Military intervention and economic sanctions are needed
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has reached a point where the international community must stop looking the other way. In recent months, Israeli military operations in Gaza have led to the deaths of thousands of civilians, including an alarming number of children and parents. The images and reports emerging from the region are heartbreaking and horrifying.
Schools have been destroyed, hospitals bombed, and entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. These are not isolated events, but part of a recurring pattern that has continued for years without consequence.
Now more than ever, it is clear that Israel must be held accountable for its actions. What is happening in Gaza is not just a tragedy, but a calculated event spanning over five decades. It is a moral and legal crisis that the world must confront, yet many hesitate, fearing financial repercussions. Too many children have lost their lives. Too many families have been torn apart. The excuse of national defence does not justify the killing of innocent people. It is time to stop calling these actions “collateral damage” and start calling them what they are: war crimes.
Although Israel claims to be targeting Hamas fighters, the overwhelming number of civilian casualties tells a different story. Reports from human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented cases where Israeli forces used heavy bombs in densely populated areas, fully aware that civilians would be harmed.
Entire families have been buried under the rubble of their own homes. Ambulances have been attacked. Journalists and aid workers have also been killed. This shows a clear disregard for international humanitarian law.
Israel’s continued use of Hamas as justification highlights deeper issues with the occupation, especially as many of Hamas’ fighters are not located in the areas being bombed.
Furthermore, the blockade of Gaza has effectively turned it into an open-air prison, where people are dying from starvation. Necessities like clean water, electricity, and medicine are routinely denied.
The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. Pregnant women cannot access care. Children are suffering from trauma and malnutrition. This is not a war between equals; it is the systematic oppression of an occupied people with no army and no protection.
It is no longer enough for global leaders to express concern and issue statements. Words without action are meaningless. If the international community truly wishes to end the bloodshed, it must take decisive steps.
The first should be strong and targeted economic sanctions against Israel. These must go beyond symbolic gestures, including bans on arms sales and the suspension of trade agreements until Israel complies with international law.
Moreover, world leaders must demand an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access to Gaza. The United Nations and other international bodies should investigate the attacks on civilians and hold those responsible to account. Still, their involvement in the occupation is significant, with the lack of UN resolutions being implemented.
Governments that continue to support Israel unconditionally are complicit in the suffering. They cannot claim to stand for human rights while simultaneously funding and arming a state that kills civilians with impunity.
The people of Palestine have endured decades of displacement, violence, and humiliation. Treaties and agreements have repeatedly failed or had little impact. Even prominent leaders like Yasser Arafat, who tried to resolve the occupation through diplomatic efforts, saw the situation worsen after he died in 2004.
In addition to sanctions and legal measures, people around the world, particularly Muslim citizens in the West, have raised their voices. Yet their cries have gone unheard. Celebrities have been “cancelled” for supporting Palestine. Universities, businesses, and cultural institutions have cut ties with companies profiting from the occupation. Still, large corporations such as Coca-Cola continue to benefit due to their global brand recognition and equity.
The situation in Palestine is not a distant problem. It is a global moral test; one that many developed countries are currently failing. Every day that passes without action results in more innocent lives lost.
Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi were executed for mass genocides in their respective countries, but in Israel’s case, particularly under Benjamin Netanyahu, there appears to be more support than scrutiny. The uncomfortable question being raised is: “Are corporations supporting Israel because most CEOs are Israeli?” That question seems to answer itself when looking at the global silence and lack of support for Palestine. Israel now has blood on its hands, and it will take a long time to wash it off. If there are no sanctions or military interventions in the coming months, it will confirm that the occupations are here to stay, permanently.
