WE CANNOT TAKE OUR EYES AWAY FROM GAZA

Written by: Huitzil David López Sánchez

Since October 2023, Gaza has endured one of the most devastating military assaults in history. Countless Palestinians have lost everything, while people across the globe, from courageous journalists to activists like Greta Thunberg, have raised their voices in protest.

Israel launched a full-scale assault on the Gaza Strip, combining aerial bombardments, a ground invasion, and a total blockade of electricity, food, fuel, and medical aid. Gaza burns; bombs fall; and civilians of all ages are dying. According to official reports, children have been the most affected. UNICEF has described Gaza as “the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.”

“A year into Israel’s assault, Gaza stands in ruins—over 18,000 children killed, millions displaced, and the world still divided between silence and witness.”

Two years after the violence began, governments remain indifferent, many people refuse to confront the reality, and cold hearts continue to be blinded by hatred.

To date, more than 200 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in Gaza since the conflict began. Among the most recent victims was Mariam Abu Dagga (August 25, 2025), a visual journalist for the Associated Press and Independent Arabia, killed at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis while documenting the humanitarian crisis.

Fig 1. Live updates: Israel’s allies call for winding down of assault in Gaza

On October 6, 2025, Israel deported 171 activists, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and individuals from Greece and Slovakia. The deportations reflect a wider pattern of human rights violations, as Israel obstructs humanitarian aid and flotillas attempting to deliver essential supplies.

Despite these attempts to silence them, activists continue to raise their voices.

“They dragged little Greta by her hair in front of us, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her as a warning to others,” said Turkish activist Ersinçelik, a participant in the Sumud Flotilla.

What happened to Greta Thunberg is a stark reminder: if a world-renowned activist can be treated this way, what horrors are ordinary Palestinians facing?

Yet, Greta emerged from her ordeal with remarkable resilience. She spoke out immediately, demonstrating courage and determination, as if the abuse had only strengthened her resolve. Greta embodies the power of resistance and social change. Her example shows that if we all raise our voices for our Palestinian brothers and sisters, we can pressure governments to condemn the genocide and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

While international organizations wield significant influence, control does not guarantee action. Each individual can contribute: sharing information, participating in boycotts against products funding violence, and demanding accountability can create a global impact greater than any single government or organization. Humanity must unite to defend its shared moral obligations.

Two years into this humanitarian catastrophe, the world can no longer afford indifference. Every child killed, every hospital destroyed, every voice silenced is a reminder that inaction equals complicity. Bearing witness is no longer optional, it is a moral imperative.

“We cannot take our eyes away from Gaza… our international organizations are betraying the Palestinians; they do not even have the capacity to prevent the worst war crimes.”, Greta Thunberg

works cited:

UNICEF reported that, since the conflict began in October 2023, over 50,000 children have been killed or injured in the Gaza Strip:https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unimaginable-horrorsmore-50000-children-reportedly-killed-or-injured-gaza-strip The UN Security Council condemned the acts that resulted in civilian deaths during the Israeli operation against a humanitarian convoy to Gaza, urging investigations: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/autoinsert-194228/ The UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Israeli attack on the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza presented a report to the Human Rights Council, emphasizing the peaceful nature of the flotilla and the need to investigate human rights violations: https://www.ohchr.org/en/pressreleases/2010/09/fact-finding-mission-israeli-attack-flotilla-carryinghumanitarian The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the situation in Gaza and requested access to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to investigate human rights violations: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/countries/opt/2024 1106-Gaza-Update-Report-OPT.pdf Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, has documented atrocities in Gaza and urged the international community to protect civilians and ensure respect for international law: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/genocide-as-colonial-erasurereport-francesca-albanese-01oct24/