Marking almost a year and a half since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the ensuing genocide has decimated the population and infrastructure of Gaza, with the recent election of President Donald Trump worsening the situation for Gazans even more. Starting in October 2023, Iran had begun striking Israel due to the killings of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. This led to later retaliation in the month, where Israel struck back against Iran. Later that month, Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, shown through IDF drone footage.
Due to the many civilian deaths caused by Israel’s actions, such as the hospital strike in October, which according to the Gazan Health Ministry, killed 471 people and injured 342, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders. Canada and many other countries, except the US, have said they will abide by these ICC orders and arrest these officials if they appear in their country. The ICC is also targeting Israel for their actions against journalists, with 70% of journalists being killed by Israel in 2024, the deadliest year for journalists in the last 3 decades.. While not lethally targeting them, Facebook was found to be suppressing Palestinian news but not Israeli news. Near the end of November, Biden announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which he claimed still was holding in December even though fire was exchanged between the two countries.
In January, a ceasefire deal was finally made between Hamas and Israel designed to exchange hostages and end the war, with the Israeli security council approving the ceasefire as well. Trump announced a plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza and force Palestinians out of Gaza and into Jordan and Egypt. Israeli military operations began in the West Bank as fighting in Gaza stopped. In February, Trump met with Netanyahu and was gifted a golden pager, in reference to the pagers that the IDF exploded in Lebanon, which killed multiple people. Trump’s plan of ethnic cleansing would allow no right to return for the Gazans and would redevelop the area under US control. As the hostage exchange continued, Israel accused Hamas of purposely giving the incorrect bodies, with Trump saying, “Only sick and twisted people keep bodies,” even though Israel does the same, as Israel is estimated to hold the bodies of around 1,500 Palestinians. This led to the collapse of the deal and Trump giving Hamas a ‘final warning,’ with Israel deploying tanks to the West Bank for the first time in 20 years. Since then, in March, hostilities have continued with the ceasefire breaking, and Israel has cut the power off to Gaza.
There are many ways you and others can help the people of Gaza whether that be financially or not. For financial help, there are many organizations you can turn to, such as Doctors Without Borders, The Palestine Children Relief Fund, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and other organizations. These organizations help provide relief and aid to Gaza, saving countless lives. You can also help through actions such as protesting or joining an organization, or by spreading awareness through social media and community, which helps you be part of the effort trying to stop the suffering these people have undergone in their genocide.
