Over a Year and a Half of Horrific Ethnic Cleansing of the Palestinian People
By: Dr. Mohammad Ajmal
The bloody scene in Gaza has left every person with a heart of compassion, anxiety, worry and shock. People all over the world are protesting against Israel’s open brutality and terrorism, but despite this, neither Israel is refraining from aggression nor America nor are the Western powers willing to play their role in bringing about a ceasefire. Muslim rulers have also become American tools instead of playing their role.
Ramadan has gone, Eid has also passed, millions of Muslims have also had the privilege of performing Umrah during Ramadan, but 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, surrounded by 2 billion Muslims, were being targeted by Israeli aggression. After turning Gaza into a pile of rubble, and killing more than 50,000 women, children, young men and the elderly, Israel was ready to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas through peace talks, but it could not stick to this agreement for even a few days. With their brutal power and the pretense of supporting the “Super power”, they blew up the ceasefire. And the helpless Palestinians broke their fast with a cup of martyrdom instead of breaking their fast with a sip of water during Ramadan. At present, there are more than 50 independent and sovereign Muslim countries on the world map, and they also have a highly trained army equipped with modern weapons in the millions. One of these countries also has a stockpile of atomic bombs and nuclear missiles that can directly target Israel, but no one had the courage to challenge Israel and force it to at least observe a ceasefire. The Muslim rulers are terrified that Israel is a monster that would devour them. The Holy Prophet, Muhammad (saws), had pointed out this situation fourteen hundred years ago. The Prophet (saws) had said while addressing his companions that a time would come when the infidels would attack the Muslims in the same way as hungry people fight over food. The companions asked if the Muslims would be small in number at that time. The Prophet (saws) said no, their number would be very large (as it is now), but they would fall prey to “fear.” The companions asked what this fear was. The Prophet (saws) said, “The fear of death.” This is the “fear” that is currently afflicting the entire Muslim Ummah, and especially its rulers. They are trembling with fear of death, they are afraid that they will lose their rule by getting angry with Israel. They are also afraid of the “Superpower” lest he get angry with them and attack their country. This fear has brought them to death while they are still alive.
The people of Gaza who have lost everything since October 7 2023 have no roof left to cover their heads, their houses have been reduced to rubble by bombing, under which the bodies of their children and loved ones are buried. There is no hospital left to treat the injured, everything has been devastated, no schools, no madrasas, no mosques, nothing remains, if anything remains, it is the rubble of buildings, on which as much gunpowder and bombs have been dropped as the warring countries did not drop on each other in the two world wars. Out of Gaza’s population of 2.2 million, more than fifty thousand people have been killed, most of whom are children and women, and more than one hundred thousand people are injured for whom medicine is not even available for treatment, hundreds of medical personnel have been killed. They do not receive any aid from outside, there is no drinking water for them, and no access to electricity at night and no any means of communication, and children chew leaves to satisfy their hunger, they have no hope of any help from the 57 independent Muslim countries of the world. Hats off to their steadfastness, bravery and devotion to God, who are not only fighting alone against the aggression and brutality of Israel, America and all the world’s tyrants but also giving them a crushing defeat! They are happy about sacrificing their lives for them and paying the atonement for the Muslims of the entire Muslim world.
After this devastation and destruction, under international pressure and as well as in order to hide its defeat and get its prisoners released, Israel signs a ceasefire agreement for a few weeks. With this agreement, prisoner exchanges begin. In this battle, Hamas demonstrated its full military capabilities to the world, proving that the Hamas against whom Israel turned Gaza into a pile of rubble and committed genocide against the Palestinians to eliminate, is not only alive but also stronger and more powerful than before, even after its top leadership Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar were killed. Major political and military intelligence of Hamas have been killed, yet Hamas is alive and flourishing
This is the philosophy of eternal life that the people of Gaza are happy and joyful about. Mothers bury the bodies of their infants with their own hands, thanking God that He accepted the sacrifice of their children, who will take them and seventy members of their family with Him to Paradise.
Now the question arises that what will happen in the hereafter to the callous and shameless rulers and generals of 57 independent Muslim countries who have set an example of cowardice and pusillanimity that had not been seen in any people before in history. Sometimes, to reduce public unrest in their respective countries, they call OIC meetings in luxurious mansions and condemn Israeli aggression in hushed words and demand the international community to stop the war, but secretly they also send a message to Israel and America not to be angry.
The Gaza genocide has become over a year and a half on April 7, 2025. Two days before Eid al Fitr, Qatar handed over a new US proposal to the resistance, according to which if dual national prisoner Aiden Alexander is released from Gaza, President Trump will stop the Israeli attacks and start negotiations for a complete and lasting peace. The resistance responded that they were ready for a 50-day interim ceasefire in order to create conditioned conducive to peace talks. Hamas also agreed to release five prisoners, including Aiden Alexander. The release of these prisoners was conditional on the lifting of the humanitarian embargo on Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire strip, including the Nazarene Crossing. In response to this offer, Netanyahu said on Eid that if the resistance wants to leave Gaza with weapons, they will be provided with a safe passage, or Israel will maintain military pressure.
