October 7, 2024, marked one year since Israel’s latest offensive on Palestinians in Gaza; however, the conflict remains part of a long history of systematic apartheid. The world has witnessed Israel’s disproportionate use of force, devastating Gaza’s civilians. A global reckoning has emerged, with citizens, students, and intellectuals in the West now challenging their governments’ unconditional support for Israel and exposing the hypocrisy in their human rights advocacy.
A Year of Devastation
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has escalated into one of the deadliest conflicts in recent decades. It began when Hamas and other resistance groups launched an operation, killing 1,139 Israelis and capturing 250. Israel responded with relentless airstrikes on Gaza, vowing to “eradicate Hamas.” Over the past year, Israel has killed at least 41,870 people, including women and children, with thousands buried under rubble. The United Nations reported that Israel had killed more children in Gaza in the preceding months than in four years of conflict worldwide.
Key moments followed: Hezbollah joined the conflict on October 8, 2023, firing rockets at Israeli military sites, while Israel retaliated by targeting southern Lebanon. On October 17, a blast at Gaza’s al-Ahli Arab Hospital killed nearly 500 people, many seeking shelter from ongoing Israeli bombings.
The conflict spread beyond Gaza, with the Houthis launching attacks on Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023. A brief ceasefire occurred from November 24 to December 1, during which Hamas and Israel exchanged captives, but fighting resumed shortly after. By January 2024, U.S. and British forces bombed Yemen in response to Houthi attacks.
Israel’s invasion of Rafah on May 6, 2024, further escalated the war, leading to massive casualties and closing the border with Egypt. The al-Mawasi massacre on July 13, where 90 Palestinians were killed, marked one of many brutal assaults on civilians.
The conflict widened on September 17, 2024, with attacks on Lebanon, resulting in more than 2,000 Lebanese deaths. On September 27, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated, intensifying the violence. The war, now extending to Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, has left millions displaced and continues to rage.
A History of Apartheid
This one-year offensive is not an aberration but a continuation of Israel’s decades-long apartheid regime. For over 75 years, Palestinians have been systematically marginalized, displaced, and subjected to brutal occupation. The United Nations itself has documented Israel’s apartheid practices in a landmark report by ESCWA (Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia), which labeled Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as a form of apartheid.
Championing Human Rights Selectively
A striking feature of the Israel-Gaza conflict is the West’s selective advocacy for human rights. The United States and European nations, often vocal defenders of democracy and human rights, have turned a blind eye to Israeli violations in Palestine.
The U.S. has vetoed 46 UN Security Council resolutions critical of Israel, including those condemning its invasion of southern Lebanon and the annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights. According to Brown University’s Watson Institute, the U.S. has spent $22.76 billion supporting Israel’s war on Gaza and operations against the Houthis in Yemen. Military aid to Israel has surged to $17.9 billion since October 2023—the highest annual total ever. President Biden defended Israel’s actions, invoking its right to “self-defense” despite mounting evidence of indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
Besides the U.S., European countries have played a significant role in arming Israel. Germany, responsible for 30% of Israel’s foreign-sourced weapons, is a major supplier, alongside Britain, Italy, and Australia. Despite Australia’s claim of halting weapon sales since the Gaza conflict erupted, European allies continue to supply arms, further fueling the violence. These actions expose the West’s duplicity—championing human rights in one part of the world while enabling violations in another.
Global Outcry Against Western Complicity in the Gaza Crisis
This time, the global response to Israel’s actions in Gaza has been markedly different. Across major cities in the U.S. and Europe, massive protests have erupted, condemning Israel’s offensive and demanding that governments halt arms sales to Israel. The scale and brutality of the past six months have shattered the widespread apathy toward the suffering of the Palestinian people. In London, over 200,000 people marched, calling for an end to the violence and urging the UK to stop arms deals with Israel. In the U.S., university campuses have become centers of sustained student protests, accusing their government of complicity in the atrocities.
Action For Humanity, an NGO working in Gaza, commissioned a YouGov poll revealing that 56% of the UK population now supports halting arms exports to Israel, while only 17% oppose. Similarly, a CBS/YouGov poll showed a significant drop in U.S. support for sending weapons to Israel, falling from 47% in October to just 32%. Calls for a ceasefire are on the rise. For decades, Western governments could support Israel’s actions with minimal public backlash due to ignorance or indifference. That era appears to be over, as the sheer horror of Israel’s war on Gaza has awakened global awareness and condemnation.
Pakistan’s Principled Stance
Pakistan has been one of the few countries that have consistently taken a principled stance on the Palestinian issue. At the 79th UN General Assembly, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned Israel’s military actions, labeling them as a “genocidal war.” In his speech, he stated:
“The world cannot stand by as innocent Palestinian children and women are massacred. What is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe. This is not a conflict; it is a genocidal war.”
Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to raise the issue at global forums underscore its commitment to standing with Palestine, despite mounting global pressures and threats of isolation.
Conclusion
The Israel-Gaza conflict is not merely an isolated tragedy but a reflection of the deep-seated injustices and systemic apartheid Palestinians have endured for decades. As the global community begins to awaken to the horrific reality of this war, the real question remains: will the world finally move beyond selective outrage and take concrete action to end the suffering of the Palestinian people? If the West claims to champion human rights, can it continue to turn a blind eye when those rights are being trampled in Gaza?
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