A little over two million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, most of whom are refugees – this is one of the highest population density areas in the world. Since the beginning of the Israeli siege in 2006, we have been living under near constant bombardment.
Gaza is suffering from the worst bombardment it has seen in decades. It now appears that the Israeli regime has dropped more bombs on Gaza in the last six days than the US did in one year.
As of yet, there are no signs the Israeli regime intends to stop their bombardment. People of various ages, women, the elderly, and children, run from streets to narrow alleyways seeking shelter from missiles. Unfortunately, death was faster than many could run.
The several thousands of tons of explosives they have dropped over the Gaza Strip has caused destruction everywhere. Homes, public services and facilities, mosques, schools, and high-rise buildings were targeted by those ruthless air strikes. The Al Rimal neighbourhood looks like it went through Armageddon – it has been entirely eradicated.
Who would believe that ambulances were also targeted and their humanitarian medical mission aborted halfway to hospitals?
The estimates are that over 1,700 people have been killed, but I fear the number is actually much higher. Bodies have yet to be recovered from the rubble. The exact numbers will only be known once the bombs fall silent and each family realises who survived and who didn’t. But we know already that entire families have been erased from the population registrar as their houses were destroyed over their heads.
Moreover, doctors in hospitals and private and public clinics do not have sufficient capacity to treat the wounded because of the scarcity of medical equipment and medicines. Hospitals are overcrowded. In short, the health sector has collapsed as electricity has also been cut off, and there is no fuel to run the emergency generators. Water supplies are dwindling.
Those who escape death by bombardment might starve in a few days once food supplies compiled at minimal levels are finished. Bakeries won’t be able to serve the public without electricity or fuel. Every aspect of life has been paralysed.
It is difficult to comprehend that this is Gaza in the 21st century. The air strikes are a reminiscence of the Nazi German attacks on London and many other European capitals during WW II. Who would believe that ugly history repeats itself 78 years later?
Many world countries rushed to condemn Hamas’ Al-Aqsa Flood operation on 7 October, but have fallen silent on the ethnic cleansing that is underway in Gaza. They have failed to meet their responsibility of holding Israel accountable for the atrocities it is carrying out in the Gaza Strip against innocent civilians whose only sin is being Palestinian living under Israeli occupation.
Gaza is burning and suffocating, but even with this massive destruction it will not die.
The Palestinian people are a determined people. Their will to live is stronger than Israel's will to destroy.
Even now, I am sure that the people of Gaza will live in dignity and win.
Dr. Wajeeh Abu Zarifeh is the head of the Palestinian Center for Cultural Dialogue and Development. He holds a PhD from the Cairo-based Institute of Arab Research and Studies in political science, and a master's degree in Israeli studies from the University of Jerusalem.
Have questions or comments? Email us at: editorial-english@newarab.com.
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.