What Israel is doing is a shut-up call to all peace promoters and diplomacy
This has absolutely become the dire need that Israel must be held accountable for its brutal genocidal war crimes because Israel has taken all those steps that can crush the Palestinians in Gaza. Once again, Israel cut off Gaza from the rest of the world. It has closed the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only cargo entry point that had been operational, and sealed the Rafah border checkpoint connecting Gaza to Egypt. Food, medicine, fuel, and all essential humanitarian aid have been stopped for a population of 2.4 million people. In them, 90 % have already been forced to leave their homes. If it is this hard to hear about, discuss, and write about this suffering, imagine the agony of those who are enduring it every day.
And what is the world offering in response? Nothing but words of condemnation and sympathy. Does this really work since October 2023? The answer is a clear no.
The blockade has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and international human rights organisations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that Gaza faces “profound uncertainty and immense human suffering” despite the ceasefire announced eight months ago.
However, that truce did not stop the bloodshed. And in eight months, the world has not witnessed anything even close to a ceasefire. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 981 have been killed and 3,104 wounded since the ceasefire began. The total death toll stands at no fewer than 72,991 since October 2023.
UN Secretary-General Guterres also mentioned in the tweet, “It’s time to get serious about the only credible way forward: An end to the occupation & a two-State solution, where two independent, sovereign, democratic States – Israel & Palestine – live side-by-side in peace & security.”
Moreover, more than 80 United Nations member states have condemned Israel’s plan to expand control over the occupied West Bank. Israel frames each escalation as a security necessity. TRT World reports that Israeli Officials routinely claim up to 800 aid trucks enter Gaza each day. But independent humanitarian organisations’ data shows a different situation: approximately 110 trucks per day, which is barely enough to meet basic nutritional needs.
Israel’s closure of Gaza’s commercial crossings is not a new tactic to make war-torn Gaza’s condition more miserable. It is aimed at worsening the already war-torn conditions in Gaza. Israel has been maintaining full control of Gaza’s airspace, territorial waters, and border crossings. Hamdullah Baycar, professor of International Relations at Karadeniz Technical University in Türkiye, told TRT World, “Whenever Israel wants to collectively punish Palestinians, it takes measures to show that it has that power. It suffocates the people of Gaza under the pretext of security.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has confirmed that the people of Gaza have no choice but to rely entirely on an uninterrupted flow of goods from outside the territory. Over two years, Israel has dropped more than 85000 tonnes of bombs on Gaza, which reduced much of the area to rubble. 88 % of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed. Amnesty International has called these atrocities Israel’s genocidal campaign.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Türkiye’s Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus did not mince words while speaking to Al Jazeera Mubasher on January 21, 2026, in Ankara and said that there is no peace until Israel is held accountable over Gaza. Kartulmus said, “Netanyahu already has a problem with his own courts domestically. The world cannot bear such a heavy burden and responsibility. First, Israel must clean their record, and the world must be freed from that.”
Millions of Gazans are surviving on what little reaches them. Places that were once home to people have become a debris of destroyed buildings. Israel is overtly violating human rights. Despite legal and moral reckoning, the practical response from the international community is muted.
UN bodies responsible for taking action against human rights violations are doing nothing to heal the wounds of the Palestinians. They are offering nothing more than condemnation. Israel is enjoying sufficient diplomatic protection, which is protecting it from real pressure. No doubt, Israel is condemned by many because of its aggression. But homeless, wounded, helpless people are waiting for the world to find its conscience.
The author is a senior researcher at CDS and a PhD scholar in Peace and Conflict Studies. Her research focuses on terrorism and extremism. Her work also focuses on peace-based approaches to economic development, growth, and regional cooperation. She also writes on geopolitics, regional security, and global power dynamics.
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