FORGIVE THE WORLD, SHAABAN !
KAJAL CHATTERJEE
Though Israeli occupation of Palestine territories through decades cannot be supported to any extent; but that doesn't justify the murderous assault by the Hamas on that fateful night of 7th October 2023, the members of which had not only kidnapped hundreds of Israeli citizens as hostages(irrespective of their sex and age), but also randomly killed more than a thousand unarmed civilians.
Of course it was not expected that the mighty State of Israel would act "non-violent" in reaction by drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, but they should have targeted one and only the Hamas militants who had participated in that bloody mayhem or operated from behind. That one of the "think tank" Yahya Sinwar has been eliminated by the Israeli army can be still justified, but Israel holds no right to kill thousands of innocent Palestine civilians who had no association with that bloody night of October 7, 2023.
With each passing day, Israel is breaking its own record in terms of atrocities upon common Palestinians! By making a mockery of all international laws, Israel nonchalantly engages in missile strike directed at medical facilities also, thereby engulfing the highly promising young man Shaaban al-Dalou to a horrible fiery death seated inside a neighboring tent! Had fate decided otherwise, Shaaban could have grown up to emerge as a successful Doctor (as was his dream, backed by his past record of academic excellence) and saving the lives of others (as get dreamt by billions of young men all across the globe); but the unending cycle of violence, with the warring parties in no mood to spare vulnerable innocents also to satisfy their ego and war-lust, have extinguished his dream and body at one go or to put it otherwise, have provided "permanent relief" to the daily miseries tension and the artificially-created hunger of the "wretched" young man! And no pen of the earth can surely portray the unfathomable pain of Shaaban's father Ahmed who had to watch his son's spine-chilling end absolutely helplessly! What a heart-shattering lament of the unfortunate father - - "I could see him sitting there, he was lifting his finger and praying (referring to Shahada, a creed of faith recited upon birth and at death). I called out to him 'Shaaaban, forgive me son. Forgive me, I can't do anything' "!
No way can the "fig leaf" of "collateral damage" or "militants hiding amongst the civilians", to justify the ongoing series of massacres of innocent Palestines for more than a year, be tolerated any more if the world is still left with an iota of conscience and humanity in mind and heart.
At most the "First world" countries like the USA can supply munitions to Israel, but only as a defensive tool ; not for aggression. And no condemnation is enough for those self-declared "conscientious" countries of "values" who always deliver "moral sermons" revolving around the global conflicts (by acting "neutral"); but do not tolerate even minimum show of non-violent protests also, in respective territories, condemning the massacres of the Palestine civilians by the Israeli State, thereby exposing their blatant hypocrisy clearly proving actual sympathies lie with the "mighty"!
Also gets exposed the so-called "Islamic brotherhood"; else Egypt wouldn't have blocked the Rafah crossing preventing the life-threatened malnourished hungry Palestinians from escaping their doomed territory!
Yes when it comes to "national interest"; all rhetoric of morality, humanity and religious brotherhood promptly go for a toss!