The Burning Middle East
Gaza and Lebanon on the same page
78 years since Nakabain Palestine and Israel’s expansion of Lebanon

By: Dr. Mohammad Ajmal
Assistant Professor Centre of Arabic and African Studies School of Language, JNU, New Delhi.

Every year, in the month of May, an old but deep wound is rekindled in the hearts of just people around the world. This wound is from “Nakba Day,” the darkest day when, in 1948, an usurper Zionist state was established on the sacred and historic land of Palestine under international conspiracies. This was not just the fromation of a state, but the massacre of a civilization, the uprooting of an entire nation, and the forcible expulsion of millions of Palestinians from their ancestral homes, olive groves, centuries-old settlements, and cities, a tragedy unparalleled in modern human history. Hundreds of villages were wiped off the map, history was distorted, and an entire nation was pushed into the endless darkness of migration, exile, and statelessness overnight.
The determination of a free homeland is equally, if not more, clear and evident in them at a moment when the entire system of their lives has been changed, their lands and homes have been brutally occupied, and today in Palestine, and in Gaza, basic necessities such as water, electricity, food, medical care and education do not exist. Gaza has been reduced to ruins, where survival is a battle for survival. Entire residential neighborhoods of Gaza have been wiped off the map. Hospitals, schools and universities have been completely destroyed. 2.2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are suffering the torment of homelessness and displacement.

At the same time, Israeli attacks continue to expand in Lebanon, by barbaric acts including bombings, drone strikes, land seizures and building demolitions, and these attacks have not been stopped in Gaza and the West Bank. The intensity of the human tragedy has reached the point where disease, hunger, nomadism and fear have become weapons of war. It is not known who is winning this war, but humanity is rapidly losing.
The scope of Israeli attacks in Lebanon continues to expand. Along with southern Lebanon, Tyre, Nabatieh, the Bekaa Valley and both banks of the Litani River, the central area of Beirut is now also under the target of the Israeli air force. Several high-rise buildings were razed to the ground in the heavy bombing in mid-May. While, the Israeli army is also facing fierce resistance and there are reports of several Israeli soldiers being injured in drone attacks by the Hizbullah fighters. Gaza has become a “proud” example of destruction for Israel. Recently, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that if the Lebanese government does not rein in the rebels, southern Lebanon will be turned into Gaza.
On the diplomatic front, the US Secretary of State has indicated that a new negotiating table between Lebanon and Israel will soon be set up in Washington. President Trump wants a direct meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the Lebanese president, but Beirut has made it clear that Lebanon does not recognize Israel, so there is no possibility of such a summit.
In the midst of invasion, incidents of desecration of religious sites and Christian relics are also constantly emerging in Lebanon. A picture of an Israeli soldier appeared in which he was seen behaving extremely disrespectfully towards a statue Mary, the mother of Jesus. A few days ago, an Israeli soldier had broken a statue of Jesus Christ with a hammer in the same area. These incidents do not seem to be just isolated acts, but rather part of a continuum that includes the desecration of religious symbols and sites. The sad thing is that the Western world does not see the same reaction to these incidents that is seen on other occasions.
As for Gaza… Life amidst rubble, disease and hunger, the bombing is continues. Aid convoys were targeted in Khan Younis, while several high-rise buildings in Gaza City were evacuated and blown up. As a result of these operations, hundreds of people were once again displaced, while several people, including a child, were injured by falling rubble.
Now, not only bombing, but also epidemics have become a new front for the people of Gaza. With the onset of summer, an alarming increase in skin diseases is being seen. According to the United Nations, cases of scabies, chickenpox and other infectious diseases have increased manifold, the biggest victims of which are children.

The intense heat, crowded tents, contaminated water and a collapsed sewage system have made Gaza a breeding ground for diseases. When roofs are made of tents, water is contaminated, and medicine and food are scarce, illness is no longer just a medical problem but takes on the form of collective punishment.
The collapse of the sewage system, the overflowing of sewage in the streets, the accumulation of garbage and filth have led to an alarming increase in the number of rats in Gaza. In some places, the rats look like small cats. Several children have been injured by their bites, and the fear of a large-scale epidemic is growing.
It is not known when those who signed agreements and declarations in the name of the “Board of Peace” will fulfill their responsibilities? Food shortages, disease and the destroyed urban infrastructure have made Gaza almost impossible for human life. All this presents a scenario of a planned mass destruction, more than an accidental crisis.
On the other hand, reports are also emerging of efforts to establish an alternative police system in Gaza. Locals claim that criminals and undesirable elements are being recruited and trained under the supervision of the Israeli army. According to reports, the United Arab Emirates has provided a large financial support for this project through the “Board of Peace”. These armed groups may become a new scourge for the people of Gaza in the future, where war, hunger and disease have already made life a torment.

In Gaza a photo that became a symbol of the entire war, the photo released by the Israeli military shows Aisha, 75, and her 39-year-old daughter, Huda, from Khan Yunis, handcuffed and blindfolded, being taken into a closed truck. The soldiers in the photo are smiling and taking selfies. The photo has become a sign of the bitter truth that when power surpasses morality, indifference, pride, and humiliation become entertainment.
In the West Bank… Land, Crops and Lives at stake. Land grabbing, crop burning and livestock looting continue in the West Bank. With the arrival of Eid al-Adha, livestock theft and looting are increasing as Palestinian Muslims prepare to offer sacrifices in memory of the Prophet Abraham.Shootings and stabbings have also increased. Last week, 22-year-old Palestinian Ahmed al-Mishni was stabbed to death by the settlers in Anata.
The ongoing devastation in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank is not just a war, but a test of humanity, law, morality and the global conscience. Those who survived the bombing are now at the mercy of disease, hunger and homelessness, while much of the world seems preoccupied with diplomatic rhetoric and political expediency. The question is not just when the war will stop, but also whether the world really considers this devastation a disaster or not? History does not always count the weapons of the powerful, it also remembers who remained silent during the atrocities.