
A little hindsight on 15 months of genocide
The Network
One of the proofs of the genocidal nature of Israel's war on Gaza is its relentless attack on hospitals, aimed at depriving the Palestinian population of all medical assistance:
As early as 17 October 2023, the bombardment of the Al Ahli hospital by the genocidal army claimed 471 victims in Gaza. The Al Shifa hospital was attacked twice, in November 2023 and again in March 2024, resulting in more than 400 deaths discovered in a mass grave dug in the hospital courtyard. In February 2024, the Nasser hospital in Khan Younes came under siege, killing 200 people. All 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip were attacked, and 24 were completely destroyed.
On 17 October 2023, more than 30 Palestinian trade unions made one main demand to their comrades in the rest of the world: stop the supply of arms to Israel! This appeal was relayed around the world under the name of the ‘Stop Arming Israel’ campaign. Another demand, supported by the European trade unions, is the suspension of the association agreement between the European Union and Israel.
On 17 October 2023, the Arab Workers' Union called on Israel to reveal the fate of 18,000 workers in Gaza, who had been arrested, held incommunicado and tortured... Even in the West Bank or within the 1948 borders, the slightest suspicion can lead to the arrest and imprisonment of Palestinian workers.
Since January 2024, the International Court of Justice has been calling on the Israeli authorities to put an end to their war crimes, and suspicions of genocide have been confirmed by an increasing number of qualified observers, including major international trade union networks. In May 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benyamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. These legal appeals extended to the authorities of all countries, but also to their companies, which had to ensure that measures were taken, or at the very least make sure that they were not complicit in the crimes identified.
In April 2024, students around the world rose up to denounce the complicity of their universities and their governments in the ongoing massacres. This demonstrates the growing unpopularity towards an Israeli power that has already lost its propaganda war, ruining its reputation for years to come. Boycott campaigns have spread throughout the world, against Puma, Axa, Carrefour, Caf, BNP Paribas, Mc Donalds, Coca Cola, Caterpillar, etc.
Inevitably, the conflict spread to neighbouring countries. From April 2024, Iran and Yemen joined the war and bombed military targets in Israel. Between September and November 2024, the Israeli army bombed Lebanon as ferociously as it had bombed the Gaza Strip. With the election of Donald Trump in the United States in November, and the revolution in Syria that toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, the entire region will be reconfigured.
The latest battle has been waged by the Israeli army since October 2024, when it tried to occupy a 6km-wide strip of land to the north of the Gaza Strip, including the towns of Jabalya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia. In December 2024, it destroyed the Kamal Adwan hospital and took its director, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, to the Sde Teiman torture camp. Despite this outburst of violence, it suffered heavy losses and did not succeed in occupying the area before the ceasefire in January 2025.
More than 15 months after the start of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, the terms of the ceasefire of January 2025 are not very far removed from those proposed by Hamas in November 2023, namely an exchange of Israeli prisoners for Palestinian prisoners, the entry of humanitarian aid, the return of displaced persons to their homes, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the opening of the Rafah crossing, and so on. Nearly 50,000 deaths and 120,000 injuries could therefore have been avoided. Of these, Israel spared neither children (more than 15,000 murdered), nor women (nearly 15,000), nor the elderly (5,000), nor carers (more than 1,000), nor teachers (nearly 500), nor journalists (nearly 200)!
The current ceasefire is very fragile and Israel will only respect it if Western governments oblige it to do so and also demand reconstruction and an end to the blockade of Gaza. For a just and lasting solution, and in accordance with international law, the occupation, colonisation, apartheid policy and impunity of the colonial state must be brought to an end as soon as possible, all those unjustly detained must be released, refugees must be allowed to return, and the self-determination of the Palestinian people must be promoted.
Through diplomatic sanctions, our governments could ensure that the law and justice are respected. If they fail to do so, they make themselves co-responsible for the crimes committed. The vast majority of people around the world are outraged by the massacres committed by the Israeli authorities, and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle for liberation. As citizens, workers and trade unionists, and through massive mobilisation, in the streets and through the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign, we can force our governments to enforce our demands.
Free Palestine! Viva Palestina! Tahya Falastine!