Guest Post: Shattered Dreams And Silent Screams – Gaza’s Unheard Story From A ‘Mentally Drained’ Palestinian

I often find it relatively easy to put my thoughts into words, but this time, it’s been a challenge. I’ve procrastinated starting this piece because witnessing the huge number of casualties and atrocities in Gaza has left me in a state of disbelief.

A massive toll of slaughter and despair, as the world watches, seemingly unaware. It’s a nightmarish scene, a harrowing view, my words falter and fail, as I try to comprehend or explain.

The events of 7th October brought about an irreversible shift in the trajectory of history. They mark a critical juncture, poised to redefine the entire landscape.

For Palestinians, who have endured a heavy burden for far too long, this moment presents an even greater and more daunting challenge. It sparked intense and lasting emotions, overwhelming us with uncertainty and deep sadness, plunging us into a deep abyss of despair. 

The feeling of helplessness from someone who is Palestinian but is living outside of that place, of being utterly powerless in the face of the tragic plight of these innocent children, is an emotion I earnestly hope to never experience again.

My words go beyond personal encounters; they serve as an urgent appeal exclusively for the inhabitants of the besieged Gaza Strip. In a span of six days, six thousand bombs rained down upon the Gaza Strip, a city already known for a history of oppression and unjustified violations.

Its residents find themselves trapped in a cycle of poverty, controlled by external forces, and made to bear the consequences of actions they did not initiate. When they raise their voices, the world often reacts with shock and disbelief.

As Malcolm X wisely noted, “If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” This statement carries an enduring truth that resonates deeply with the current situation in Gaza.

Despair is not a recent trend among Palestinian people in Gaza, with hundreds of young and desperate souls committing suicide because bearing the burden of constant oppression proved to be too much.

The devastating fate of 27-year-old Ahmad al-Najjar from Khan Younis perfectly encapsulates the constant feeling of anguish suffered by Palestinians in Gaza.

He ended his life in August of this year after going to social media to detail his heartbreaking reasons. He said that he could no longer stand all of the pain inside of him, despite all his efforts at recovering from his depression.

Ahmad’s heartbreaking story is just one of thousands of others, a stark reminder of the immense suffering that plagues the region. 

My opinions and statements with regard to the ongoing situation distill a stark and distressing truth into a simple equation: about 1,030 children in Gaza, devoid of any affiliation with anything, should never have been subjected to this.

The people of Gaza should not be going through this. In a world supposedly bound by principles of justice and humanity, why must we even articulate the self-evident fact that children are not terrorists? Or the very fact that Palestinians are simply forgotten about? How can a nation, bolstered by unwavering support, financial aid, and access to advanced weaponry, be granted the authority to unleash destruction upon civilian populations in Gaza? 

Our minds supposedly do function similarly, and I believe that is a sentiment we can likely both agree on: when a nation possesses the power to cut off access to water, electricity, aid, and fuel to a population, merely as a response to their grievances with a particular group, it transcends the realm of warfare and can only be described as an act of genocide.

In this tragic scenario, it’s the innocent civilians who bear the brunt of this oppressive burden. This is about the core of our shared humanity—a fundamental right to safety within one’s own home. It’s about the simple desire not to live in constant fear for the well-being of a mother, a father, a son, or a friend—an aspiration universal to all of us as human beings.

This crisis is unfolding right before our eyes, under our watchful gaze, demanding that we bear witness to the urgent need for change. 

The number of displaced people is overwhelming – more than one million, nearly half of Gaza’s people, pushed away. About 600,000 are in the Middle Area, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, with nearly 400,000 crammed into UNRWA places.

Heart-wrenching scenes of ambulance drivers collapsing in despair, all while hospitals, places of refuge and healing, are being evacuated only to be targeted and bombed. Ice cream fridges are holding bodies now in Gaza, and even hospitals, meant to heal, are emptied, like a cruel plot.

The heaviest toll of conflict invariably falls upon innocent civilians, who find themselves buried beneath the rubble of indifference and neglect. If, by some fortunate twist of fate, they are rescued, it is often in the form of lifeless bodies extracted from the wreckage of bomb attacks. 

If you’re now speaking out in support of Israel during these recent days, but have never shown concern for the daily tragedies occurring in Palestine, it’s important to reflect on the sincerity of your activism.

Consistency in advocacy often speaks louder than sporadic gestures. If Israel was truly opposed to the abduction of children, it would not engage in the daily practice of abducting Palestinian children or civilians. It would not subject them to the horrors of imprisonment and torture, as confirmed by numerous human rights reports. The occupier’s actions, targeting and mistreating children, starkly contradict any claims that such policies do not exist.

Putting on a brave face while your country is in pain is a heavy act.

The 2,329 who became martyrs in Gaza are like a distant call, their faces and names etched in my mind. Their dreams, the hopes they carried, still linger in my thoughts. The world, unjustly blind to those truly oppressed, watches as Gaza faces total unrest. Political leaders’ silence and support are allowing such horrors.

Those of us who stand for human rights – we must not be still. It is a place where democracy, through ethnic cleansing, hides. And self-defence hides a dark, painful despair. 

This is not a war of equals, and it never will be. The current discourse transcends land ownership, religion, tradition, and politics. It’s not a game of proving points or assigning blame. The issue is glaringly evident.

Beware of the media’s narrative. Gaza should not be wiped away, nor should its people bear the burden of another’s actions. This is a matter of basic humanity.

The topic, now a mere trend or debate, has left me mentally drained. It’s not about anything other than justice and reason. It’s high time for the world to take action.

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Do you think that there is a lack of consistency in advocacy with regards to the Israel-Palestine war?