Muhammad Hamza Jamil
Despite widespread condemnation of Israeli attacks on civilian populations in Gaza, the protracted conflict that has claimed 35,000 lives so far and injured another 77,000 continues. The terrible human rights atrocities against innocent civilians in Gaza, the United States and its allies in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and other EU nations continue to back Israel. The discovery of mass graves between Al-Shiffa and Al-Nasser hospitals has alarmed international humanitarian organizations and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The UN head insists that the investigators must have urgent access to mass graves in Gaza. Over 390 bodies have been uncovered in Al-Nasser alone. Many appeared to have been shot in the head, had their hands bound with zip ties, had their clothes removed, or were buried in hospital gowns with medical needles and tubing still attached to their skin. The war has brought Gaza’s healthcare system to its knees; two-thirds of hospitals are inoperable, and those that are still working are severely damaged. Guterres claimed that certain healthcare facilities “now resemble cemeteries.” There are conflicting accounts surrounding several of these mass graves, including strong charges that some of those interred were unlawfully murdered. Independent international investigators with forensic expertise must be granted quick access to the sites of these mass graves in order to determine the exact conditions under which hundreds of Palestinians died and were buried, or reburied. Despite UN concerns, Western nations, which have consistently supported Israel’s seizure of Gaza, remain unconcerned. Aid was just sent to Gaza via Brit Hanoon for the first time, but the battle is far from over, despite talks brokered by the US between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Israel recently launched attacks on Gaza’s Rafah district, and it is anticipated that hundreds more innocent people will be murdered or forced to flee if a possible truce which seems out of question due to the recent tensions that has been escalated post Iran drone attacks and Hezbollah missile attacks launched against Israel from Southern Lebanon. Despite these recent events the US secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s has called out for truce deal between Hamas and Israel so that the aid can be provided to the innocent people and to deescalate the tensions post Iran intervention in the middle east. No doubt, the US desires that Israel should maintain it’s control over Gaza , but the increased support for a truce from the international community has compelled it to alter its course of action for now, despite Israel’s continuous rejection of the deal.
