In a heartbreaking development, the death toll in Gaza has risen to at least 30 due to heavy Israeli aerial bombardments, as reported by Palestinian health authorities. In the attack that happened overnight, 10 people lost their lives in the Gaza Strip, including four children and two females. Furthermore, one more strike was carried out in the Gaza northern settlement of Beit Lahiya, and over twenty people, including eight women and six children, were killed.
Israel has been on the offensive since the beginning of the month and launched a massive military campaign in northern Gaza which was already battered with great damages and long siege. The situation has also reached a whole different level ever since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas after the Palestinian militant’s attack on October 7, 2023. The most devastating attack in Israeli history which took the lives of around 1,200 people most of who were civilians and saw the kidnapping of about 250 people.
Nonetheless, even with the rising pressures for a ceasefire from the United States and other nations, Israel has continued with her military activities. They have expanded it not only into Gaza but even against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where strikes have crossed the borders. In addition, since the onset of the hostilities with Hezbollah in 2023, it has been reported that the death toll in Lebanon exceeded 3,000 people, with about 13,500 others injured.
For me, it’s really sad how this matter is unfolding and it seems to be getting worse by the day. So many innocent people perished and lost most especially children and women are witnesses of how inhumane the whole vendetta is. One begins to wonder whether these age-old problems that bring so much anguish upon people can be dealt with in any other peaceful way. Rather, perhaps a more constructive approach involving negotiations and progress through diplomacy can be the answer rather than violence.
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There is an inherent need for the global community to acknowledge the threat and intervene more earnestly. To my opinion, this call for cessation of hostilities is but the first stage of addressing the problem, there is a need for a clear strategy to deal with the factors causing conflict. Gaza and Lebanon have a right to peace and safety and to the prospect of reconstruction free from violence. The people cannot simply remain passive observers as more people die and the situation spirals.
It’s difficult to put into perspective the scale of destruction and tragedy that has visited Gaza. Health officials in Palestine claim that the total number of deaths recorded during the current war with Hamas has surpassed 43,000 deaths. While the officials do not provide figures on the civilian to combatant numbers, they do say that women and children constitute over fifty percent of the dead. This shocking figure epitomizes the urgent plight prevailing in that region.
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