Unfolding Suffering in Gaza - A War, A Year, Terrible Assaults and Pathetic Pity

It has been more than a year since a cruel war broke out between Israel and Palestina. At first a militant outfit intruded into the Israel territory and killed as many as 1200. To get into details, on October 7, 2023, Hamas and allied Palestinian armed groups launched an unprecedented and multi-pronged attack on Israel, marking one of the deadliest days in the country's history. One of the most tragic events occurred at the Nova music festival, where militants killed over 260 people and took scores of others hostage. In total, nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed, with 251 hostages taken back to Gaza. The attack, referred to as "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" by Hamas, marked the first major invasion of Israeli territory since 1948. The incident escalated into a full-scale war with devastating humanitarian consequences for both Israelis and Palestinians. Hamas militants provoked a sleeping tiger without thinking anything or nothing about repercussions. While a simple act of killing a strong person will be dealt with retaliation, what made them to venture into killing more than thousand free-living citizens without thinking about reaction is biggest mystery of the times. What provoked them to barge into Israel and make a costly mistake with severe repercussions evokes a strong sense of pity upon the mindset of Hamas militants. It relates to a sense of thinking among the Arab and Muslim world as a response to the happenings around the world in general and Israel in particular. The Muslim world through this attack took a blunt of injury to the self by injuring very little on the opposite side. That is how they operate – by drawing an elaborate response to put a strip of land on fire by lighting a small match stick. It looks absolutely bad and gut wrenching to look at this mode of operation by the Muslim world and the thinking that goes behind these operations. 

I am looking for three wars to end – a war that started internally within myself since few years ago and two external wars between few nations in the world. I am talking about one in this post and will deal with the other started by Russia some other time. The third internal war is also looking pleasingly for peace as the other two. My brain is rotting with the processing and thinking and it need to arrest the wave of thoughts. I might be overthinking and I am at war with myself generating lot of power to move everyone. I can no longer be the leading engine doing all the thinking and pulling everyone on my back. I can no longer do a lot of analysis before and after writing articles and reviewing about how they will be received week after week. Many think I lost my mind and I don’t strongly oppose. Infact, it has been enforced upon me or it might be true fact. Some say 99% of people use 1% of their brains. I feel I am using 200%. To corroborate the times, ‘brain rot’ is the oxford word of the year for the year 2024. How can we reduce this intensity and get back to normalcy is a question to ponder or stop pondering. It a pity of myself upon me to look at this internal state of war, just like the other two external. Bottomline is all three need to die down to spread peace upon the world. 

Coming back to the war in Gaza, we can look at the suffering in Gaza to see how bad it can get. The population of Gaza in 2024 is approximately 2.1 million people. Over the past year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused unprecedented suffering, with around 1.9 million individuals—90% of Gaza’s population—being displaced multiple times due to Israeli airstrikes, military operations, and evacuation orders. The entire population now requires humanitarian aid for survival. 

Around 1.7 to 1.9 million people have been forced to flee their homes, often moving from one unsafe location to another. Shelters, including schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), are severely overcrowded and lack basic amenities such as water, electricity, and adequate sanitation. Some families are living in tents or makeshift shelters, where privacy and safety are minimal. 

Look at the few examples below to see how life turns upside down in no time. 

1. 1) A photojournalist and father of four, Ahmed once lived a peaceful life in central Gaza, cherishing family moments like his daughter's birthday. Since the war began, his life has been one of displacement and constant fear. After being forcibly evacuated multiple times, his family now resides in a tent in southern Gaza under dire conditions, struggling to access food, water, and shelter. His work as a journalist is fraught with danger, as media personnel are frequently targeted. 

2. 2) Naifa, a 92-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s, was separated from her family during an Israeli raid on Gaza City. Despite her family’s pleas, soldiers refused to let them take her. Two weeks later, her charred remains were discovered in her burned home. This tragic story underscores the vulnerability of the elderly and the cruelty inflicted on civilians during the conflict. 

3. 3) Many children have suffered unimaginable losses. In one incident, a grandmother was shot while fleeing with her grandson during an evacuation. The child, left alone, ran to strangers for safety as his grandmother lay dead. 

