OBLIVIOUS to all censure, the murderous Israeli regime presses on in Gaza, its lust for Arab blood still not satiated, despite the fact that over 28,000 Palestinians have been butchered since Oct 7. Now Rafah — the last bastion for Gaza’s people — is in the sights of the Israelis, after the northern and central parts of the forsaken Strip have been pummelled by Tel Aviv. Rafah is supposed to be a ‘safe’ zone, but as the Israelis have proved over the past four months, there is no safe space at all for Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces are readying for a ground assault in Rafah, despite international calls to cease and desist. Even some of Tel Aviv’s staunchest backers in the West are asking it, albeit tamely, not to go ahead with the ground invasion. But Israel is unlikely to listen. Since the Oct 7 operations, Israel has failed in its stated goal of eliminating Hamas and recovering the Israeli hostages. Perhaps Tel Aviv wishes to ‘make up’ for these embarrassments by drawing as much Palestinian blood as possible.

Over a million people are trapped in Rafah, with nowhere to go, living in subhuman conditions. Apparently, the Israeli aim is to cleanse Gaza of all Palestinians, either by murdering them, or making them flee their land. Egypt, which lies on the other side of Rafah, has firmly stated it will not accept Palestinians fleeing the Gazan hellscape. So what are the options for Gaza’s people, other than to wait for their death? Instead of mildly rebuking Israel, the West, particularly the US, needs to end its shameful support that is allowing Israel to carry out this genocidal operation. Most Muslim states have similarly left the Palestinians to Tel Aviv’s criminals, with some regional states reportedly aiding Israel through clandestine trade corridors. Knowing that the West and the Muslim world will do nothing, can Israel be expected to stop its slaughter?

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2024