It seems that Israel rejected the offer of Palestinians for a temporary ceasefire and the release of prisoners, and Eid al-Fitr came in such a grand manner in Gaza that the northern and eastern regions continued to tremble with bombing, Israeli planes rained down flames from the Mediterranean the people of central Gaza were targeted from the Nazarene corridor, and tanks attacked the Egyptian border from the Philadelphia corridor. Despite this, Eid prayers were offered on the ruins of every mosque, and more than 50 funerals were also held in the evening in these Mosques.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “Netanyahu does not want the release of Aiden Alexander. He fears that President Trump’s interest in the case will diminish, if not disappear, after the American prisoner is released.”
Netanyahu’s arrogance is in its place, but the Israeli army has come under severe criticism for rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen. Netanyahu and his defense minister are claiming that the Lebanese resistance has been broken. A similar claim is being made about Gaza, that the Hamas’ offensive capability has been destroyed and now its fragile leadership is hiding in tunnels to save its lives. Prime minister, Netanyahu while repeating the threat of “negotiations under the shadow of bullets” during the budget session, said that the “terrorists” have no other choice but to release our prisoners. We have surrounded them from all sides. While clapping, he warned the Hamas fighters before his allies, “If you want to be safe, lay down your arms, release the prisoners and leave Gaza.”
Nevertheless, airstrike sirens are echoing across Israel, from the Negev Desert, the Lot Sea, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Kiryat Shimonose in the north. There are also demonstrations in major cities for judicial reform, the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet, and the war in Gaza, and as these thousands of people rush to underground shelters, the chaos is creating more fear and panic among the public. Some observers believe that the government is using the defense sirens to disperse the crowd. So far, no one has been killed or injured by theses rockets, but dozens of people have been injured in their own stampede and business is being badly affected. Opposition leaders are saying that if the Israeli army has not been able to eliminate a “handful” of terrorists despite a year and a half of continuous bombing, what is the need to keep resources sunk in the quagmire of Gaza?
The long war also seems to have affected the nerves of the Israeli army, and accusations and finger-pointing have increased. The commander of the Northern Brigade, Colonel Haim Cohen, resigned on October 7, 2023, for failing to stop the attack by the people of Gaza. Instead of fighting, the colonel’s brigade, including the commander, fled the scene, which Colonel Cohen called a strategic retreat, but military experts were not satisfied with this argument and the colonel had to take off his uniform. Earlier, Brigadier General Amit Saar, head of the research department of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Major General Aharon Haliva, head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld, head of the Gaza Division, Tamir Yadai, head of the ground forces, and General Harzi Halavi, head of the army, have resigned for failing to crush the resistance.
The promotion of Colonel Ephraim Avni, head of the Southern Command, has been halted on charges of cowardice and incompetence. The colonel was appointed head of the Paratrooper Brigade by the former army chief and had also left the leadership of the Southern Command to take on new responsibilities. General Zamir canceled Colonel Ibrahim’s appointment after meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday, March 26, 2025. Investigative agencies believe that Colonel Ibrahim made serious “mistakes” in confronting the rebel attack on October 7, 2023.
The conscience of Israeli soldiers themselves is now awakening to the atrocities being committed in Gaza. Dozens of members of the Israeli (Reserve) Medical Corps have refused to return to Gaza to fight. In a letter, doctors, paramedics, mental health officers and nurses, including people in various positions, have said that this war is not only killing innocent civilians on both sides, but it is also harming our moral values and the long-term survival of the country. According to the KAN News, the doctors added in their letter that the deportation of the people of Gaza and the settlement of Israelis there would be a violation of international law.
Israel and the United States have rejected the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Israeli prime minister, former defense minister and former army chief, but Netanyahu is in deep fear about this, as was revealed last week. The Israeli prime minister paid an official visit to Hungary. Hungary is the only country in the European Union that has not recognized the recent ICC ruling. The Hind Rajab Foundation, which pursued criminals, had announced to approach a Hungarian court to arrest Netanyahu. However, according to the foundation, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s did not comply his constitutional responsibility with the orders of the International Criminal Court. Amnesty International has also condemned Prime Minister Orban for making a “fugitive suspect” an official guest.
