Israel has started a ground military campaign on Gaza City. This is the same city that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Hamas’s biggest stronghold and whose order he ordered last month. According to reports, the Israeli army is now entering the city amidst frequent bombing and blockade. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz’s statement – “Gaza is burning” – explains the cruelty of war.
Let us tell you that the Gaza strip is already going through a serious humanitarian crisis. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions have been displaced. There is a huge shortage of food and water, while the United Nations and human rights organizations say that this ‘war’ is now taking the form of ‘starvation’ and ‘collective displacement’. The situation has deteriorated so much that many people are dying of hunger and malnutrition.
Let us remind you that last week, Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, the capital of Qatar. This step proved only to increase regional tension. Qatar and Arabian-Islamic countries called it ‘cowardly and trusted attacks’. At the Doha Conference, many countries also called for reconsideration of diplomatic and economic relations with Israel. But despite this political pressure, America’s stance appears to be duality. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio stood with Netanyahu and said clearly that the war will end only when Hamas will surrender all the hostages and surrender. This almost rejects the talk of America’s “diplomatic solution”, which is repeated on public forums.
If seen, Israel’s military campaign is not limited to Gaza only. The attack in Doha is an indication that the war is now affecting the stability of the entire West Asia. Countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are warning that such attacks can completely eliminate the peace process. In such a situation, the indication of Netanyahu that Israel can also increase sovereignty on the West Bank in the future, will make the already stressed area more unstable.
There is no doubt that the incidents of Gaza make it clear that this struggle is no longer limited to Hamas and Israel. It has become a test of geopolitical stability, Arab-Israeli relations and global diplomacy of the entire Middle East. The depth of the human tragedy states that the solution is not possible on the strength of violence. If the regional and global powers do not find a real political solution by intervening in time, this conflict can become a permanent volcano and take the whole world into its flames.
On the other hand, there was hope in the international world about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent visit to Israel that perhaps a solution to the Gaza crisis could come out. But the reality came to the fore. Rubio was openly seen standing with Netanyahu and his stance kept indicating that the US is currently agreed to the rigorous policies of Israel. The most shocking thing here is that Donald Trump’s controversial thinking has started again, according to which the war -torn coastal region of Gaza can be converted into “riviara” i.e. a luxurious tourist heaven in the future. If this idea is seen associated with the visit of the US Secretary of State, then it is natural to raise the question whether the tragedy of Gaza is really seen only with geopolitical mathematics and business profits?
Today, millions of people are facing hungry, homeless and bombing in Gaza. More than 64 thousand lives have been lost. At such a time, the focus of any major head of state or diplomat should be on humanitarian aid, ceasefire and permanent political solution. But when the discussion reaches plans like “empty land” and “riviara”, it puts a serious question mark on the morality of the whole struggle. Rubio’s visit further reinforces the message that Washington’s inclination is more towards Israel’s geopolitical aspirations and a potential business thinking of Trump, more than solving the human crisis. This will not only give rise to deep resentment in the Arab world, but will also question America’s credibility in front of the whole world.
If seen, the tragedy of Gaza is not only the story of war, but it is a mirror that in the global politics of the 21st century, more importance than human life is being given to power and capital. If the imagination of converting Gaza into “Revara” is true, then it will not only insult the suffering of Palestinian people but also moral failure of modern civilization.
On the other hand, the Gaza war has now reached the horrific turn where the Israeli army is not limited to the bases of Hamas, but has also started targeting skyscrapers. The demolition of the highest 16 Manzila building in Gaza City is a symbol that the war has now become an attempt to eradicate the memory and identity of the city, not only a military conflict. High buildings are considered to be cultural and economic beats of any city. Slending them is not just military action but a strategy to create psychological pressure on the public. When the symbol of “height” and “modernity” of a community is eradicated from the root, the message is given that they have no basis for future building. There were not only offices or facilities in the buildings, but the displaced families took refuge in them. Such an attack directly makes common citizens more vulnerable. First the houses collapsed, then the tent and now high buildings of the city also deepen the humanitarian crisis.
This pattern of targeting skyscrapers shows that Israel wants to completely convert Gaza from the city to ruins. It is not only a witness, but also a long-term geopolitical message: “Gaza will no longer be a city, but a controlled zone.”
However, the demolition of skyscrapers makes it clear that the battle of Gaza is an attempt not just to defeat Hamas, but to eradicate the collective identity of Gaza and push the people there towards permanent displacement. The question is whether the international community will keep watching this spectacle by counting the data only, or will it accept whether it is not just war, but a well -planned destruction of the city and civilization.