A truce just delays the deaths
Immediately after the weeklong Israel-Hamas truce expired on December 1, bombs started falling on Gaza and ravaging the lives of innocent civilians again. And now, the death toll has crossed 20,000. This proves that the truce was nothing but a farce, an excuse to appease peace-loving people around the world, so that Israel can carry on with its carnage until nothing is left of the strip. If Israel continues along this path, we may witness the destruction of an entire population.
After 76 days of the war, its actions are garnering global disapproval as diplomatic efforts focus on a much-needed ceasefire in Gaza. But even now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows no signs of remorse, saying that the bombardment will not stop until the "Hamas group is destroyed." His words only bolster the Israeli military, and in their quest to eliminate Hamas soldiers have reportedly killed at least 11 unarmed Palestinian men in front of their families in Gaza, the UN said Thursday. This is the price they have to pay for our inaction.
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Since Israel's attacks began, UN and rights agencies have been raising alarms about the severe need for humanitarian aid, as the assault has destroyed or damaged over 60 percent of Gaza's infrastructure and displaced more than 90 percent of its 2.3 million population. But aid has repeatedly been blocked leading to outbreaks of diseases and starvation. Only nine out of 36 health facilities are "partially functioning", meaning that Palestinians are struggling to even tend to their injuries, that is, if they survive the bombings first. Denying an entire population such basic amenities is not war, it is plain genocide.
On Thursday, the UN Security Council was scheduled to vote on a resolution calling for the suspension of hostilities in Gaza. Meanwhile, talks of another truce are ongoing, with goals to exchange more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Like before, we must reiterate that the solution to this conflict is a permanent ceasefire, not temporary measures to just delay the destruction. We urge world leaders to unanimously condemn Israel's assault, and intervene to stop it immediately.
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