For over 100 years, Israel has been terrorizing the people of Palestine. According to the BBC, the terror all started after World War I when Britain took control of the area of Palestine. At this time, Britain wanted the support of the Zionists (a person who believes in the development and protection of a Jewish nation). In order to achieve their support, they established a “national home” for Jewish people in Palestine, resulting in the growth of the Zionist population.
However, the spike in Zionists reached its peak during the Nazi genocide. Fleeing persecution and looking for refuge, many Jewish people turned to Palestine, and though Britain had limited the amount of Jewish immigrants allowed because of conflicts with the Arabs already living in Palestine, Jews still crossed into Palestine.
Britain, unable to broker a deal between the surgance of Jewish refugees and the Arabs, turned the conflict over to the United Nations and relinquished their control over Palestine. It was in 1948, that the strong Zionist population already established in Palestine, along with the United State’s support, petitioned for over 100,000 displaced Jews to find safety in Palestine’s territory. To ensure the safety of the Jewish population, Israel, the first Jewish state in over 2,000 years was formed, and Palestine was no longer. Instead, the Palestinians were left with two territories – the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Throughout the years, Israel began to slowly take more and more land from the Palestinians. In fact, from 1967-1986, they took over 57 percent of their land. Currently, the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated places on Earth; two million Palestinians live sandwiched between the Mediterranean Sea and Israel in an area that is six miles wide and 25 miles long. The other three million Palestinians live in the landlocked West Bank.
In 2007, looking to liberate the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank, Hamas, a terrorist group seized control of the Gaza strip. Since their goal was to completely annihilate Israel and take back the state of Palestine, Israel has imposed a land, air and sea blockade until today.
In response to the fifteen year blockade, on October 7, 2023, the largest attack by Hamas took place. A Hamas-led gunman from Gaza launched an attack in southern Israel. This attack killed civilians both in public and in their homes, taking back hostages to Gaza.
In response, Israeli authorities cut off essential services such as water and electricity. Entries were blocked, only letting gas and critical aid enter. Air strikes began to hound Gaza, hitting schools and hospitals. In fact, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that at least 342 schools and 24 hospitals were demolished by these bombs. During this time over 60 percent of housing units in Gaza have been destroyed. In the days after the bombings, Israel began to use white phosphorus in dense, populated areas, a chemical substance that creates a dense screen of smoke, burning at high temperatures which can cause fires and burns on the skin. People aren’t just dying from the shock from the bombs but from starvation as well. Northern Gaza has been isolated by Israeli forces and has had long cutoffs of food supplies. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 20 people have died from starvation and dehydration, most being children. In total, Gaza authorities reported over 18,700 Palestinians were murdered between October 7 and December 12.
As of December 12, northern Gaza has been evacuated and 85 percent (1.9 million people) of Gaza’s population was displaced. Keep in mind, forced displacement is considered a war crime or a crime against humanity, and furthermore, Israel’s order to evacuate northern Gaza did not consider older people, people with disabilities, patients and many more who are unable to leave. Not only did Israel force Palestinians to leave their home, but according to, Human Rights Watch (HRW), there are also over 1,000 complaints of torture: shackling, sleep deprivation and exposure to extreme temperatures committed by the Israel Security Agency.
Just recently, on February 29, 2024, 112 Palestinians died and 750 were injured after Israeli troops opened fire on innocent civilians trying to access food. Aid trucks heading to the north of Gaza were carrying much-needed aid. These people were starving and just trying to grab boxes of flour and canned goods when
Israeli troops launched an attack on the citizens.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has rejected any proposal for a truce between Gaza and Israel. According to Reuters, he said victory was within reach and only total defeat would ensure Israel’s security. Based on Israel’s actions, it is unclear what Netanyahu means by “total defeat,” especially considering the amount of innocent lives that have been lost. What is total defeat?
Right now, over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is now staying in Rafah, which Israel declared a refuge zone for Palestinians. Though a “safe” zone, the prime minister has ordered Israel’s troops to Rafah and on February 12 carried out airstrikes, killing up to 100 people.
This genocide against the Palestine people has impacted many people across the globe, even to the point of self-sacrifice. There have been two separate accounts in which people have committed suicide, protesting against Israeli. The first case was in December in Atlanta, Georgia. The unidentified person was holding a Palestinian flag and she doused herself in gasoline, setting herself ablaze. She fortunately survived this incident with her body being covered in third-degree burns. The other, a most recent case, is Aaron Bushnell. Bushnell was a member of the US Air Force when he killed himself in front of the Israel Embassy in Washington DC. Aaron began a livestream and covered himself in gasoline. No longer wanting to be complicit in a genocide, Bushnell’s last words were “Free Palestine.” Michael Biggs, a sociologist from the University of Oxford, has explained that people might do this because it can shock someone into taking action. However, the question remains, what is being done?