Killing and maiming, targeted attacks on schools and hospitals, denials of humanitarian access—these are some of the war crimes criteria set by the United Nations Security Council against children. In the last ten months, Israel has tickeck all these boxes.

But, what’s staggering is that, though the world sees its heinous genocide against the Palestinian future today, a version camouflaged form of this ethnic cleansing has been going on for decades.

Under the zionist occupation, children in Gaza and even the entire Palestine rarely had access to basic rights. Now, however, with nothing to hide, the Israeli military is committing every single war crime and more—and there are still governments supporting and funding this one-sided genocide in the name of “protecting its sovereignty”.

Children Deliberately Shot by Israeli Forces

Children account for one-third of more than 39,000 people killed in Gaza – according to the Palestinian health ministry. A lot more have suffered severe injuries, including burns and amputations. And while Israel is trying to brush these deaths and injuries as collateral damage, how can the military justify deliberate gunshot wounds to the head or chest to children as young as seven?

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Dr. Mark Perlmutter, an Orthopedic Surgeon from North Carolina who volunteered in Gaza’s conflict zones in the first few weeks of April, revealed the distressing reality. This is a reality that has only worsened since April, given the Rafah, al-Mawasi, and attack on another humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.

He said that his 30 years of working in conflict zones doesn’t equal to the “level of carnage seen against civilians” in just his first week in Gaza. Dr. Perlmutter further discloses that hospitals are filled with incinerated and shredded children(by explosions or crushed by buildings).

“I’ve had children who were shot twice”

Dr Perlmutter

Children are being shot with dead-center shots. The reports confirmed this with over twenty more doctors currently aiding in Gaza about the continued shooting directed towards children.

“…I didn’t believe that this many children could be admitted to a single hospital with gunshot wounds to the head…”

Widespread Diseases in the Displaced and Distressed Children of Gaza

The lack of food, clean water, sanitation, and medical supplies is forming new challenges for the children saved from bombardment and military assaults. Lice, scabies, and rashes are plaguing the Gazan children as skin and other infectious diseases run rampant in humanitarian tent camps.

According to the World Health Organization, doctors in Gaza are wrestling with 103,000 cases of lice and scabies and 65,000 cases of skin rashes. Whereas in the 2.3 million population, over a million are suffering from acute respiratory infections, along with 100,000 cases of jaundice and half a million with acute diarrhea- according to the United Nations Development Program.

Due to the appalling conditions in overcrowded tent camps with dirty water, garbage everywhere, and limited or no sanitary products, controlling the spread is nearly impossible. With make-shift homes crammed with children, if one child gets a disease, “it spreads to all of them,” says Nahhal, a Gazan mother surviving in the war zone.

Attack on Schools and Hospitals

On Sunday, 4th August, an Israeli airstrike hit two schools in Gaza, killing at least 30 people and taking hostage in the building. Earlier in the day, the Al-Aqsa hospital compound was attacked, which left over 18 people wounded and five Gazans deceased.

These are another attack in the queue of bombardments and military insertions in schools and hospitals. The Israeli military says—without providing any evidence—that Hamas is using schools and hospitals as hiding places and command centers for terrorist operations.

Gaza: The Most Dangerous Place to Be a Child

At the start of the war, the United Nations said that Gaza was a “graveyard for children.” Now, however, the situation is far worse than imaginable, for nearly 1.1 million children surviving in the most dangerous place in the world.

War crimes, rampant diseases, constant bombardment, and widespread hopelessness—this is the reality of Gazans, adults and children alike. In the past ten months of the war, more than 1.8 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have lost their homes. Many of them were even forced to move multiple times to get away from the military assaults.

All this when the distribution of humanitarian supplies, including food, water, and medicines, is dwindling—given the lawlessness in Gaza and Israeli military attacks on aid vehicles.

“Growing up should be a time of hope, not horror,” yet for the one million children in Gaza, hope is nowhere to be found. Day after day, horrific atrocities on Gazan children continue to dominate headlines, but still, they are not getting the attention and safety they deserve.