The Netanyahu government is facing a serious crisis with international embarrassment. After the Supreme Court overturned the gag order on the Qatar Gate scandal, the media is full of sensational and embarrassing revelations. The government allies are now fighting each other in the media. The head of the Zionist Party, Bezalel Smotrich, has resigned from the post of Finance Minister, after being shown the behavior of the head of the Yuhuda party, Etmar ben-Govir. After dismissing the head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, Ronen Bar, the prime minister offered the post to Vice Admiral (retd) Eli Shrout, but Netanyahu withdrew his nomination after strong protests from the allies. The court has issued a restraining order against the dismissal of Ronen Bar. To get out of political difficulties, the government is increasing its war madness. On April 1, the Israeli army launched a massive tank attack in Rafah. Analysts say that Netanyahu has “opened the gates of hell” on Gaza, Beirut, the West Bank and Syria to distract the nation from corruption and dishonesty.
On the other hand, the Trump administration’s enthusiasm for supporting the Gaza genocide is growing. The crackdown on students protesting against the genocide in universities has started and court orders are being ignored in this matter. On Tuesday, March 25, Turkish PhD student Ramisa Azturk was arrested at Tufts University during Iftar time. There are no charges against Ramisa, but according to the university’s president, Dr. Sunil Kumar, the State Department has revoked Ramisa’s visa. Commenting on Ramisa’s arrest, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “Whenever I see a lunatic like that (in the United States), I revoke his visa.” After Ramisa’s arrest, federal Judge Indra Telwani issued a written order at her request that Ramisa not be transferred anywhere else without permission from the court, but she was sent to immigration custody in Louisiana.
The indiscriminate bombardment and shelling by Israeli against the oppressed people of Gaza continues. It seems that the decision has been made to kill all the people of Gaza. Gaza has been bathed in blood. The Zionist forces have launched a new ground offensive and have martyred at least 80 Palestinians. In Khan Yunis alone, 25 innocent lives were lost in an Israeli bombardment, and a new destruction has begun in Shujaiyah in northern Gaza in the name of the so-called “security zone”. According to international media, more than 1,160 Palestinians have been martyred in the past few days. The number of killings since October 2023 has reached 51,973, a large number of whom are women and children.
Gaza is currently suffering from the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Al Jazeera reports that no aid trucks have been able to enter Gaza since March 2, 2025. According to Mercy Corps and other humanitarian organizations, 85 percent of Gaza’s population is deprived of food and basic medical facilities, 34 hospitals and 80 health centers have been destroyed, and thousands of children have died of hunger, cold and disease. More than 39,000 children have been orphaned and thousands of children have been completely deprived of their parents. All this is not the result of an accident, but an organized genocide, the worst “orphanage crisis” in modern history.
Israeli terrorism continues in Lebanon as well. Hamas commander Hassan Farhat and his innocent children were killed in their home in the city of Sidon. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has described the attack as not only an attack on civilians but also a clear violation of Lebanese sovereignty. Citizens of conscience around the world have launched a global civil disobedience movement against the Israeli aggression in Gaza and the Palestinian genocide. Thousands of people on social media seem to agree on one point: “We will not sit silent until the genocide stops!” The campaign is calling on governments around the world and international organizations such as the United Nations to not limit themselves to mere statements, but to stop Israeli atrocities through practical and effective manner.
Under this campaign, social activists have called for disruption of daily life, disruption of streets, offices, educational institutions, and social order, so that a clear message is sent to the decision-makers sitting in the halls of power that the human conscience can no longer remain a spectator. The campaign’s spirited individuals belong to different countries, races, religions, and professions, but their goal is one: to awaken the global conscience to keep the people of Gaza alive. In these circumstances, the silence of the Islamic world is unbelievable.
The International Union of Muslim Scholars has issued a fatwa, in which they have explicitly stated that it is the individual and collective responsibility of every Muslim, both the people and the government, to confront the ongoing Israeli aggression against the unarmed people of Gaza. The fatwa states that providing military equipment, expertise and intelligence to the Palestinian resistance is a religious duty. The scholars also clarified that providing any kind of facility or supply to Israel is forbidden by Islamic law, and it is obligatory on Islamic countries to close the Suez Canal, Bab al-Mandab and other waterways and land crossings to Israel.
The scholars urged Muslim governments to unite and form a military alliance for Palestine and to immediately end their diplomatic and economic relations with Israel. Israeli atrocities are no longer just a humanitarian issue, but have become a test of the faith, honor and brotherhood of the Islamic world. The cries of innocent children, mothers, the elderly and the young are echoing in the ears of the Muslim world, but unfortunately most rulers have not been able to go beyond mere statements. The time has come for Muslim rulers to feel the burden of their responsibilities and take practical steps as the voice of the collective conscience of the People.
One has to decide, will he continue to strengthen the hands of the murderers of Gaza simply in the protection of international laws? Or will he unite and resist for the survival, honor, dignity and religion of the Muslim? If silence is still maintained, history will bear witness that when Gaza was burned, Palestinians were slaughtered, and children were orphaned, the veils of conspiracies, agreements and interests were being drawn in the councils of the Muslim world. And this will be the regret that generations will remember.
