“My uncle had just buried his sister, my aunt, who was bombed a couple of hours ago. He was still grieving the loss when Israel bombed my city again, and he was murdered in that bombing. Imagine just burying your sister in a random part of your city because all the cemeteries are full and you get killed,” – an extract from a conversation I had with a Palestinian friend.
Our generation is heavily influenced by the Internet but sometimes we have to know whether the news we are being influenced by is biased or correct. In an article titled “A Tale of Terrors in the Middle East” posted on BC Voice itself, it could be seen that the author had been influenced by pro-Israel news channels. There is a genocide currently happening in Gaza, and it’s time the true terrors are published here.
Hamas is defined by US sources as a “foreign terrorist organization.” This comes as no shock as the United States is one of the biggest supporters of Israel. But Hamas is a Palestinian political party, better known for its armed resistance to Israel. The key word here is “resistance.” Israel has been occupying Palestine since 1948. Currently, Israel has control over almost every facet of an individual’s life living in Palestine including, but not limited to, necessities such as food, water, electricity, and transportation from one city to another.
Moving on to when this whole conflict came into international eyes: October 7, 2023. Hamas attacked southern Israel early morning, killing hundreds and taking captives. I do not condone what Hamas did, and many Palestinians do not agree with the methods they have taken either. A helpful reminder is that not every Palestinian is a part of Hamas. But what many people ignore is the past. Israel has launched five military assaults on Gaza alone. The 2008 assault involved the use of internationally banned weaponry, such as phosphorus gas. In 2014, over 50 days, Israel killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, including 1,462 civilians and close to 500 children. During the assault, called Operation Protective Edge by the Israelis, about 11,000 Palestinians were wounded, 20,000 homes were destroyed and half a million people were displaced. The reasons behind these attacks were to wipe out underground tunnels, communication and agents of Hamas. In the name of defending themselves from terrorism, Israel has managed to murder thousands of innocent civilians.
A lot of people refer to this situation as war, but it is a genocide in reality. Hamas is a front Israel is using to cover up the ethnic cleansing and genocide currently going on in Gaza. The first response from Israel after the October 7 attack was to use white phosphorus. White phosphorus is a banned substance, and this is not the first time they have used it. Following that, the citizens in Gaza were given a warning to evacuate the city, but as the citizens were leaving the city through the evacuation route, Israel bombed that route. They were killed by what they were fleeing from. After that, they were stripped of water, food and other necessities required to survive. As if that was not enough, Israel started bombing schools and hospitals. Furthermore, infants passed away as they didn’t have enough oxygen for incubators. When the electricity was cut off, doctors performed with flashlights, when hospitals were bombed, they operated in tents, and when they were denied access to anesthesia, they operated without it, hoping they could save the citizens. In a couple of weeks, Israel has made Gaza unrecognizable. The majority of the city has been bombed and many infrastructures have been struck down to their bare essence. Millions of people have been displaced and thousands are dead. And these were just the physical damages that Israel has been doing.
America is very big on “mental health.” They advocate and spend billions just so Americans can have access to better health care. But what about other countries? Children in Gaza are writing their names on their arms in the hope of recognition if they are murdered. At the age when they are supposed to write their names on textbooks, they are writing their names on their arms as a way to prepare for death. The constant reminder that they live in an open-air prison, that their lives are in danger, and that they could lose their loved ones in front of them takes a toll on their mental health. This is what Palestinians have been going through for weeks now. Psychologists in Palestine have seen a rise in self-harm, suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression in the weeks following this 2023 genocide. Indeed, this isn’t the first time many Palestinians have faced such horrors from Israel, but no one should be conditioned to live in such conditions, to accept that this is their reality, that they don’t know when they will be murdered. These are the tales of terror that are happening in Gaza right now.
The sad reality is that the people who are in Palestine are not the only ones affected. Recently, three students were shot in Vermont for being Palestinian, for being who they were. In Chicago, a 6-year-old boy was stabbed for the same reason, he was stabbed to death for existing as who he was. Employees have been kicked out of their jobs for showing support to Palestinians, a popular example is Melissa Barrera. However, this hate isn’t just for Palestinians. In LA, a man was arrested for reportedly threatening to kill an entire Jewish family. In New York City, a woman threw her coffee at an Indian man and his 18-month-old son and called them “terrorists.” People anywhere around the world should not be threatened or worse killed for how they identify themselves.
My friend recently left Palestine to study in the USA. She is in this anxious state wondering if she will hear news about someone she knows. For days she would go with no news as Israel blocked off communication, and on the so-called lucky days her family could contact her, it would be news about someone passing away or someone losing a limb. Slowly, the city and the people she left are disappearing, and with them, she is losing a part of herself. I know she is not the only one going through this. I am here to say I am with you. I support and see you. You are not alone.
Remember it was a genocide then and it is a genocide now. Is it a war when one side uses bombs, and military, strips away necessities and traps and kills civilians while the other side prays for all of this to end?