After the talks of ceasefire and hope of a near-end war, Gazans again woke up to another nightmarish attack by Israel. Like the Rafah, the attack was again on a humanitarian zone, an area that Israel itself classified as a “Safe Zone.”

The al-Mawasi humanitarian camp attack was another brutal assault in a sequence of military strikes on displaced Palestinians in search of a safe shelter. But unfortunately, nothing inside Gaza is safe anymore. The terror transcends conflict zones as Israeli forces are attacking everyone everywhere as a stunned world watches in silence.

The Brutality of al-Mawasi Attack – Rafah 2.0

“Nightmarish scenes of chaos and terror.”

That’s how eyewitnesses who managed to survive the sudden attack on the humanitarian zone describe the al-Mawasi onslaught. Attacked by fighter jets and drones, the brutal bombardment has killed at least 90 and left over 300 others severely wounded.

According to an Al Jazeera report, on July 13th, Israeli forces launched sudden airstrikes and shelling in the densely populated al-Mawasi camps. On-ground incursions by troops followed the air attacks.

The horrific photos and videos of the Israeli massacre’s aftermath show helpless Palestinians sifting through remnants of tents and debris in search of lost loved ones and missing belongings.

What the al-Mawasi Attacks Tell About Israel’s Intention?

The continued attacks on humanitarian zones where war-torn, distressed Palestinian families think they are safe for a little while from the genocide rampant across Gaza reveal the real intentions of Israel behind the war. It’s an ethnic cleansing-torturing and eradicating Palestine.

Hiding behind the mask of “battling Hamas,” the zionist are continuing their genocide in Gaza, one that has been going on for decades now. The only difference is that now it’s in the form of an all-out war.

The world is seeing how, time after time, the Israeli military is committing heinous war crimes, yet it watches the Palestinians suffer in silence.

And it’s not just humanitarian zones. The Israeli military is consistently bearing down on hospitals, schools, and other settlement zones where displaced Gazans take refuge.

On July 16th, for example, Israel bombed the sixth UN-run school in Gaza in just ten days. The attack on the al-Razi school in Nuseirat ended up taking the lives of 42 more Palestinians.

These systematic crackdowns send one message across Gaza – Nowhere is safe.

Nearly 39,000 Killed and Over 89,727 Palestinians Injured

Since October 7th, the Israeli army has killed about 38,983 in the Gaza Strip – as per the Health Ministry in the enclave on Sunday. Over 89,727 have been injured in the assault, and with almost no major hospital disregarded from bombardments, most wounded have to endure the suffering without medical help.

The zionist military has also attacked the inflow of aid operations in Gaza. The fragile aid from international organizations already runs low in the war-torn region as it is continually undermined by insecurity, bombing, and denial of access.

Basic necessities like food and fresh drinking water have become a rare resource for many. Displaced Palestinians—i.e., two million people across the Gaza Strip—often survive on rice or soup cooked with water from the well, which makes their one meal a day. Fresh produce like fruits and milk are almost non-existent, even for infants and children.

The Israeli military is weaponizing starvation as a weapon to break Palestinians’ will—one that’s already hanging by a thread by the months-long blood-shed and displacement.

Desperation, Horror, and Hope

The relentless bombardment in humanitarian zones, schools, hospitals, and mosques by the Israeli army comes while both sides are weighing the latest US-ceasefire proposal. Hamas has signaled that talk of putting an end to the nine-month-long genocide would continue.

After claiming tens of thousands of lives and displacing millions, the war still continues. Israel continues to pursue Hamas fighters hiding amongst civilians.

However, the increasing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the United Nations, the International Criminal of Justice, and global governments give hope that the Israle-Hamas war will soon conclude. While the atrocities, horror, and genocide Israel has inflicted on Palestinians can never be repented, a ceasefire deal—as underlined in the proposal—would allow the rehabilitation of survivors and restore order in the battle-scarred Gaza Strip.

Israel’s attack on Gaza, which is entering its eighth month of ethnic cleansing, is taking new, dangerous turns. What started as hidden attacks now threaten to be a full-blown war between Israeli forces and the Irani-backed militant group in the region – Hezbollah.

