Genocide in Palestine: When Will it End?

By: Dr Akib Mahmoud Abdullah & Dr Nurul Suhada Ismail

Operation al-Aqsa Flood was initiated by Hamas on 7th October 2023 towards Israel. In this operation, 5000 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Hamas characterizes this attack as a counter-attack against all forms of violence and cruelty committed by Israel against the Palestinian people over the years. As a result, much destruction has occurred, and thousands of Palestinian lives have been lost. In fact, during this conflict, Israel has launched several series of retaliatory attacks by air and land. Israel has also acted excessively to cripple Gaza by cutting off electricity, water, and food supplies.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health (2023), as of November 8, 2023, 10,328 people have died and 25,965 people have been reported injured. At least with this situation of war conflict, it has destroyed the infrastructure of houses, schools, and shop buildings in Gaza, with an estimated 36,000 houses destroyed. The most heartbreaking situation occurred when most hospitals in Gaza were targeted by Israeli gunfire, causing 16 hospitals and 32 medical centers to be unable to function and provide proper health services. The destruction and inadequacy of medical equipment have crippled the health system in particular. As a result, the population is increasingly being sacrificed by the conflict situation in Gaza. This Israeli attack does not discriminate against gender and community groups as more and more people are being sacrificed, including women, babies, children, and the elderly who are victims of Israeli cruelty.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has resulted in the loss of many lives, and the number of casualties continues to rise. The repeated attacks by Israel are a clear indication of their intent to eliminate Palestine from the world map. The mass killings of a particular ethnic group demonstrate Israel’s desire and goal to annihilate the Palestinian people. According to the International Criminal Court (2023), this is defined as a crime that involves specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group by killing its members and causing serious bodily or mental harm. Article II of the Genocide Convention describes the characteristics of genocide, which include any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, such as: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. In 1948, the United Nations first made the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide an international legal instrument. Through this Convention, they agreed to recognize that “in all periods of history, genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity” and that international cooperation is necessary to “free mankind from such an odious scourge.”

It is true that Israel’s actions over the past few decades have been a Genocide, but so far there has been no action taken against Israel. A bloody tragedy against Muslims occurred when 8,000 Muslims were massacred in Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina. This war is also known as the Srebrenica Genocide, which is the largest mass killing since World War II. Sadly, to this day, there has been no justice for all the victims of this tragedy. Although peace has been achieved through this conflict, Bosnia Herzegovina has been divided into two and cannot be governed properly as a result. The situation is even more unfortunate when the perpetrators of the massacre are honored and given their own administrative area, the Republic of Srpska, which is part of Bosnia (Astro Awani, 2020).

Recently, on October 23, 2023, the United Nations held a General Assembly to demand unimpeded essential aid to the public throughout the Gaza Strip. Through this Assembly, they also called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire with the aim of stopping the Israel-Palestine conflict. As a result, there were 120 votes in favor, 14 against, and 45 abstentions. The Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations” (document A/ES-10/L.25), calling on all parties to immediately comply fully with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. With the hope that this General Assembly, a ceasefire and appropriate actions can be implemented to curb the Genocide from continuing to occur against the Palestinian people.

It is heartening to know that the suffering and misery faced by the people of Palestine is shared by the global community without regard to religion, race, or nationality. The continuous support from all corners, including financial aid, medicine, food, clothing, and unwavering moral support, is a testament to the solidarity and humanity of the world community. People around the world have been using social media to express their support and launch attacks against Israel in the hope that this war will end soon. However, it is not enough to just attack on social media. A more holistic solution is needed to ensure peace and justice for the people of Palestine. This is because if the conflict and Genocide continue, it is not impossible that World War III will occur due to the support of major powers that possess military, technological, and military resources. Therefore, through this article, the Justice for Palestine Action Front (JPAF) strongly expresses its unwavering support for the people of Palestine for their freedom and sovereignty by immediately stopping the Genocide in Palestine.