Time is running out for Palestinians
We are appalled by Israel's relentless bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, which resulted in the killing of at least another 23 Palestinian aid seekers on July 31. A day earlier, according to Al Jazeera, Israeli attacks killed at least 71 Palestinians who were attempting to access humanitarian assistance amid a deepening hunger crisis in Gaza. Among them, at least 51 people were killed (and more than 648 others wounded) in a single strike while they were heading towards the Zikim crossing point to receive aid from trucks entering northern Gaza. Similarly, in southern Gaza, another 20 aid seekers were killed near the Morag Corridor, close to Khan Younis.
On the one hand, Israel is severely restricting the entry of aid into Gaza to the bare minimum, deliberately starving the Palestinian population. On the other hand, it has consistently targeted those seeking aid and turned distribution sites into dystopian killing fields. Starving and desperate Palestinians have described this brutality as Israel's version of "The Hunger Games" against them. As a result, Gaza is now experiencing "the worst-case scenario of famine," according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), with children being the worst affected. The IPC reports that more than 20,000 children have been admitted to Gaza's hospitals with acute malnutrition since April.
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The silence and support Israel has received from its Western allies—even in the face of such war crimes—has been sickening. However, the fact that the majority of the world, including millions of ordinary Western citizens, has raised their voices against Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza may still hold the key to halting this massacre. The governments of France, the UK, and Canada—all of which have blindly supported Israel for decades—have, for example, recently been forced to put some pressure on Israel. France has issued a collective appeal with 14 other countries, expressing their desire to recognise the State of Palestine. British and Canadian prime ministers have made similar announcements, stating that their countries will formally recognise it in September unless Israel takes various "substantive steps", including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Although extremely late in coming, these are indeed some positive signs. The international community must build on this momentum now to force Israel to end its genocidal campaign, before it is too late. Conscientious citizens and governments around the world must also use this opportunity to push all relevant parties—particularly the US—to acknowledge that the only way to resolve this crisis is through a two-state solution, which requires the recognition of the State of Palestine.
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