TW: This article mentions different forms of abuse and death.
Death toll in Palestine surpasses 41,000 as Israel continues to wage its war on Gaza since the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Oct. 7, 2023.
Yet the attacks of Israel against Palestine can be traced way back in the early 20th century. When Israel was granted statehood in 1948, more than 440,000 Palestinians were already driven away from their own land during the Nakba. Ultimately, this tragic episode sparked a refugee crisis for almost a million Palestinians and will fuel resistance movements against Israel.
The war between Palestine and Israel sprung from the failed partition plans of the former British Colony and the United Nations (UN). As the League of Nations granted the United Kingdom the mandate to Palestine, it already sided with the Zionists in their claims of “historical connection” to the land five years before the mandate was given, leaving the wishes and hopes of the Palestinian people which was contradictory to the requirements of the covenant.
The forefathers of Palestine felt violated by the securement of Zionists in the establishment of their home. The neglect given to Palestinians resulted in a number of revolts and led to “the Palestine problem,” given by Great Britain to the UN.
Until today, the UN has failed to grasp the foreign affair resulting in multiple wars and failed agreements, including two Intifadas, the Oslo Accords and the Blockade of Gaza.
The dehumanizing death toll
In the week of Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army killed more than 2,000 Palestinians in Gaza, 600 of which were children.
And exactly a year later, the death toll in Gaza reached at least 41,802, while there were 96,844 injured nationals, as of press time. As of Oct. 2 this year, at least 16,800 of those killed were children, 11,400 were women, nearly 1,000 were health workers, and 174 were journalists.
Despite the tragic escalation of violence and death in the past year, a study published in the journal Lancet stated that the accurate death toll in Gaza could reach more than 186,000 people.
The study suggests that the true number of deaths may be higher than the declared toll since the Gaza Health Ministry cannot account for the missing citizens, and the indirect deaths due to poor food distribution systems.
Even if the war in Gaza ends immediately, generations of Palestinians may feel its aftermath considering that the Israeli Army destroyed the majority of Gaza’s infrastructure, including water and electricity supply lines across the region. The United Nations estimated that it would take decades for Gaza’s economy to recover.
According to the Lancet study, the death toll is predicted to keep increasing consistently. Just this August, the United States (U.S.) government released $3.5 billion worth of military support to Israel. Including the US, western powers have spent at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the war in Gaza began last Oct. 7, 2023.
An additional $4.86 billion has gone into stepped-up U.S.-led military operations, which increased the deployment of American-bred troops in the Middle East to as many as 43,000 army officers.
Nowhere in Gaza is safe
Rafah, a city located in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, was intended as a safe zone for Palestinians to flee for, due to the ongoing attacks in the northern parts of the territory.
Despite the supposed safe zone for Palestinians, the territory that was home to an estimated 1.4 million people is now completely destroyed.
At present, the two occupied Palestinian territories, Gaza and the West Bank and East Jerusalem, have shrunk dramatically ever since the Balfour declaration and the UN Partition Plan of 1947.
Gaza’s size is 365 square kilometers, approximately bigger than the island of Siquijor in the Philippines which is 337.49 square kilometers.
The West Bank and East Jerusalem’s size is 5,655 square kilometers which is approximately smaller than the 5,679.64 square kilometers of the Philippines’ Davao Oriental.
Meanwhile, Israel is 20,770 square kilometers, similar to the country’s Region 10 or Northern Mindanao which is 20,458.51 square kilometers.
Half of the 14.5 million Palestinians all over the world live in Palestine with the rest being distributed across the globe.
5 million Palestinians reside in Gaza and 1.6 million Palestinians who are citizens of Israel are in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Those living in the West Bank have to contend with harassment and violence from the Israeli authorities and settlers.
Israeli strikes other countries
Amidst a year-long fire in Gaza, Israel has also attacked neighboring countries in the region.
From Dec. 2023 to July 2024, Israel has killed nine leaders and military commanders and key figures in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria.
Specifically, Israel caused damage in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah in Yemen last July 2024, which killed six people.
Israel has also been responsible for 144 armed incidents in Syria which have slain more than 260 people.
Most recently, numerous attacks were made on Lebanon by Israel, supposedly to counter the actions done by Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political party and armed group that has presence in the Lebanese parliament and government and is financially and militarily backed by Iran. It controls the most powerful armed force in the country and strongly opposes Israel.
As of this writing, tensions between Israel and Lebanon have grown starting with thousands of pagers exploding simultaneously, killing both civilians and Hezbollah fighters, with at least 37 people and causing at least 2,800 injuries, as per the Lebanon Ministry of Health.
On Oct. 1, Israel bombed the Palestinian refugee camp Ein el-Hilweh, collapsing four buildings. The camp, despite its poor conditions, has been home to more than 130,000 people.
Besides the collapse of the camp, Israeli attacks have killed at least 95 people and injured 172 across Lebanon as per the Lebanese authorities.
Israel also cut off the main Lebanon-Syria road, blocking off a crucial escape route hundred of thousands of people have used to flee into Syria.
With the recent escalation in the region, Iran’s foreign minister pledges a stronger retaliation the moment Israel attacks Iran again.
As tension grows in the region, the casualty count also increases, involving innocent civilians and affecting neighboring countries and society.
Across online platforms, social media users are urged to support and engage with causes and posts intended for Palestinians and others affected, including calls for donations.
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