“It is not enough to mourn the dead children. What we must do is oppose and immobilize the power that put[s] them to death” - James Baldwin
Children and women have suffered and suffer the most during wars, wars waged by elders and men. Wars are waged on one pretext or the other. Wars waged to bring “peace.” Wars waged to grab the resources and land of others.
Israel's bombardment on Gaza in the wake of the Hamas attack has made it clear that it's the children who have suffered the most in this conflict. More than 9,000 children have been killed in Israeli bombardment. Schools, libraries, and hospitals have been turned into a heap of rubble.
There is no shelter left for the people of Gaza. No land to bury the dead. Mass graves have sprung everywhere, where dozens or even hundreds of people, children, young, and old have been buried. Children are seen crying over the dead bodies of their fathers, mothers, and brothers. Dreams and futures have been destroyed. Smiles have been snatched from the innocent and beautiful faces of Palestinian children.
The death and destruction which is going on in Palestine right now has brought out the dark side of war and armed conflicts. To kill children on this scale reminds us of the holocaust and genocide which was perpetuated against the Jews of Europe in World War-II by Hitler’s Nazi forces.
But this is happening in the 21st century, caught on camera and shared worldwide within seconds. This doesn’t bode well for the future of this world, the future of the poor countries who have no or not much means, nor weapons to defend themselves. This should worry us all.
We are living in an arms race where every country is in a hurry to take over another country in terms of weapons acquired. The bombardment of Gaza and the massacre of its people including children on this scale has emboldened other such imperial, occupying powers. It has told them that anyone can get away with this murder and killing spree. That an occupying power has the license to do whatever it wants with the occupied, the oppressed. It also demonstrated that might is right. This should terrify us all.
I repeat: To kill children on this scale amounts to genocide. While thousands of children have been killed by the ongoing bombardment of Palestine, thousands of children have been rendered orphans too, and thousands of women have been rendered widows.
Every other second, every other minute, news flashes on our screens, flashes of screaming people, children crying, running for their lives. The siege of Gaza has led to a severe shortage of food and people are dying of starvation if not at the hands of the Israeli forces. A child dies every 10 minutes in Gaza. Surely, this cannot continue?
The laws, rules, conferences, and seminars of war and peace have become meaningless in the eyes of people who suffer occupation and oppression. Geneva Conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, none of them hold meaning when Israel is massacring children every day and leaving others maimed and traumatized. These conventions hold no meaning for the families who are caught in this war, whose family members have been killed.
The world has to wake from the slumbers and take a stand against this catastrophe. The world has to stop the killing of children. The UN must intervene to stop this massacre of innocents. If we can’t give smiles to the Palestinian children, we should at least stop others from snatching the smiles from their faces.
This is our moral responsibility. We must raise our voice for the Palestinian children. We must stand for the children of Ukraine, for children of Afghanistan, and for other children who are caught in wars and armed conflicts.
As Gaza gasps for breath, as children of Gaza cry for help, we must raise our voices to stop this bloodshed. We must raise our voice for a lasting ceasefire, for an end to this siege, for an end to the war.
Dr Ashraf Lone is associated with Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Ashraf Lone’s memoir, based on the turbulent period of 1990s of Kashmir will be released in 2024.
