Systematic Destruction of Gaza: Israel's Genocide Unfolding in Real Time

As the world’s attention wavers, Israel’s military continues its relentless assault on Gaza, turning the besieged enclave into a graveyard for tens of thousands of Palestinians. With 22,000 aid trucks deliberately blocked at the border, starvation has become another weapon of war. The international community watches-some in complicity, others in horror-as what legal scholars and human rights organisations describe as a genocide plays out in broad daylight.

The Human Toll: A Massacre of Civilians

Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The latest atrocity occurred on 4 August 2025, when Israeli forces opened fire on starving civilians waiting for food aid, killing 56 people and wounding over 200. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with bodies strewn across the road as survivors fled in terror.

The majority of those killed-72 percent-have been women and children, amounting to a staggering 32,400 lives erased. Among them are at least 12,500 children, an average of 48 killed every single day since the offensive began. Entire families have been wiped out in airstrikes; 1,200 Palestinian families have lost multiple generations. The scale of destruction is such that thousands remain buried under rubble, with rescue teams unable to reach them due to the ongoing bombardment. More than 10,000 Palestinians are missing, presumed dead beneath collapsed buildings, while over 70,000 have been injured, many with life-altering wounds.

Hospitals, systematically targeted by Israeli strikes, struggle to treat the wounded, leaving amputees, burn victims, and those with traumatic brain injuries without proper care. The psychological toll is immeasurable, with 17,000 children orphaned and left to fend for themselves in a warzone where even basic survival is a daily struggle.

Deliberate Starvation: Israel’s Weaponisation of Food

While Palestinians scavenge for scraps, Israel has blocked 22,000 trucks carrying food, medicine, and fuel from entering Gaza. The United Nations has warned of imminent famine, with 95 percent of Gazans facing severe food shortages. A quarter of the population-600,000 people-are on the brink of starvation, and at least 50 children have already died from malnutrition and dehydration.

The blockade is not passive neglect but an active strategy of collective punishment. Israel has repeatedly attacked aid convoys and UN facilities, killing over 250 aid workers, including staff from UNRWA. More than 40 hospitals have been bombed, leaving the wounded without treatment, and every bakery in northern Gaza has been destroyed, forcing families to eat animal feed or even grass to survive. The systematic destruction of Gaza’s food infrastructure-farms bombed, fishing boats sunk, markets reduced to rubble-leaves no doubt that starvation is being used as a weapon of war.

International Complicity: Who Supports This Genocide?

The United States remains Israel’s chief enabler, providing not just diplomatic cover but the very weapons used to slaughter Palestinians. Despite occasional rhetorical concerns, the Biden administration approved a $14 billion military aid package to Israel in 2025, ensuring a steady supply of bombs, including the 2,000-pound munitions responsible for some of the deadliest strikes. At the United Nations, the US has repeatedly vetoed ceasefire resolutions, shielding Israel from accountability.

European nations, while occasionally expressing concern, continue to facilitate the genocide. The United Kingdom maintains arms exports to Israel despite rulings from the International Court of Justice, while Germany criminalises pro-Palestine protests even as it sends military equipment to Israeli forces. France has increased surveillance of activists supporting Gaza, framing solidarity as a security threat.

Corporate profiteers also play a crucial role. Weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Israel’s Elbit Systems report record profits as Gaza burns. Tech giants, including Meta and X (formerly Twitter), censor Palestinian voices, suppressing content that documents Israeli atrocities. Western media outlets, meanwhile, parrot Israeli propaganda, downplaying Palestinian suffering and framing the genocide as a "conflict" rather than what it is: the deliberate extermination of a people.

Legal Challenges and Global Resistance

In a historic move, South Africa brought Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention. The court issued provisional measures ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide, but these have been ignored with impunity. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is reportedly preparing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials over war crimes and crimes against humanity, though past inaction raises doubts about enforcement.

Grassroots resistance, however, is growing. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has gained momentum, with trade unions blocking arms shipments, students occupying campuses to demand divestment from Israel, and artists and academics boycotting Israeli institutions. From dockworker strikes in Barcelona to mass protests in London and Johannesburg, global solidarity is forcing the issue into the political mainstream.

Palestinian Resistance and Survival

Amid the horror, Gaza’s people refuse to be erased. Civil defence teams dig through rubble with bare hands, searching for survivors. Journalists continue documenting atrocities, even as Israel targets them-over 100 reporters have been killed, making this the deadliest war for journalists in modern history. Communities share what little food remains, prioritising children and the elderly, demonstrating a resilience that defies Israel’s attempts to break them.

The World Must Act Before Gaza Is Wiped Off the Map

The numbers speak for themselves-45,000 dead, 70,000 wounded, 1.9 million displaced, 22,000 aid trucks blocked. This is not a war; it is an extermination. The question is no longer whether Israel is committing genocide-the evidence is overwhelming. The real question is: Who will stop it?

As Gaza’s streets fill with bodies and its children starve to death, the international community’s inaction becomes its own form of complicity. History will judge not only the perpetrators but those who stood by and let it happen. The time for empty statements is over. Only decisive action-sanctions, arms embargoes, and prosecutions-can halt this genocide before it is too late.

Palestine | Palestine, Gaza, Genocide, Starvation | |