The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians has once again flared up, with fatality rates skyrocketing especially among women and children in Palestine and Gaza. Despite protests, calls for peace, and near endless discussions on what the conflict is even about, innocent human beings continue to die.
While a humanitarian truce was briefly implemented, war has continued. More air strikes, casualties, and innocent lives lost in a cycle of violence that goes back nearly a hundred years.
Despite the holidays and their message of human compassion in the face of unrelenting tyranny, many have pushed the plight of the innocents continuing to be killed out of their hearts and minds. The Clarion spoke to several students who have bucked the trend and were courageous enough to share how they feel about this humanitarian tragedy.
Hayaa Aly, a Liberal Arts major had this to say when asked about her opinion on the conflicts that are happening in Gaza.
“There are many innocent children being killed, and in the thousands in Gaza, perhaps every ten minutes a person dies. There is no care, even in hospitals. No fuel, food, or even the least humanitarian needs; so I see that there is a great injustice,” she said.
Radiology major Jake Hover highlighted the plight of the innocent Palestinians caught up in the violence.
“I understand the importance of the land. No, what Hamas did is not right, but what Israel is doing is wrong. I’m not saying they shouldn’t retaliate, but leave civilians out of it,” he said.
With Palestinians not getting their basic human needs met and Israel facing a potential food crisis due to a dramatic reduction in farmers and other agriculture workers since Hamas attack, there is a more urgent need for help. So, what can we do?
Tik Tok might be the answer according to Divine Jenkins, who is majoring in Dental Hygiene. “People can try and raise money on Tik Tok; there’s a filter on Tik Tok that raises money for Gaza”. Diving deeper into her statement I found that the “watermelon filter” on Tik Tok is allowing users to raise funds to support civilians in Gaza.
The war between Israel and Palestine has lasted decades, dating back to 1948. Many are aware about the current war that is going on, with some not calling it a war at all but an ethnic cleansing, an opinion shared by Fahad Alghamdi.
The software development major said, “Growing up in Saudi Arabia, within a muslim community, I vividly recall a video from 2007 featuring Mohamed Al-Durra. In the midst of an Israel shooting, he shielded his child, tragically losing the child but surviving himself. This incident, I saw on Nokia, during the bluetooth era, left a lasting impression. My opinion is Hamas’s response to injustice, even if Hamas might have been in the wrong. Israel should locate the threats but what I see is genocide.”
In recent comments US Secretary of state Antony J. Blinken said that Israel is taking steps aimed at preserving civilian life, including releasing public information about locations that would be largely spared from military attack. But it remains to be seen what tangible effect that will have for civilians living on the ground. As many Americans have learned over the past few decades, words and deeds are often two different things.
Meanwhile, as we start a new semester and enjoy college life, we should remember the lives being lost in Gaza and elsewhere. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. explained, “an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Words and photos by Myia Rainey, Reporter
(Featured Image from Canva)