Since the outbreak of the wave of violence on October 7, 2023, the Gaza Strip can be considered the scene of the bloodiest and most symbolic crimes on a global level, based on the severity and the scope of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces on a daily basis and the scale of the widespread destruction, killings, and injuries that actually indicate the occurrence of serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law, including genocide and ethnic cleansing. However, the double standards are clearly evident in international reactions, especially from Western countries, which take biased and inconsistent positions with international humanitarian law regarding the atrocities committed by Israel.
The occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the Gaza Strip, are witnessing a wave of senseless violence, characterized by extreme brutality and the commission of serious crimes, which has caused widespread destruction of vital infrastructure, including health facilities, to the extent that the international community cannot turn a blind eye to it, and to the harsh suffering experienced by the people of Gaza. In the midst of this oppression and inhuman collective punishment, Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, have provided Israel with broad political and diplomatic support. These countries, which claim to support and advocate for humanity, have also taken it upon themselves to deliver military supplies smoothly and easily to the Israeli side, while they have not done enough to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the millions of people suffering from the abuse in Gaza due to the unjust and unfair blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation on the Strip under flimsy pretexts. They have also failed to condemn the atrocities committed by Israel against children, women, and the elderly, day and night.
Consequently, there is no doubt that Western military and diplomatic support for Israel has truly contributed to the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has caused the death and injury rates to rise in a way that the world has never seen before, in parallel with the increasing intensity of Israeli attacks every day. The violations in the Gaza Strip have been committed by weapons of large-scale destruction provided by the West, including intense and barbaric aerial bombardment, tank and heavy artillery ground shelling, and by using internationally banned white phosphorus shells.
Western countries have taken upon themselves the responsibility of delivering military supplies to Israel, while not doing what they should to enter humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Actually, it is no longer a secret that the Western world often shows an immoral bias in favor of Israel, remaining relatively silent about the atrocities committed, especially with regard to the principles of proportionality and discrimination. This bias has allowed the crimes of the Israeli occupation to go unchecked, which raises questions about the consistency and fairness of the positions of Western countries and the effectiveness of international humanitarian law, which has begun to erode, undermining its credibility and effectiveness, as it sends a message that countries that have the support of Western countries can act with complete brutality due to being given a green light and immunity from any international accountability.
Thus, the Gaza Strip remains completely destroyed and exhausted in front of the eyes of the entire world, and its residents suffer daily from limited access to basic facilities and services, including medical care, due to the intensity of air strikes and the scarcity of fuel and petroleum derivatives. Furthermore, medical personnel have reported that there is a shortage of medical supplies for the treatment of critical cases, as surgical surgeries are performed without anesthesia.
Moreover, the population of Gaza is suffering dire conditions amid the ongoing killings and destruction as a result of the acute lack of food, water, and other basic necessities resulting from living in the context of the indiscriminate shelling and unjust siege. In addition, innocent people were also forced to seek safe haven in shelters, hospitals, and churches, while the situation in northern Gaza remains particularly tragic.
Many lives were lost, as residents have not succeeded in rescuing them due to the lack of rescue equipment to extract and pull them out of the rubble, given the large number of airstrikes that occurred and the number of dead and wounded who have fallen. However, the actual civilian death toll is likely to be much higher than reported, as bodies were found in destroyed squares, streets, and homes.
On the other hand, the international human rights organizations need a long time to document all the atrocities committed by Israel, but the undoubted fact is that the atrocities inflicted on the civilian population will leave indelible scars, including on future generations, on the parents who had to bury their children, on the people who witnessed their friends being killed in cold blood, and on all those who were forced to leave their much-loved homes with uncertain prospects of returning to them again due to large-scale destruction.
In addition, the double standards in dealing with Israeli crimes are fueling resentment and extremism, which can have destabilizing effects in the region. Further, the lack of decisive action to address Israeli crimes also perpetuates the cycle of violence and hinders efforts to achieve lasting peace. At a time when the Palestinians are upholding their right to establish their own independent state and ending the racial discrimination and the degrading and cruel treatment that Israel has been using against them for the past 75 years. The diplomatic efforts should be intensified to promote dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, with a focus on achieving a just and lasting peace. Besides, the international mediators should be impartial and committed to addressing the concerns of both parties.
