TRADITIONS of courage and bravery clearly indicate that Israel has already lost the war against Hamas. Because, the mix-up which Israeli side is showing on several fronts is indeed astonishing. We all know that there is no comparison between Israel and Palestinians in terms of military technology and weaponry. Hamas fighters seem far more professional and ethical than Israeli troops. Pictures and videos of hostages released from both sides clearly indicate that Hamas did follow wartime protocols and did not manhandle prisoners of war. On the other hand, hostages released by Israel clearly indicate cruelty on the part of Israel, as one of the ladies whom Israel set free was without fingers of one of her hands.
While almost every captive with Hamas was smiling and waving to Hamas soldiers when they were handed over to the Red Cross. Hamas strategists seem much more mature than their Israeli counterparts, because, despite extensive casualties, meagre resources and absolute annihilation of life and relevant resources which facilitate life of human beings, still you will notice exceptional confidence in the statements of Hamas spokespersons. I was astonished to notice one of the recent statements of Hamas spokesperson addressing Israeli soldiers that they have only four options if they invade Gaza, be ready to die or face permanent disability or bear the abduction or live rest of your life in insanity.
Social media platforms are helping us getting details of ongoing war, at the same time these applications have become incredible source of expressions. One of the WhatsApp posts was simply amazing portraying a young Palestinian with his roots deep into the land of Palestine standing with open arms facing fighter plans, gunship helicopters and tanks, a true reflection of on ground realities. Military might of Israel has proven useless while fighting a few hundreds of Hamas fighters with meagre guns in their hands. Bravery of Hamas fighters stands tall and visible while Israeli soldiers are seen hiding behind their trenches and covering up in armed vehicles and tanks. Hamas fighters are seen in several videos simply approaching tanks from a specific angle, putting explosive and fleeing to notice the destruction of a tank from safe distance while Israelis seem helpless despite the support of sophisticated technologies facilitating their movement and operation in a strip of mere 365 square kilometres. It clearly indicates that Israel is absolutely not capable to survive in a full-scale war.
It is not today that people of Gaza are suffering the brutality of Israel, they have lived in extreme poverty and lack of fundamental resources due to barbarian control of Israel over the strip. Gazans have been denied to their legitimate right of convenient access to the rest of the world making Gaza a real-life human cage in these modern times when we champion not only human rights but the rights of animals living on our planet. How can we justify our complacency, our silence, and our indifference. It seems just normal on TV screens that Hamas has a network of tunnels for both combat purposes and their survival. Have we ever imagined the suffocation and congestion for life in the tunnels? We didn’t, because we portrayed them as terrorists forgetting the fact that they are being denied of their fundamental right of having an independent state according to the UN’s Resolution 181 (II) which proposed Palestinian independent state with Jerusalem as an internationalized city.
If we don’t extend due rights to any creature on this planet that reacts, tries to find space for survival and fights for the life. The same is happening with the Gazans, they have been pushed to dead ends from every direction. If they don’t respond they will die of hunger and starvation, and if they respond they will die as martyrs; they finally opted for the second option to culminate their temporary life, as we all have to, with pride and honour. Gazans opted to find any possibility of survival underneath in the tunnels when they lost any hope of life on the earth. Entire humanity, except a few, stood with Gazans suggesting their resistance as legitimate and appropriate. Those few who are on the side of Israel will witness embarrassment in the long run because truth always prevails and the truth is that Gazans are human beings and they deserve bear minimum treatment as genuine members of human race on this planet. Israel is behaving as a psych patient who feels pleasure extending pain to other living beings.
We can’t forget a Gazan embracing his five years old daughter died of Israeli bombing, he was opening eyes of his daughter and looking into the dead but bright eyes of his daughter and then hugging and squeezing her in his arm with emotions which were extremely difficult to endure for those who watched the clip. Entire land of Gaza has been fluffed of Israeli barrage with thousands of kilograms of ammunition. Hospitals have gone into rubbles ruining lives of wounded, newborns, women and elderly. People are subject to using water of sewage as being animals not the descended from Adam and Eve. We witnessed dozens of instances after Israeli bombardment when children were rescued while their limbs were waving like cloths on a rope. A child helping his brother and educating him how to use crutches after an Israeli bomb chopped his leg was simply amazing to notice endurance of Gazans. A lady dragging a wheelless baby cart with two kids became an emblem of helplessness; another child sleeping on the rubble of his house; kids sitting with an arm sticking out of a pile of rubble and so on, there are innumerable happenings appearing on social media platforms clearly indicate brutalities of Israel.
Israel is struggling to handle legitimate resistance of Hamas, seeking help from the USA and UK makes it obvious that Israel has already lost the war. Even if Israel completely eliminates Hamas, which seems unlikely, still Israel will be considered a loser in the war due to the brutality and crimes during war such as using phosphorus, targeting women and children, bombing hospitals and refugee camps, destroying mosques and churches and stripping men naked after arresting them from northern Gaza. All these are war crimes and certainly need investigation to bring likes of Netanyahu to the court of justice to punish them for the rest of their lives to exhibit at least an ounce of humanity if we still have in our existing standards of civilization.
—The writer is Associate Professor Management Sciences and Head, Centre of Islamic Finance, COMSATS University Lahore Campus, Pakistan.
Email: drabdussattar@cuilahore.edu.pk
views expressed are writer’s own.
