Asserting that it is retaliating against Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, which resulted in harm to civilians, Israel has been deliberately targeting and killing Palestinian civilians for the past 27 days. According to independent sources, the number of children who have been killed has already exceeded 3,000.
Strikingly, the Israeli government seems indifferent to these clear war crimes. They openly acknowledge that when they strike hospitals, schools, mosques, churches and marketplaces, they anticipate civilian casualties.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht's response to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer's question in an interview, "You know that there were refugees, all sorts of refugees, but you decided to still drop a bomb on that refugee camp," encapsulates the whole situation: "This is the tragedy of war. As we’ve been saying for days, move south."
The spokesperson, who is responsible for the deaths of 133 infants under the age of 1 in Gaza so far, is quite cold-blooded. The tragedy he attributes to the ongoing war is his own delusion. When the operation began, they received orders from their Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and commanders, instructing them to "fight human animals, act accordingly, with no rules, and to be relentless."
Moreover, according to the recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the current war in which they seem to show no mercy and shed no tears for civilians, much like the way they took over Palestine, was, in their view, "promised" to them.
Can't you see that Netanyahu, known as secular, hardly forms a sentence without quoting from the Torah? He even talks about the Isaiah Prophecy.
Israel's representatives on the global stage also take pleasure in delving into history and referencing the Torah. In public gatherings, they don't hesitate to openly assert that mistreating Palestinians, including women, children and even animals, is justified by their religious beliefs and obligations.
What is even more absurd is the unwavering support from all Western governments, the flag bearers of secularism, in this "religious war," even though most of the peoples of the world stand with Palestine. They label Palestinians who demand recognition in international law through United Nations resolutions as "radical" or "extremist." And, they sanctify Israel, a religious state much like Iran, as the representative of "modernity," "enlightenment," "civilization" and "humanity."
"Misery is growing by the minute." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
"Without a fundamental change, the people of Gaza will face an unprecedented avalanche of human suffering. Everyone must assume their responsibilities. This is a moment of truth. History is judging us all."
Hasn't the verdict on the "Western civilization" already been rendered? Isn't it still unclear who is truly "civilized" and "modern," and who is genuinely "radical" and "extreme"?
Who can stop you if you say, "I'm going to Gaza," Mr. Guterres?
I have nothing but admiration for the U.N. secretary-general's sensitivity to the genocide in Palestine. He courageously sets aside the usual, diplomatic language in his statements. In my view, he is doing his best.
Nonetheless, the U.N. is an institution engineered to safeguard U.S. interests, making concrete action nearly impossible. Fortunately, no mechanism exists to thwart Guterres from visiting Gaza, even if only for a few hours.
Mr. Guterres, I implore you to take this step. Please, go to Gaza, where children are being killed every hour. Witness the harrowing reality on the ground. Address the world. Even if it accomplishes little else, while you are in Gaza, the city will be spared from phosphorus bombs and the bombing of kindergartens and hospitals. At least, it could save the lives of a few Palestinian children.