In fact, a human tragedy is unfolding in Gaza, with Israel’s war madness increasing with each passing day. With the blessing of the United States, Israel is determined to wipe Gaza out from the surface of the earth. The ceasefire agreement that was reached on January 19, 2025 with the mediation of Egypt, Qatar and the United States but it was broken by Israel, saying that Hamas did not implement the second phase of the agreement and did not release all the hostages. While the fact is that Israel itself has violated the agreement by not withdrawing troops from Gaza and practically sabotaged the agreement by bombing Gaza once again on March 18, 2025. The Israeli incessant bombing of Gaza still continues, as a result of which about fifty-five thousand people have been killed so far, a large number of them women and children.
Gaza continues to face severe shortages of food, water and medicine. Tragically, the Rafah Crossing, the only crossing for the provision of aid to Gazans, has been closed and opened several times in recent months, severely affecting the provision of aid and food to the people of Gaza. In May 2024, the Israeli army took full control of the Rafah Crossing, which resulted in the closure of the crossing and the halting of aid supplies. Meanwhile, thousands of aid trucks waited at the border, while food shortages inside Gaza became severe. In February 2025, after a closure of nearly nine months, the Rafah Crossing was reopened with the aim of transferring injured Palestinians to Egypt for treatment.
However, according to aid organizations, the closure of the Rafah crossing and the Israeli blockade have led to a severe shortage of food and other essential items in Gaza. UN agencies have warned that if aid delivery does not improve, a famine situation could arise in Gaza. Gaza has been treated as trial ground of arm race of US and Israel, unarmed Palestinians are being reduced to dust and blood, the videos and images of the enduring Israeli terrorism and brutality in Gaza have shocked the entire humanity, such heavy and thick bombs are being poured on Palestinians that human rags are flying in the air, the entire infrastructure of Gaza has been destroyed and annihilated. Gaza is presenting a scene of apocalypse, human organs are scattered everywhere, and hospitals are being selectively targeted. Neither doctors nor paramedical staff nor journalists are safe from Israeli brutality. The areas from which the people of Gaza are being ordered to evacuate are bombed when people try to leave their homes and move to safer areas. Even the refugee camps are not safe.
Every tactic of brutality, callousness and ruthlessness is being tried on the oppressed Palestinians. Observers monitoring the situation in the Middle East say that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing corruption cases and is in danger of being arrested. He wants to divert public attention and strengthen his political position through the war. Also, these attacks were necessary to maintain the support of the right wing. Donald Trump, the US president, threatened before taking office that if the resistance did not cease, Gaza would be turned into hell. Later, Trump openly expressed his determination to expel the inhabitants of Gaza from here and turn it into a recreational area. It seems that Netanyahu and the Zionist leadership are committed to Donald Trump’s plan and are playing Holi with the blood of the people of Gaza to implement this plan. Thus, the Security Council has condemned Israel’s aggressive actions and called for a ceasefire. Amnesty International has also described Israeli attacks as war crimes, but despite this, Israel’s thirst for blood is not quenched.
This open terrorism of Israel is sponsored by America. Donald Trump is not only openly supporting Israel, but after assuming the presidency, has also provided Israel with new weapons for the massacre of the Palestinian people and re-energized the fading Israeli military power, as a result of which Israel became refreshed and ready to shed blood once again. The American spokesperson felt no shame in saying that Israel had consulted America before attacking Gaza. In this whole situation, the international community has remained a silent spectator. The countries that had shown their determination to make the world safe from terrorism do not see this open terrorism of Israel. Those who preach human rights, mutual tolerance and peaceful coexistence have smelled the snake. Arab and Muslim rulers are also showing by their behavior that they have nothing to do with the problems and difficulties of the Muslim; they cherish their own chair and their own interests.
But they should remember that if the people of Gaza have been left at the mercy of today’s circumstances, their turn may come tomorrow, as the Zionist leadership has hinted many times. The fact is that Israel has thwarted all diplomatic solutions to the ceasefire, due to which the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has intensified. If the fragility of the situation is not realized, the flames of the fire burning in Gaza may spread. On one hand, while the rulers of the whole world, human rights organizations and international institutions remain silent spectators, on the other hand, people who feel the pain of the defenseless people of Gaza are protesting all over the world. On April 6, 2025 protest demonstrations were held in 1200 places in the United States. The demonstrators condemned the US’s pro-Israel policy and also demanded a ceasefire.
The reality is that the war that is going on in Gaza today cannot be ignored, so it is important that everyone does their part. The boycott of Israeli products should continue, funds should be raised to provide food, medicine and medical facilities to the Palestinian people, social media should be used to highlight Israeli atrocities in Gaza to the world, and the Palestinian people should be supported wherever their voices are being raised.
(The author, Dr. Mohammad Ajmal is Assistant Professor at Centre of Arabic and African Studies, School of Language, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)
