The world jolted awake to the grim realities of a new chapter of violence in the Middle East on October 7, one year ago. Reports emerged from Israel of unimaginable atrocities: first 2,000 dead, then 1,400, and eventually 1,200, with disturbing tales of beheaded infants, burned children, and assaulted women. These accounts, though widely circulated in the media, came with an absence of verifiable visual evidence, prompting skepticism among some who questioned the transparency of Israeli authorities and the mainstream media. Yet, the outcome of these narratives was undeniable: a wave of global outrage that helped lay the groundwork for the obliteration of Gaza.
As bombs, many supplied by the U.S., flattened buildings in Gaza, the death toll climbed. Nearly 50,000 Palestinians lay dead by the end of the first year, over 100,000 were wounded, and countless more were buried under the rubble. For many, it was a tragic end to a cycle of violence that had seemed too predictable. How could Hamas, a group operating in a tightly surveilled and blockaded region, penetrate Israel’s “ironclad” defenses, engage for 12 hours, and leave with over 200 hostages without any Israeli resistance? The incredulity only deepened when many of those hostages were subsequently killed by Israel’s own relentless airstrikes on Gaza.
In the months leading up to the October 7 attacks, Israel had been undergoing a major internal crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced widespread protests against his controversial judicial reforms, with tens of thousands of Israelis regularly flooding the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The mass mobilizations dominated global news, casting doubt on Netanyahu’s political future. But once the hostilities began, the protests ceased, and the focus of many Israelis shifted toward national security and the hostage crisis, conveniently defusing the internal dissent that had plagued Netanyahu’s administration.
On the international stage, the United Nations appeared powerless to curtail Israel’s actions. Multiple calls for ceasefires and peace negotiations from various UN bodies fell on deaf ears. The Security Council was exposed as an impotent institution, stymied by the overwhelming support Israel receives from the United States. As the U.S. used its veto power to block ceasefire resolutions, it became clear that the superpower had no intention of backing down in its defense of Israel, providing both military aid and diplomatic cover.
But for those paying attention to the deeper historical context, this conflict is not simply about Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas. It is a reflection of a decades-long struggle that centers around the displacement of Palestinians. For 75 years, Palestinians have been segregated, disenfranchised, and corralled into what many describe as open-air prisons in Gaza and the West Bank. Stripped of their national pride, dignity, and land, Palestinians have been subjected to ongoing occupation, in part justified by biblical claims that God promised this land to the Israelites. This long-standing narrative, rooted in religious and historical justification, continues to fuel the Israeli occupation, leaving millions of Palestinians stateless.
Over the past year, as Israeli airstrikes pummeled Gaza daily, killing hundreds at a time, the world began to take notice of the mounting death toll. Massive protests erupted across Europe, the U.S., and other parts of the world, with demonstrators waving Palestinian flags and condemning the disproportionate use of force. In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis reached unprecedented levels, with its population, now corralled along the Egyptian border, living in makeshift camps, vulnerable to further violence and without access to basic necessities.
Meanwhile, Israel opened new fronts in its war, targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon and bracing for potential retaliation from Iran. Iran, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, is one of the few Middle Eastern nations bold enough to openly challenge Israel. Unlike many of its neighbors in the Gulf, which either remain silent or prioritize their own relationships with the U.S. and Israel, Iran stands firmly against what it views as the ongoing occupation and destruction of Palestine. Other Gulf nations, either bound by U.S. geopolitical interests or fearful of retaliation, have offered little more than token support to the Palestinian cause.
Increasingly, there is a growing perception that Israel acts as a proxy for the United States in the region. Washington’s unyielding support for Israel, despite calls for restraint from much of the international community, suggests that the U.S. is using Israel to further its own strategic interests in the Middle East. By backing Israel’s military actions, the U.S. sends a clear message to Iran and other adversaries in the region: American influence remains unchallenged, and any attempts to shift the balance of power will be met with force.
But how long can the world tolerate this dynamic? The war in Gaza, like the broader Middle East conflicts, has exposed the limitations of international diplomacy and the willingness of powerful nations to intervene on behalf of their own interests. As NATO continues to assert itself on the global stage and as the U.S. uses its economic and military might to shape the region’s future, the question remains: how long will the global community accept the continued meddling, destabilization, and militarization of conflicts in the name of preserving hegemony?
For the Palestinian people, the last year has been a reminder that their struggle is far from over. As the world marks one year of conflict, the international community must confront not only the immediate violence but also the underlying causes of this long-standing conflict. The displacement, occupation, and denial of Palestinian rights have persisted for decades, and until those core issues are addressed, the cycle of violence will undoubtedly continue.
Conclusion: One year into the war, the Middle East remains a cauldron of unresolved tensions. The casualties in Gaza are not just numbers; they are lives torn apart by a conflict that shows no signs of abating. The international community is once again at a crossroads: will it demand justice and a fair resolution for the Palestinian people, or will it continue to turn a blind eye to the devastating human toll of this ongoing war?
Duruebube Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu
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