Israel’s army keeps on pounding the southern city of Rafah, killing 45 people, after striking a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in a proclaimed safe zone on Sunday night. Due to the military campaign that has left much of the 2.3 million-person enclave in ruins, the majority of its residents are now homeless and in danger of famine.
Palestinian sources report that two Israeli attacks on Rafah’s displacement camps on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of at least 29 people, the majority of whom were women and children. This was the second assault since Sunday; the first occurred on Sunday night, when a terrifying strike nearby on Sunday night ignited the shelters used by displaced people on fire. There were allegedly at least eight deaths at the Tal al-Sultan camp and twenty-one at a camp in Al-Mawasi. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, during the most recent 24-hour reporting period on May 30, there were 357 injuries and 53 fatalities in the territory.
The civilian population in Rafah is suffering greatly as a result of the violence that is getting worse. Since early May, bombardments, a scarcity of food and water, and completely unfit living circumstances have forced around a million people— many of them children— to flee Rafah, according to UNRWA. The lives of these displaced people, especially the youngest and most defenseless children, depend on an instant ceasefire and unfettered access to humanitarian supplies, humanitarian organizations have warned. The Israeli military’s occupation of the Rafah border has made matters worse by obstructing humanitarian organizations’ ability to restock supplies and deliver vital support to individuals in serious need.
As fierce combat destroyed most of the remaining Gaza, and Israel advised Palestinian people to take shelter in Rafah for several months. As Israeli forces advance into the final sector that has not experienced ground action, they are now being ordered to move once again. Since taking control of the Rafah crossing of the border with Egypt, Israeli ground forces have only explored the city’s periphery and only penetrated its eastern regions during most of May. But on Tuesday, Reuters said, citing witnesses, tanks were spotted close to the iconic al-Awda mosque in the heart of Rafah. After intense shelling, they advanced towards the western neighborhoods and took up trenches on the Zurub hilltop.
Not all of the Palestinians taking refuge there are able to leave, and some have determined that it would be riskier to do so given that violence still occurs in many parts of Gaza and that there is little food, water, shelter, or sanitary facilities elsewhere. Most of Gaza’s assistance has been cut off by the Israeli campaign. Throughout the first seven months of the conflict, the Rafah and Kerem Shalom borders served as the primary entry points for food, fuel, and medical supplies. However, in the more than three weeks between May 6 and May 28, just 216 relief vehicles entered Gaza, according to UN statistics.
It is unacceptable to remain silent or uncaring in the face of such extreme pain. The appeal made here must be heard, and the world’s response must be one of empathy, determination, and steadfast support for human rights and the protection of human life. To break the cycle of violence and create a future in which the Palestinian people may live in honour, assurance, and peace will need a concerted effort based on empathy and a shared awareness of our shared humanity.
Palestine was formally recognized as a state by Ireland, Norway, and Spain on May 28. Although no major western power has recognized the state of Palestine as of yet, more than 140 countries already do. The European trio’s move could raise eyebrows in Washington and other nearby cities. Palestinians applauded the action, but the Israeli government replied by snubbing their envoys and removing the ambassadors from all three countries. Although Palestine’s official statehood would only be acknowledged as a symbolic gesture, it would heighten the enormous diplomatic pressure that is presently being applied on Israel due to its violent attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
Furthermore, Norway, Spain, and Ireland are not truly adopting policies that are entirely in favour of Palestinian interests just because they have recognized the sovereignty of Palestine. During the joint news conference yesterday, the foreign ministers of Ireland, Norway, and Spain made that much clear. All three of them denounced Israeli acts in a very strong manner, but they also repeated US policy demands that harm Palestinians and advance Israeli objectives. They emphasized, for instance, the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which the USA, Israel’s most ardent friend, has long hailed as a revolutionary agreement that would benefit all parties.
Without a doubt, the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Israel would gain enormously from the planned normalization agreement.
It is unacceptable to remain silent or uncaring in the face of such extreme pain. The appeal made here must be heard, and the world’s response must be one of empathy, determination, and steadfast support for human rights and the protection of human life. To break the cycle of violence and create a future in which the Palestinian people may live in honour, assurance, and peace will need a concerted effort based on empathy and a shared awareness of our shared humanity.
