RALLY FOR PALESTINE 19 MAY 2024
At the time of writing this the Israeli-Palestinian conflict of the past century has reached a level of violence that the world can no longer ignore. And whilst the terrorist actions of Hamas are brutal and murderous, the fact is that the retaliatory military action currently being undertaken by Israel is causing an unprecedented level of pain, suffering and death. Casualty numbers since the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas and the subsequent military actions by Israel have now surpassed 35,000 dead and over 75,000 injured, mostly civilians, and mostly women and children.
It can be far too easy to ignore the situation from the comfort of our safe homes, thousands of miles away from the conflict itself. But it was during recent exploration of the work of Palestinian photo-journalist Motaz Azaiza that really brought home the horror of this conflict. Motaz photographed the carnage during an 108 day reporting stint in Gaza, documenting the complete devastation that the military conflict has brought to the residents there. His images of dead and injured children are jarring and haunting – it is impossible not to be moved by it.
I’m heartened that the world appears to be waking up to the violence. Students all over the world are protesting loudly. The ICC announced war crime charges against leaders from both sides of the conflict. Governments are starting to talk of potential two-state solutions, where they wouldn’t have a year ago. Even here in sleepy Brisbane Australia, a very long way from the ruins of Gaza, thousands have come to the streets to show their support for the Palestinian people.
