THE Gaza siege has now crossed 650 days and the situation continues to take one ugly turn after another. True, even in the midst of the bloodshed and destruction, there is a faint glimmer of hope. This weekend, in Doha, the Qatari PM and Hamas leaders are slated to finalise a US-backed 60-day ceasefire deal which includes the release of hostages (10 alive, 18 deceased), reciprocal prisoner swaps and flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip. The outcome may determine whether some relief is won by Gaza’s besieged population or if the region slides further into catastrophe. However, Israel has shown scant regard for diplomacy. The recent bombing of Gaza’s only church, sheltering hundreds, including disabled children, resulted in at least three civilian deaths and multiple injuries. Israeli authorities described it as an error; international observers and religious leaders called it yet another blow to humanity. Malnutrition has gone well beyond warning levels to a full-blown emergency. UNRWA and Unicef report deepening hunger, with children under five succumbing to starvation in unprecedented numbers. One-year-old starvation deaths are now disturbingly common. Hospitals are reporting fatalities among malnourished infants as fuel shortages derail critical services. Meanwhile, the military offensive has evolved into systematic destruction. Satellite imagery shows mass demolitions in Rafah, while in the West Bank, punitive and administrative razing — especially in Tulkarm and Jenin — continue, uprooting thousands. Human rights experts have said all this is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

International efforts to ensure accountability remain weak. Those attempting to hold Israel to account are facing backlash as evidenced by the US sanctioning of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories. The coming days are pivotal. A pause in fire alone would be insufficient; what matters is whether ceasefire structures endure. Will there be fuel to keep hospitals alive? Will the displaced stay in place? Will the destruction halt? Will international enablers reverse course? Any accord risks becoming yet another ceasefire with no teeth. It is no longer enough to pause bombs. The only deterrent to this moral collapse is global resolve — diplomatic, legal, humanitarian. The Doha meeting must plant frameworks to rebuild lives. In the end, history will ask: did the world act to stop Gaza’s unravelling or stand by silently as its last sanctuaries were shelled and its children starved?

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2025