West Must Force Israel To End Its Mass Slaughter Of Palestinians Which Is Now More Than 45,000!

Although there are numerous conflicts going on around the world, the one on top of my list is the war in Gaza where hundreds of thousands are facing death and destruction. This week, Gaza’s health ministry said in a statement that more than 45,361 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023. Thousands of others are buried under the rubble and there are countless others who have been wounded. Most of the victims are civilians, of whom at least 50% are women and children. On December 5, Amnesty International concluded that “Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza strip”.

By Harinder Mahil

As we say goodbye to 2024 and step into a new year, nothing would make me happy than peace in the world. I wish various conflicts in the world would soon end and all countries and human beings could live in harmony with one another.

Although there are numerous conflicts going on around the world the one on top of my list is the war in Gaza where hundreds of thousands are facing death and destruction.

This week, Gaza’s health ministry said in a statement that more than 45,361 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023. Thousands of others are buried under the rubble and there are countless others who have been wounded. Most of the victims are civilians, of whom at least 50% are women and children.

On December 5, Amnesty International concluded that “Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza strip”.

On December 19, 2024, Human Rights Watch declared that “Israeli authorities have deliberately inflicted conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the population in Gaza by intentionally depriving Palestinian civilians there of adequate access to water, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths.” It stated that, “In doing so, Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and for acts of genocide.”

Despite these conclusions, western countries are continuing to provide weapons to Israel.

The second major conflict that has been going on for almost three years is the one involving Russia and Ukraine. This conflict can be seen as a proxy war between Russia and the west. Over 3.5 million people within Ukraine have been displaced and more than 6.7 million others have been forced to seek refuge abroad as of October 2024.

The Russia Ukraine war has been devastating, with civilian casualties reaching an all-time high since 2022. There is no clear consensus on the number of people who have been killed but the estimate is in hundreds of thousands.

The third major conflict is the one in Sudan. This conflict began on April 15, 2023, after months of tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF is a paramilitary group that was founded by former Sudanese President Bashir to fight rebellions in Darfur. 

This conflict has resulted in the displacement of more than 11.5 million people, including internally displaced people, asylum seekers and refugees. The conflict exacerbated many of Sudan’s existing challenges, including disease outbreaks, economic and political instability and climate emergencies. Millions of people in Sudan are under the threat of famine.

The world is entering an age of chaos, and we are seeing the results: a dangerous and unpredictable free-for-all with total impunity. We must raise our voice against this free-for-all.  We need to strengthen and renew global peace and security frameworks to deal with the complexities of today’s world.

Peace is more than a noble vision. It is a call to action for all of us. It is our greatest responsibility. We must not allow powerful countries to bomb their neighbours killing thousands of people and displacing millions.

May the new year bring each of you good health, happiness, peace and prosperity. Let us make 2025 a year of love, kindness, peace and positive change. Let us come together and channel our reflections into action, standing in solidarity with those who suffer and work tirelessly for a just and compassionate world.

Harinder Mahil is a human rights activist and is secretary of Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.