The Palestinians and the Genocidal War on Gaza

Introduction

It is no secret that recent history has brought the Palestinians many horrors, calamities, and atrocities that have not yet ended. Libraries of all kinds have been flooded with various research and analyses about the Palestinian cause, its repercussions, explanations, possibilities, and future. But no one predicted that the worst was coming and that a massacre was there waiting for the Palestinians. The seventh of October 2023 marked a central turning point in Palestinian collective history and in the lived present, and a greater turning point in the possibilities of the future.

Perhaps this is not the only massacre in contemporary history, as is known, but this does not mean that it does not have its specificity and circumstances, which need investigation and scrutiny. We are witnessing daily death and destruction documented on all social media. For people in a very limited geographical space, opportunities for escape and/or asylum are limited. This war, which is classified as genocide by most international community, reveals the extent of the daily and grave violations to which Palestinians are subjected, going beyond aerial bombardment and military attacks to include the targeting of vital infrastructure, systematic starvation, rampant disease, and ethnic cleansing.

Statistics confirm the enormous destruction inflicted on the region as a result of this war, as more than 460 days have passed since this war, and according to reports issued by the government media office in Gaza, the destruction rate of the Gaza Strip has reached 86%, and the initial direct losses are estimated at about $ 37 billion. The occupation committed some 3,798 massacres, resulting in the death of 43,552 Palestinians so far, including 11,891 women martyrs and 17,385 children. The humanitarian impact of the war is above the numbers, with more than 2 million displaced people living in tragic conditions, some 159,000 housing units completely destroyed, and 83,000 of them rendered uninhabitable. Infrastructure has also been severely damaged, with 206 government offices and 129 schools and universities destroyed, depriving hundreds of thousands of people of education. This mass destruction created a crippling humanitarian crisis and shows how the war of extermination not only targeted buildings and even bodies, but also sought to destroy the necessities of life and the means of survival and to steal the future of entire generations of Palestinians. All these aspects need to be further studied, documented, and analyzed through this conference.

These conditions are exacerbated in the absence of an effective international response, raising profound questions about the human values and ethical foundations of the current international order. The gap between the tragic reality of Palestinians and international reactions points to a moral crisis that cannot be ignored, and calls an urgent request for change and a reconsideration of the international values adopted. How can the international community ignore the atrocities being committed in Gaza? What are the factors that contribute to the continuation of this situation despite all international covenants and conventions that promote human rights? Taking into account the position on the issuance of the International Criminal Court on the arrest of Netanyahu and Galant on war crimes charges on 21/11/2024. There is a need for a general international review, not only on what is happening to the Palestinians and the global movement supporting them, but also on the level of the current international system, its existence, its values, and the place of humanity in it.

In addition to the aforementioned points, the impact of this massacre on Palestinians residing in various locations, particularly in the West Bank and the occupied 48 territories, also casts a shadow over the entire situation. Given the resonances of numerous analyses of the colonial state’s plans regarding settlements and various projects to complete the acquisition (annexation) of the West Bank, the increasing attacks on Jerusalemites and Palestinians within the “green line” in attempts to destroy their national identity and to complete the transfer schemes have not ceased but have escalated in their ferocity. This historical period is a pivotal juncture for Palestinians and for strategies of unwavering resolve at both individual and collective levels. Furthermore, the position of the Palestinians and the Palestinian cause in the contemporary official Arab context, particularly after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the significant setback to the Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as the substantial influence exerted by most Arab regimes over their peoples, exemplified by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in light of Israel’s leading role, necessitates a reevaluation of the situation. Additionally, the evolving policies of Qatar, Iran, and the Soviet Union further complicate the dynamics.

Within the current circumstances of the Gaza Strip, characterized by a restrictive and oppressive environment, and the request of people's daily survival, there are many scopes that emerge and will continue to emerge once the genocide stops. There are numerous inquiries regarding people’s lifestyles and their daily routines. Additionally, there are concerns about the civil, social, and psychological “peace” that exists in the current environment, which is characterized by complexity.  There are also many questions about the possibilities of life after the massacre, about the social and partisan fabric, and how and who will take over. Who will engineer Gaza? What will the Gaza future look like? What is the future of Hamas, Fatah, and others in the Palestinian scene?

In the context of these challenges, the conference aims to shed light on the different dimensions of the Palestinian cause today and their effects on Palestinians under the longest colonization in modern times. The need for a deep and comprehensive understanding of current happenings is more urgent than ever, as the current situation requires an academic and critical response that will contributes to shaping a new vision of the Palestinians, the Palestinian cause, and its future.