the conscience of the world. History will always remember how humanity has become a casualty of political expediency.