4. 4) Sara, a 28-year-old mother, spoke of the dire conditions for displaced women in Gaza. Due to a lack of sanitary products and clean water, she resorted to using scraps of cloth for hygiene. Living in overcrowded shelters without privacy or functional toilets, she described how even basic dignity had become unattainable, making survival a daily ordeal. 

5. 5) Moaz, a 48-year-old man, was detained during an Israeli raid and subjected to severe torture. He recounted being handcuffed, blindfolded, and kept in a metal cage for 42 days, during which he was electrocuted, attacked by dogs, and subjected to mock executions. 

6. 6) Fadia, a mother of three, was displaced from her home in northern Gaza after her neighborhood was bombed. Now living in a temporary shelter with no reliable access to food or water, she describes the challenges of raising children in such conditions. Her family faces nightly airstrikes, leaving her children terrified and unable to sleep.

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There are countless tales of suffering and every one of those two million has a terrible story to tell and how living becomes a test of endurance. Food, water, and medical supplies are critically scarce. Over 1.1 million people face catastrophic food insecurity, and malnutrition rates among children have doubled. Many newborns suffer from low birth weights due to inadequate nutrition for pregnant women, and only 10 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain functional under overwhelming demand. 

Since October 2023, over 37,000 Palestinians have died due to the conflict, with tens of thousands more injured. The casualties include large numbers of women, children, and healthcare workers, further exacerbating the crisis. 

Displaced families report conditions that "feel like waiting for death." With an average of one toilet for 341 people and minimal access to clean water, diseases spread rapidly. The psychological toll is also immense, as families face constant fear, uncertainty, and grief over lost loved ones. The blockade has restricted access to humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and essential supplies. Many areas remain unreachable for relief organizations due to ongoing hostilities. The destruction of homes and infrastructure, including water and power systems, has rendered large parts of Gaza uninhabitable. More than 60% of housing has been damaged or destroyed. 

The Israeli blockade of Gaza, in place for 17 years, has intensified, with severe restrictions on food, fuel, water, and medicine. The resulting humanitarian crisis has led to starvation, disease, and preventable deaths among vulnerable populations, including children. The UN has labeled these acts as collective punishment, which constitutes a war crime under international law. Israeli forces have targeted shelters housing displaced civilians, such as schools and hospitals, even after people were ordered to evacuate to these locations. Verified reports indicate the use of heavy munitions in densely populated areas, exacerbating civilian casualties and destruction. 

When we sit with our near and dear, eating and drinking merrily for the holidays, we need to think about the other side of the world. They can be the reason we are living these lives. Their suffering needs to be accounted for our normal days of living within peaceful environments. We need to think about the cruel conditions of kids, females, elderly living in dire situations in these war zones before diving into our holidays. We need to be empathetic to their cruel suffering and fill their shoes imagining to be themselves after the end of every great day. For your achievements, happiness and highness - everything good comes at a cost. Their injuries, pain and suffering should become ours. The sunshine in our lives should account for the sunsetting cruelty in many of our Arab brothers and sisters lives. The great year just gone by for some should lessen the pain of a tough year for many others. In this highly connected world, we cannot live in isolation of suffering for it catches up quickly. 

The path to a peaceful resolution in Gaza requires a comprehensive approach addressing both immediate humanitarian needs and long-term political solutions. The international community must broker an immediate and sustained ceasefire to halt violence. Previous ceasefires have provided temporary relief but lacked mechanisms to ensure durability. Establishing safe zones and corridors for the delivery of food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies is critical. Restrictions on aid flow, including Israel’s blockade and border limitations, must be eased to address Gaza's catastrophic conditions. The destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and water systems needs urgent attention. International organizations, with adequate funding, should take the lead in reconstruction efforts. Over 1.9 million displaced Palestinians require immediate shelter, sanitation, and psychosocial support to recover from the trauma. Renewing discussions around a two-state solution is vital. This would involve delineating borders, addressing Jerusalem’s status, and ensuring mutual security guarantees for Israelis and Palestinians. While the steps are complex and fraught with challenges, they represent a blueprint for reducing suffering and addressing the underlying causes of the conflict. The commitment of both local and global stakeholders to sustained dialogue and action is crucial for any meaningful progress. There is an urgent need to lessen this suffering of Muslim world and read their minds for overall peace.