One Year of Unjustifiable Suffering: The Horror of Israel's Attacks on Gaza and the Region

Tomorrow marks one year since the horrific attacks by Hamas into Israel, with the unjustifiable killing of close to 1,200 people, including children and young people attending a music festival. Since October 7, we have been watching in real-time the brutal, illegal, and violent response by Israel in Gaza, resulting in unprecedented death and devastation, unimaginable human suffering, and another chapter of shameful international failure to hold Israel to account for its decades-long occupation. Hospitals and the health systems have been targeted, destroyed, and seized. Schools have been bombed. Shops and markets have been brought to their knees, 60% of homes have been levelled, and families torn apart.

As of today, there are 19,000 children in Gaza without a mother and father because of this war. The human toll not just in the last year, but over decades, is staggering. Over 70% of Gaza's population is under the age of 30, and most have grown up knowing nothing but war, blockade, and poverty. Youth are deprived of education, employment opportunities, and they face a future that holds nothing but despair.

Key Takeaways:

• Despite the human toll, including the death of over 41,000 Palestinians and tens of thousands more wounded, displaced, and left without hope, the international community's inertia has ensured that Gaza's suffering endures. The blockade of Gaza, which has choked the Gaza strip and denied essential food and water, medicine, and other necessities, is illegal under international law.
• The Israeli government's violent raids on Palestinian communities in the West Bank have become almost daily occurrences, further deepening the oppression of Palestinians living under military occupation.
• The escalation in Lebanon has resulted in the tragic loss of civilian lives, including children, and has left many more injured, further highlighting the heavy toll that conflict takes on innocent civilians in the region.
• Arms sales from America, Germany, and the UK to Israel continue to fuel the cycle of misery and death, making them complicit in allowing the ongoing catastrophe to persist.
• Not a single sanction is in place against Israeli politicians or military leaders responsible for death and destruction, and the European Union continues to give Israel preferential trade treatment.
• President Biden's administration has enabled Israel's actions and defended it despite the death of over 41,000 Palestinians, which is an undeniable shameful part of their legacy.

Statistics:

• 41,000 Palestinians have died due to Israel's attacks.
• 72% of the deaths are women and children.
• Over 19,000 children in Gaza are without a mother and father.
• 60% of homes in Gaza have been levelled.
• 70% of Gaza's population is under the age of 30.
• Over 41,000 people have been wounded, displaced, or left without hope.

Sources:

• Karol Balfe, Action Aid Ireland Chief, commenting on the one-year anniversary of Israel's attacks on Gaza.
• Action Aid Ireland's report on the human toll of Israel's attacks on Gaza.
• International Court of Justice documents regarding Israel's actions in Gaza.
• The Occupied Territories Bill passed through the Dail in Ireland.
• United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) reports on the situation in Gaza.
• European Union documentation regarding trade treatment with Israel.
• Human Rights Watch reports on the Israeli government's actions in the West Bank.
• BBC News reports on the escalation in Lebanon.
• Al Jazeera reports on the refugee crisis in Gaza.