Israel-Iran War and the Massacre in Gaza
By: Khursheed Alam Daoud Qasmi
Israel’s Attack on Iran:
On 13th June 2025, occupying Israel launched a direct military offensive on Iran under the name “Operation Rising Lions,” using the expansion of Iran’s nuclear programme as a pretext. Previously, Israeli attacks were largely confined to resistance movements such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Ansarullah. However, this time, Israel targeted a well-organized and militarily powerful sovereign state. Amid the shifting dynamics of the Middle East, this marks a serious and alarming development. The attack targeted several of Iran’s top nuclear scientists, senior military officers and key research facilities. A hospital was also hit in the strikes, further evidence that the Israeli military continues to disregard international law, much as it has done in Gaza.
Iran’s Losses in the Israeli Attack:
On 13th June 2025, Israel’s attack inflicted extraordinary human and material losses on Iran and the assault is still ongoing. So far, 585 Iranian civilians and dozens of key figures linked to defense, intelligence and the nuclear programme have been killed. Among the deceased are senior generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intelligence officers and officials affiliated with the Quds Force. Reports indicate that several prominent nuclear scientists have also been killed, including Professor Fereydoon Abbasi, Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi and Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, among others. The Israeli airstrikes have also targeted several vital Iranian installations, such as the missile and defense technology centers in Parshin and Khojir, the Shahroud Space Center, the Abadan Oil Refinery, the Imam Khomeini Petrochemical Plant and air defense systems in Tehran, Ilam, and Khuzestan. Through these strikes, the Zionist state has aimed not only to damage Iran’s military capabilities, nuclear programme and scientific research; but also to cripple its economic infrastructure and weaken its command-and-control systems.
Iran’s Powerful Retaliation:
Following the terrorist aggression by occupying Israel, it was widely expected on the global stage that Iran would deliver a strong counterattack and that is precisely what transpired. 18 hours after the assault, Iran launched a powerful retaliation under the name “Operation Wa’dae Saadiq,” directly targeting Israel’s capital, Tel Aviv and the key port city of Haifa with advanced missiles. As a result of the Iranian strikes, several critical facilities in Haifa suffered severe damage and the headquarters of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was also significantly hit. The central Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was completely shut down, with flights cancelled and international airlines rerouting their planes to safer destinations. Iran’s response sends a clear and unmistakable message to Israel that any act of aggression would be met with a decisive and forceful retaliation.
Attacks on Military and Scientific Centers:
During Iran’s retaliatory strikes, several key Israeli military and scientific sites were targeted. Among the primary targets was the IDF Headquarters in Tel Aviv, the central command center of the Israeli military. Similarly, a major scientific research institute in Rehovot, known for its advanced laboratories and research facilities, was also hit by Iranian missiles. In the northern city of Haifa, missiles struck an oil refinery and a power plant, causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure. Additionally, a powerful explosion occurred near the Phonein Command Center, located close to a Mossad office, when a missile landed in the vicinity. On 19th June, Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva, one of which struck the Soroka Medical Center. This hospital was reportedly treating dozens of wounded Israeli soldiers from the Gaza conflict. The attack caused severe damage to the facility, with several parts of the hospital building completely destroyed. Patients and medical staff were immediately evacuated to safer locations. Soroka Medical Center is considered the largest hospital in southern Israel.
Attacks on Hospitals and Israeli Hypocrisy:
Following the missile strike on Soroka Medical Center by Iran’s Sejjil missile, officials and ministers of the occupying state began to raise an outcry. Suddenly, they began invoking international laws of war, labeling the attack a war crime. Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports, Miki Zohar, stated: “The most despicable people on the Earth are those who attack on hospitals.” At first glance, such a statement tugs at the heart and seems worthy of agreement. But the mind immediately pushes back and poses a piercing question: “Then who were the ones bombing dozens of hospitals in Gaza? Were they not also war criminals and the most despicable people on the Earth?” This stark contrast between words and actions highlights the deep hypocrisy in the Israeli narrative, where the very crimes they loudly condemn are those they themselves have committed repeatedly, without remorse and often with impunity.
Attacks on Hospitals in the Modern Era:
This is not a matter of the distant past, even in today’s modern era; the occupying state of Israel has repeatedly targeted hospitals. A simple Google search reveals that, during its recent campaign of terror against Gaza, Israel has bombed dozens of medical facilities. Among the hospitals hit are: Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Nasser Medical Complex, Al-Quds Hospital, Indonesian Hospital, Turkish Hospital, Beit Hanoun Hospital, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, and European Gaza Hospital along with many other health centers. According to reports by the United Nations and the World Health Organization, at least 33 hospitals have been directly attacked. In addition, 122 health facilities and 180 ambulances have also been damaged or destroyed. These were places dedicated to saving lives, yet Israeli bombings spared neither the wounded patients nor the medical staff trying to treat them. This reality starkly contradicts Israel’s claims of upholding international law, exposing a disturbing pattern of systematic disregard for humanitarian norms in modern warfare.