However, the prospect of a full-scale war terrifies people on both sides. Aid agencies, including the United Nations, fear the war would be a “catastrophe that goes beyond the border and imagination.” Israel’s open military offensive in southern Lebanon would also risk an Iranian response.

Here’s a detailed report:

Israel-Hezbollah Escalation

While initially caught off-guard, Hezbollah has been supporting its regional ally- Hamas-ever since Israel initiated the Gaza genocide on 7th October. The two sides have exchanged near-daily cross-border strikes.

Till now, over 450 Lebanese, including fighters from the Hezbollah and allied groups and 80 civilians, have lost their lives. On Israel’s side, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed. The escalation has forced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border to be displaced – with no hope of returning any time soon.

But, the escalation simmering for months is now catching sparks. Last week, the Israel army disclosed it has “approved and validated” an offensive plan in Lebanon. In response, the militant group released surveillance drone videos of areas deep inside Israel’s border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel and the world at large, “Whoever thinks of war against us will regret it.” He ended by saying if a war broke out, Hezbollah would fight without limits.

The militia leader also thwarted any prospect of a cease-fire on the Israel-Lebanon border, unless there’s one in Gaza.

Hezbollah is Not Hamas

In his last Wednesday speech, Nasrallah said that militant leaders from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries are offering to send thousands of fighters to help Hezbollah in the fight against Israel. But, with over 100,000 trained fighters, Hezbollah already holds one of the most potent militant armies in the region.

International government and aid agencies fear a war between Israel and Hezbollah will be more brutal and catastrophic than the Gaza crisis because it could put the entire region into war.

But, while the crippling economy of Lebanon puts Hezbollah at a disadvantage, taking apart the militant group’s military powers in days is a far taller task. Since the Israel-Lebanon war, both sides have been preparing for a chance to settle scores.

Hezbollah’s arsenal includes at least 150,000 missiles and rockets. With over 100,000 fighters, the group’s sophisticated attacks – like the largest rocket attack on 5th July – even surprised Israeli officials. They have shot down top-of-the-line Israeli drones and hit the Iron Dome batteries and anti-drone defenses.

Last month, the Iran-backed group shocked the world when it published drone footage of Israel’s highly sensitive public and military infrastructure. The most astonishing of which is Israel’s secret nuclear base.

The International Response to the Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

With the escalations only increasing, an all-out war can even drag the US into conflict with Iran. It could set the entire region on fire. That’s why the United States has drawn a red line on Hezbollah with a warning. It said the group should not assume that the US can stop Israel from attacking them.

And while the warning is conveyed indirectly because America doesn’t engage with the military group one-on-one, the message from the US officials is clear. The warning aims to get Hezbollah to back down. The officials also declared the US’s support to Israel in case Hezbollah retaliates.

After weeks of silence, Iran has warned Israel of an “obliterated war.” The escalating tension is also worrying the international community. This week, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands immediately urged their citizens to leave Lebanon. Many are re-routing their flights into Lebanon and warning travelers to “strongly reconsider” traveling to the conflicted country.

The world is trying to slow down the tension, but the escalation is only spiraling to a new height in recent weeks as Israel’s attack on Hamas intensifies.

The Brewing Israel-Hezbollah War

Israel has effectively lost sovereignty in the northern part of the country due to consistent cross-border attacks by the group. The statement came before the Thursday attack where Hezbollah fired 200 rockets into the Israeli border – making it the biggest attack in the monthlong conflict. An Aljazeera report showed that since 7th October the two sides have shared 7400 attacks.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said that while the country is trying to prevent a wider war, its military is capable of getting “Lebanon back to the stone age.” The statement came as Israel is downshifting its military in Gaza and refocusing its resources on the northern Israel-Lebanon border.

But, while both countries do not want a full-scale war, in case a ceasefire deal fails in Gaza, a large-scale Israel-Hezbollah war can break out in the next several weeks – one that’ll be far worse than the last time around.