Over 154 Palestinians have been killed and 1,000 others injured as Israel’s military strikes on Gaza continued into the sixth day on Sunday.
More than 70 Palestinian homes have been completely destroyed, according to the United Nations, and another 2,500 housing units have sustained damages, as of yesterday morning.
And the onslaught is going on unabated as I write these words.
It takes simple common sense to understand that the Israeli air strikes with F16 bomber jets, equipped with the most sophisticated targeting systems, are dispassionately disproportionate when compared to the Palestinians in Gaza with no line of defense.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants and facilities, including the homes of senior operatives. But the United Nations has estimated that 77% of the people killed in Gaza have been civilians.
Yesterday morning, Israeli air strikes destroyed most of the security headquarters and police stations run by Hamas according to BBC’s Rushdi abu Alouf in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on their twitter account say that the troops also raided a site used to fire long-range rockets at Israel.
Calling it Operation Protective Edge, Israeli troops have entered into Gaza saying they only aim to stop rocket attacks and to destroy Hamas’ capabilities.
But, at what cost?
When hundreds of human lives are being lost to the heartless assault on civilian neighborhoods, should the world watch in silence?
When simple, ramshackle dwellings – housing Palestinians driven out of their homes – are being brutally bombed, should the world not condemn it?
When our brothers and sisters in Palestine are being brutalized by Israeli aggression, during this holy month of Ramadan, should we not demand action on Israel by international bodies?
If I were a Palestinian, I would say it is not the shedding of your tears but your courage to stand up against the aggressors that really matters.
If I were a Palestinian, I would like you to not just make some arm chair condemnation of the attacks. I would like you to force the aggressors to bend to international pressure.
With western political support, with strong economic base, and with iron-dome military systems, Israel has been using and abusing its dominant position.
And innocent civilian Palestinians driven out from their actual homes are being attacked with a severity that is completely lopsided.
It is time that all of us – the friends of Palestinians in various countries – speak up and tell the International media, and particularly the western media, that the brutal aggressor called Israel must be stopped.
They must be told that it is the people with no recognised statehood that need the real International support.
They must be told that it is the people whose territories are being occupied inch by inch, day by day, attack by attack, that need real help from the world.
And staying silent is not an option. Not anymore.