It has been more than a week since 14 January 2024. That day marked 100 days since Israel began its war on Gaza. The numbers that convey the death and destruction that unfolded in those 100 days indicate one of the biggest civilizational failures of our times. As many say, it was the first genocide that was live-streamed (via social media) and yet it failed to stir the conscience of the international community and coerce it to take any meaningful action to stop the war. However, before we delve into commenting on the war, let’s look at those deadly statistics marking 100 days of the genocidal attack on Gaza, Palestine by the State of Israel.
According to AJLabs, the data, visual storytelling, and experiments team at Al Jazeera, at least 23,968 people have been killed in Gaza, including at least 9,600 children and 6,750 women in the first 100 days since October 7, 2023. That is 1 out of every 100 people in Gaza. At least 60,582 people have been injured in Gaza, including at least 8,663 children and 6,327 women. That is 3 out of every 100 people in Gaza. More than 1,000 children have lost one or both legs. Some 100 journalists and media workers have been killed. That’s nearly one journalist killed every day in Gaza.Israel’s war on Gaza is the deadliest conflict for journalists in over 30 years.
Fifteen of 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially functional. Israel’s relentless bombardment has destroyed most hospitals, which face a dire shortage of doctors, medicines, and medical supplies and urgently need fuel for life-saving equipment. 5,500 women are due to give birth within the next few weeks. More than 180 babies are born every day with neither mothers nor newborns able to receive the care they need.
2.2 million Gazans are suffering crisis levels of food insecurity. 9 out of every 10 people go 24 hours or more without food. 359,000 housing units have been damaged or destroyed. That is 6 out of every 10 homes in Gaza. Up to 55.9% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip (as per satellite imagery) and in northern Gaza, up to 80% or more of buildings were damaged or destroyed. 1.9 million were forcibly displaced by the war. That is 85% of Gaza’s population.
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths aptly summarized the situation, saying, “What we have seen since 7 October is a stain on our collective conscience. Unless we act, it will become an indelible mark on our humanity. People will continue to suffer and die from the rockets, the bombs, the missiles, and the bullets; and in increasing numbers from starvation, disease, and exposure.”
What do we make of these genocidal figures? The fact that a rogue state was able to carry out this unprecedented barbarism unhindered and without any remorse whatsoever, shows the impunity it has developed through the powers that matter.
It is another matter that “By supporting Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, the West has shredded what remains of its credibility and brought the ‘rules-based’ world order it purports to lead to the point of no return.” (Saul Takahashi, Professor of Human Rights and Peace Studies at Osaka, Japan for Al Jazeera)
Another striking feature of this tragic war has been the utter defeat of Israel in the war of narratives. Young activists affiliated to the social justice movement, to the climate movement and who are pro-democracy and anti-colonial, have all rallied behind the Palestinian cause. Israel has lost the plot on social media and there are very few takers for the continuation of war on Gaza.
Commenting on the takeaways from the 100 days of Israeli aggression in Gaza, political analyst Marwan Bishara said, “First of all colonialism has no place in the 21st century. The kind of apartheid, racism and occupation of the kind we have seen in Israel-Palestine over the past 75 years has no place in the world. Secondly, “might” is not “right”. Israel can use all the American weapons it has, but it is not going to gain legitimacy, security or peace. Thirdly, Arab regimes that are unfair to their own people are not going to be fair to Palestine. Israel is going to have to start acting like a Middle Eastern country rather than as a Western client (state) in the Middle East.
“There is a lot of room for optimism, as international public opinion mounts on Israel. As the apartheid state of South Africa was dismantled, a similar thing may happen. Finally, the region will have to confront the curse of geography. There are 7.5 million Israelis and 7.5 million Palestinians living in close proximity. They will have to reconcile and live together.”
The tide is also turning against Israel on the legal front. In a significant development, representatives from various countries gathered in The Hague last week to present their arguments against Israel before the judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide in the ongoing war in Gaza. This is possibly the first time that international law has received such extensive public scrutiny as a potential means to resolve international disputes as a method of last resort. However, even if the ICJ concludes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, it does not guarantee an immediate end to the war. At least such a ruling would exert significant moral pressure upon the international community to intervene and stop the war on Gaza.
What can the people of India and Indian Muslims do for Gaza? The most important task before them is to convince the government that supporting Palestine is in our national interest. The issue is not merely that of human rights for Palestinians but also protecting and promoting national interest. Our history and the legacy of our freedom struggle against imperialism and colonialism, all lead to formulating a policy that supports Palestine against the apartheid regime of Israel and its illegal occupation of Palestinian land. India can as it has the power to turn the next 100 days into a struggle for peace and justice for Palestine.