Genocide in Gaza must be stopped today

 Almost all infrastructures in Gaza have been demolished; the majority of residential areas have been destroyed, some buildings over residents; and over 80 percent of the population in Gaza have been internally displaced. According to official reports, so far, over 30000 people have been killed and more than 70,000 have been wounded in Israeli attacks, mostly children and women. Moreover, almost all people in Gaza are deprived of basic human needs, including water, food, and healthcare.

Based on official reports, the Zionist regime is now using starvation as warfare in Gaza, blocking access to food and water and deliberately destroying food stores or bakeries. According to the UN, 9 out of 10 people there have to go without food for extended periods of time and, as a result, a number of children are dying from dehydration and malnutrition on a daily basis. Also, some reports indicate that, in the chaos, the Zionist regime is intentionally killing civilian Palestinian scientists.

 Although the media and independent correspondents have constantly been documenting and reporting Israeli genocide in Gaza since early October 2023, and despite everyday calls from human right activists and ordinary people across the globe, the international community has not been able to stop the Israeli war machine, mainly due to the fact that the Zionist regime is supported by the US and allies, and also because the majority of states and international organizations are either silent or follow a double standard over the appalling war crimes by Israel.

 I therefore challenge every individual in the world, particularly the high-ranking officials in Islamic nations, to ponder over the following questions for a while: how would you feel if you were living in Gaza experiencing the same hardships? What if your dears were killed or badly injured in front of you and there was no help available? What if you were forced out of your house and had no safe place to stay, nothing to eat, and nobody to protect you? What if you observed innocent children pleading for their lives or food but you could do nothing for them?

People around the world must observe that it is their moral duty to condemn the massacre of Palestinians and urge their governments to force Israel to end such atrocities. They must also strongly condemn those states that support Israel and ask their governments to cut ties with the Zionist regime. In addition, all Islamic states are obliged by their religion to promptly address this grave issue and collectively take effective steps to prevent further war crimes by Israel.

* Akbar Fijani is an Iranian university lecturer.