Mr. Miki Zohar’s Statement: A Reflection of Hypocrisy:
At first glance, the statement by Israeli Minister Miki Zohar may appear valid; but in reality, it reflects blatant hypocrisy. As highlighted in the previous paragraph, Israel itself has bombed dozens of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, making any moral high ground it claims utterly hollow. When the same standard is applied to Israel’s own actions, the truth becomes unmistakably clear: this statement is an exercise in double standards. The contradiction lays bare the Israeli leadership’s hypocrisy, moral insensitivity and the extreme nature of its aggression. If attacking hospitals is, as Zohar claims, one of the worst crimes, then Israel has committed this crime repeatedly and continues to do so. In this light, the minister’s words ironically apply most accurately to his own country’s military and political system, which appears devoid of ethical values. The evidence suggests that Israel’s political leaders, ministers and armed forces are all complicit and stand among the very people they claim: the most despicable in the world.
Ongoing Massacre in Gaza:
According to a report dated 22nd June 2025, Israeli forces killed at least 41 unarmed Palestinians in a single day, including women, children and the elderly. In Khan Younis, two Palestinian civilians were killed near the Nasser Medical Complex in a drone strike. A Reuters report highlights that on 14th June 2025, Israeli gunfire and airstrikes targeted areas where humanitarian aid was being distributed, resulting in the deaths of 45 people. The same report also cites data from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, stating that since the GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) began distributing aid, approximately 274 Palestinians have been killed at or near aid distribution sites, and over 2,000 have been wounded. In another incident, on 12th June, the Israeli military launched a missile strike in Deir al-Balah, targeting the French humanitarian organization Doctors without Borders. That attack claimed the lives of 8 people. Since October 2023, Israeli aggression has resulted in the deaths of nearly 55,000 Palestinians. These continued attacks, especially on civilians and aid workers, underscore the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and the systematic nature of Israeli violence in Gaza.
The situation indicates that Israel’s confrontation is not limited to Iran alone; it continues to aggressively pursue its policies in Gaza as well. Sadly, wherever humanitarian aid is being distributed on the basis of compassion, the Israeli military targets and attacks unarmed civilians under various pretexts. Heart-wrenching reports keep emerging daily, describing attacks on aid convoys, ambulances and refugee camps. By blatantly violating international laws and human rights, Israeli forces have normalized war crimes. Conditions in Gaza are worsening day by day. The shortage of hospitals, lack of medical facilities and scarcity of food and water have deepened the humanitarian crisis. Each passing day marks the loss of dozens of innocent lives.
Criminal Silence of the International Community:
Israel’s attacks on hospitals, schools, residential buildings, Masjids and shelters are no longer hidden. They are happening openly before the eyes of the world. This represents an unlawful and wrongful abuse of power. Despite this, the Western world, the United Nations and international human rights organizations have largely limited themselves to verbal condemnations and symbolic statements. Their silence and deliberate overlooking of these atrocities amount not only to criminal negligence; but, at times, also serve to grant Israel further leeway and justification for its continued assault.
The Same International Bodies and Governments, which react swiftly to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, condemning it as an attack on global democracy, remain silent on the genocide of the Palestinian people. This double standard not only calls into question the integrity of the international justice system; but also shatters the trust of oppressed nations. This attitude reveals that the slogans of human rights are applied only within certain interests and geographical boundaries; while in oppressed regions like Palestine, these principles hold no real value. If the international community truly champions human rights, justice and the rule of law, then impartial and practical intervention has become indispensable. Otherwise, history will remember this silent complicity as a profound moral tragedy.
Need for a United Political and Diplomatic Strategy:
This war is not merely a clash between Iran and Israel; rather, it represents a profound and decisive battle between truth and falsehood, justice and oppression. Israel’s politics, military aggression and global backing have come to symbolize a modern form of colonialism in today’s world. At this critical juncture, it is imperative for the Muslim world to rise above internal differences and adopt a united political and diplomatic strategy to effectively and decisively respond to this challenge. Organized legal action must be taken against Israel’s war crimes in the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Concurrently, a systematic and well-reasoned media campaign should expose Israeli atrocities, genocide and double standards on the global stage. Scholars, researchers and students across the Muslim world should produce research-based articles, books and reports to document Israeli barbarism historically and authoritatively. Furthermore, coordinated campaigns to boycott Israeli products and institutions must be launched to increase economic pressure on Israel, compelling it to halt its aggression. A comprehensive, consistent and united strategy is the greatest need of the hour.
Israel: A Symbol of Genocide:
The Israeli state and its leadership have once again proven themselves to be symbols of oppression, hypocrisy, crimes against humanity and systematic genocide. The ongoing brutality and mass slaughter of innocents in Gaza have stripped away every democratic and moral façade from its face. Iran’s recent attacks have shattered the illusion of Israeli military supremacy and sent a clear message to the world: standing firmly against tyranny is not only possible; but can also be effective. The Muslim Ummah must awaken from its slumber and the global conscience must move beyond mere verbal sympathy to take concrete action. Israel must be held accountable legally, morally and practically for its war crimes and inhumane atrocities. If this injustice goes unanswered today, tomorrow the flames of oppression may spread beyond borders and engulf all of humanity. Stopping tyranny is not just the cause of Palestine, it is a cause for all humanity and in this cause, and silence equals criminal negligence. ••••
