When rivers of blood are shed in Gaza, when innocent lives are lost in the shelling, we cannot help but be moved. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, this should be a day for families to reunite and celebrate, but in distant Gaza, human tragedies are unfolding. CNN, Reuters, Associated Press and other global ** have reported that the extent of destruction in southern Gaza is unimaginable, and Rafah is facing a "bloodbath".
Israeli forces launched successive attacks on the northern, central and southern parts of Gaza. They ordered the Palestinians to flee to the south, but when large swathes of buildings were blown to rubble, when 85 per cent of the population was left homeless, when tiny Rafah poured five or six times the size of the population, we wondered: What kind of war is this? What kind of justice is this? On one side is the indiscriminate bombardment of planes, artillery and tanks, and on the other side are poor refugees who have nowhere to escape. Such a contrast is heartbreaking.
In the face of such a tragedy, the international community was in an uproar. However, their attitude is full of double standards. Although German Foreign Minister Baerbock expressed concern about the Israeli army's attack on Rafah, she has been a hardcore supporter of Israel. Although the United States has openly stated that Israel's reaction has been "excessive", it has only stopped at verbal condemnation and has not taken substantive action. At the same time, Israel has made a strong statement that it will not be able to achieve its war goals without destroying the Hamas camp in Rafah. Such logic makes people see the hypocrisy and double standards of the West.
In a European basketball match, the Irish women's basketball team refused to shake hands with the Israeli women's basketball team. This move, while seemingly small, is a powerful act of Israeli aggression. Ireland is one of the most sympathetic to Palestine, and they have seen the tragedy of Gaza and the past when the Irish were colonized and killed by the British. This tragedy is repeating itself while the world watches the killing continue in Gaza. However, more and more people are waking up and speaking up for the Palestinian people.
A desperate Palestinian lamented to the West: "We are exhausted. Seriously, we're exhausted. Israel can do whatever it wants. I'm sitting in my tent, and I'm going to die in my tent......"Such desperation is heart-wrenching.