On Sunday, May 16th, one eyewitness described the scene after an Israeli strike hit a refugee camp outside of Gaza City. In the aftermath, children dragged away their injured peers from the site while those filled with sorrow watched mobilized in one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history.
The camp was home to the Gazan diaspora, a population of refugees who had left during the numerous wars fought in the region. As the scene unfolded in the heat of the day, the grief did not lose its intensity as the tears of the community slowly rose to the brim.
Speaking on the scene, one witness had this to say about what he observed: “The children, even the very small ones, were the ones who were helping the injured…they were carrying them, trying to help.” He spoke with a degree of shock at the physical danger the children were subject to in order to assist their peers.
The effects of attacks like this are wide-reaching, far beyond the individuals and families directly affected. Images like these only further the feeling of hopelessness among the population, a sense of helplessness to protect itself against a powerful and belligerent enemy.
We are presented with a stark reminder of the realities of clashes like this: that underlying this degree of violence are feelings of despair and loss that have been building up through generations of conflict between Israeli and Palestinian parties.
The global community must come together to acknowledge and respond to these serious concerns of human rights violations and the clear disregard for basic security. We all bear a responsibility to push for a lasting peace in the area, one that will be able to protect its citizens and end the prevailing cycle of death and destruction.