By Dr Arun Mitra
The unprecedented humanitarian crisis going on in Gaza is extremely disturbing. No sane and sensitive person can ever condone this on any pretext. Only the beastly instinct can make one kill the innocent toddlers. With an official figure of over 55000 people killed out of which 70% are women and children, the situation is beyond condemnation.
“The whole world is witnessing daily killing of starving emaciated women and children from the air and of emaciated crawling men women and children being deprived of food water medicine when loaded convoys are waiting within touching distance. No one in the world has intervened. Hitler seems to have taken rebirth in the form of Netanyahu. Israeli military once reckoned to be the most professional fighting force in the world. Now killing unarmed emaciated hapless men women and children. The height of bravery.” points out Maj. Gen (Retd.) Vinod Saighal, author of the Third Millennium Equipoise while commenting on the situation.
A century, which boasts of highly advanced technological revolution like the AI, is unable to ensure that the new developments will be used for the welfare of mankind. Today everything has become so transparent that even the smallest act anywhere on the earth can be seen by the whole world. It is however a matter to ponder over seriously whether such advancements have blocked our sensitivities? That despite watching the events clearly people have started to believe in falsehood and cooked up ideas? They are getting swayed away by hyper-nationalism and hatred towards others based on religion, ethnicity or other factors, thus lose the basic human essence and instinct of empathy. It is therefore time to get rid of the pre-conceived ideas, shed tunnel vision and view everything around with eyes wide open and broad thinking.
Not justifying even a single unnatural death, the whole events have to be viewed in proper perspective. If killing of more than 1200 people and taking 250 innocent people as hostage by Hamas is a terrorist act, then what shall we call the act which has killed over 17000 children.
There might have been disputes in Jerusalem several 100 years back, but if we live today with those events in mind and think of taking revenge from each other we will never achieve peace and harmony. The march by the Ultra Nationalist Jews in Jerusalem on 26th May 2025 is a highly provocative act.
It is unfortunate that the governments around the world are hardly reacting to the situation. Russia and China are paying only lip service. The European countries who have been preaching ethics and morality to the whole world have not opposed Israel’s actions. Recent pronouncements by France and UK are welcome. The US instead of supporting the judgement by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC) is ridiculing the two institutions. They continue to supply huge cache of armaments to Israel. The Israeli government has already rejected the rulings of ICC and ICJ.
Many Arab countries are aligned towards the USA, as witnessed during the visit of Donald Trump to Middle East is a worrying factor. They have completely ignored the Palestinians. The developing countries which were united at one time under the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) are not proactive anymore. Indian government which used to be a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause has no love left for them. It is instead siding with Israel. Public protests, even the indoor meetings in favour of Palestine are not being allowed in the states ruled by the BJP, the ruling party at the centre.
It is now ample clear that the Netanyahu government has no interest in the hostages. Nearly 80% of Gaza is under the control of Israeli defence forces, then where are the Hamas hiding? Where had they kept the hostages in such large numbers for so long a period at safe places?
The governments have failed to realise their duty. The task before civil society is very hard and complex. If we don’t speak up now, soon there may be no time left to speak. This situation, if gets out of control could also threaten the use of nuclear weapons which would be catastrophic. Civil society should impress upon the governments to oppose Israel. We should write to the Israeli embassy in our respective countries.
There have been instances in the past when international peace keeping forces have gone to the conflict zones and saved several human lives. A strong voice by the peace groups and the civil society will matter. (IPA Service)
