In the war-torn region of Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, the familiar sounds of bombings and explosions have returned after a brief period of relative calm. For the people living here, this is a harsh reminder that their lives, dreams, and hopes do not matter to the world. The temporary truce that lasted a week has come to an end, and the violent sounds of rockets, bombings, aircraft, artillery, naval boats, and live ammunition have resumed.
This never-ending cycle of war, pause, and war again has become a baffling reality for the inhabitants of Gaza. They have become adept at distinguishing between the various sounds of destruction, from rockets launched from Gaza to Israeli bombings. But for an eight-year-old girl named Banias, this illogical nature of war is difficult to comprehend. She asks her father if this is war again, only to be told that the past “calm” days were just a temporary truce, and the war had never really ended.
The desperation and longing for a lasting ceasefire are palpable among the displaced people living in tents near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. They endure dire conditions, hoping to return to their damaged homes. Their fear is that a new resumption of war will result in Israel bombing the southern region. Today, their fears materialized as Israeli troops distributed leaflets instructing people living in east Khan Younis to move to Rafah at the southern edge of Gaza.
As the air strikes persist, the people of Gaza face multiple wars – displacement, destruction, humiliation, tent living, thirst, hunger, and the constant anxiety of temporary pauses followed by renewed bombing. They yearn for the world to empathize with their plight and question how the international community can allow this genocide to continue. They wonder how they will be able to endure the bloodshed and the constant worry about the loss of their loved ones.
Sadly, the past 56 days have taught the people of Gaza that their fears, lives, pain, hopes, and dreams are not considered in the calculations of this world. The plight of Gaza seems to be forgotten amidst the larger geopolitical landscape. As the war resumes, the people of Gaza are left with unanswered questions and a sense of abandonment.
In this never-ending cycle of conflict and despair, it is imperative for the international community to take notice and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The lives of innocent civilians should not be disregarded, and a lasting ceasefire must be achieved to bring an end to their suffering. Only then can the people of Gaza hope for a future free from the horrors of war.
