Gaza: the humanitarian crisis turning citizens against governments

SHADOW OVER HEART AND MIND

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THE Palestine issue is multifaceted.

But some of the uglier facets are now being described with terms that I have never come across before. “Domicide”? That’s the extensive destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure. “Medicide”? That's the extensive destruction of medical facilities and targeting of medical staff. “Ecocide”? That’s the extensive destruction of ecosystems.

I've never seen these terms before. | doubt that many people have. But these words exist. They just weren't being used by us because we didn’t need to use them previously. We’d never encountered acts of “domicide”, “medicide” or “ecocide”. These words describe crimes, and they are crimes that Israel is committing right now.

Then there are other terms that might be more familiar, yet hardly more comforting. Genocide, ethnic cleansing and famine. Racism, apartheid and settler-colonialism. Authoritarianism, media censorship and oppression. All terms that cast a shadow over the heart and mind.

Fortunately, there are also terms that help dispel the shadow, in some small measure. Terms such as humanity and compassion. International solidarity, resistance and collective liberation. Defiance and commitment. Justice. The Israeli apartheid state has manufactured a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There are no sources of basic necessities in this besieged enclave of the occupied Palestinian territories.

The UN World Food Programme reports that at least 100 children have already died from malnour-ishment, with the balance of the population at risk of starvation. It is infuriating to know that the famine in Gaza is entirely man-made. The only reason for this famine is that the Israeli government, the Israeli military and members of Israeli society are blocking the entry of essential humanitarian aid into Gaza.