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| First responders confirm 21 dead after Israeli air strike in northern Lebanon. Photo: AP. |
The devastation in Gaza is not just a tragedy—it’s the culmination of a calculated campaign of ethnic cleansing carried out by Israel. The bombardment of civilian areas, the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, and refugee camps all point to an undeniable reality: Israel is not fighting a war of defense, but a war of eradication. The entire culture and civilization of Gaza are being wiped off the map, and now, the West Bank seems destined for the same fate.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continued their relentless bombing campaign on Gaza over the weekend, with the latest strikes on Monday, October 14th, taking the lives of four civilians at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. These victims are not combatants; they are ordinary people, caught in a web of violence spun by a nation driven by expansionist zeal. The destruction of entire families, neighborhoods, and critical infrastructure shows that Israel's war is not just against Hamas, but against the very existence of Palestinians.
Hamas, often labeled a terrorist organization by Western powers, has emerged as a beacon of resistance, fighting not just for Gaza, but for the dignity and survival of an oppressed people. These freedom fighters have been forced into battle to protect their homeland and loved ones from the iron fist of a nation bent on seizing every inch of Palestinian land. Meanwhile, Hezbollah, often maligned in the media, is not just defending Lebanese sovereignty but is also acting as a protector of Christians in the region. The claim that Hezbollah hides behind UN peacekeepers is a lie perpetuated by Israel to justify their increasingly brutal tactics.
The violence escalated dramatically over the weekend, culminating in a deadly drone strike on Sunday, October 13th, when Hezbollah targeted an Israeli military base near Binyamina, killing four soldiers and wounding seven others. In retaliation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a "forceful response," and on Monday, October 14th, the IDF confirmed that it had killed Muhammad Kamel Naim, the commander of Hezbollah’s anti-tank unit of the elite Radwan Force, in a strike on the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh. The Lebanese health ministry announced on the same day that it was conducting DNA tests to identify the remains of those killed.
Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central and northern Israel, targeting cities such as Karmiel and Tel Aviv. According to Israeli officials, most of the rockets were intercepted, but some debris from an interception landed in Holon, south of Tel Aviv, causing panic. A total of 15 rockets were fired, lightly injuring one woman in Karmiel. Despite the Israeli military's claims that its defense systems are intercepting most attacks, the psychological toll of the continuous rocket fire on Israeli civilians is evident.
As the Israeli military continues to target Hezbollah rocket launchers, the violence on the ground in Gaza is reaching catastrophic levels. In one of the deadliest attacks in recent days, at least 20 people were killed on Sunday night, October 13th, in the Nuseirat refugee camp after an Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter. The school had been filled with civilians seeking refuge from the ongoing bombardment. On the same day, five children were killed in a drone strike in the al-Shati camp in Gaza City. The UN’s World Food Programme has raised the alarm over imminent famine in northern Gaza as Israel continues to block food and medical supplies from entering. Over 400,000 people remain trapped in Gaza City under an Israeli evacuation order, which began at the start of October, forcing many civilians to make an impossible choice: stay and risk death, or leave and face displacement.
Human rights organizations such as B’Tselem, Gisha, Yesh Din, and Physicians for Human Rights have condemned Israel's actions, denouncing the "starve or surrender" strategy Israel is employing as a war crime. In a joint statement on Monday, October 14th, these organizations declared, “We are watching an entire population being systematically starved and bombed into submission. This is not defense; this is genocide.”
Netanyahu, however, insists Israel is merely defending itself from Hamas and Hezbollah, but the true intention is clear: the gradual annexation of Palestinian territories, and the forced removal of its native inhabitants. Reports from the Israeli daily Haaretz revealed on Sunday, October 13th, that the Israeli government has abandoned all attempts at ceasefire or hostage negotiations, instead focusing on securing large portions of Gaza. The chilling revelation confirms what many already feared: Israel is not interested in peace, only in occupation.
The international community remains largely complicit. Western powers, especially the United States, continue to support Israel under the guise of "self-defense." But how can it be self-defense when the aggressor wields state-of-the-art military technology, while the oppressed are left with nothing but their will to survive? The hypocrisy is glaring.
Even Christians are not safe in this brutal campaign. Churches, homes, and entire communities are being destroyed, their occupants murdered or displaced. In Gaza and beyond, Christians have become unintended victims in Israel’s merciless drive toward domination, caught in the crossfire of a war they did not choose.
Israel's actions amount to ethnic cleansing—a campaign to remove Palestinians, destroy their culture, and claim the land as their own. As more rockets fly, hospitals burn, and lives are shattered, the world is faced with a grave moral question: How long will we stand by and watch this genocide unfold? The time has come for the international community to stand against this brutal apartheid regime and recognize the Palestinian right to self-defense and sovereignty. We must not allow the destruction of an entire people to go unanswered.
Article by Jacob Loyd