The International Day for Genocide Prevention Overlooks Gaza

By Zahraa Jouni

Lebanon – As the world marked the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime—an occasion established by the United Nations years ago—Gaza continued to count its martyrs and wounded amid the most horrific genocide perpetrated by the “Israeli” entity against the Palestinian people. Hospitals in the Gaza Strip burned alongside their patients and medical staff, an act of unprecedented brutality aimed at erasing the last remnants of life in Gaza.

For over a year, an entire population has been systematically exterminated, while silence dominates the stance of most Arab countries and their rulers. Meanwhile, Western nations persist in defending the criminal and justifying his crimes, thus invalidating all rhetoric and slogans concerning human rights, international law and the supposed significance of global observances. The International Day for Genocide Prevention, in practice, becomes a platform that indirectly sanctions “Israeli” crimes and the erasure of the Palestinian people—wiping families from civil registries.

How many years must this genocide against an oppressed people continue before nations and relevant authorities act to end the killing and brutality? If the “Israeli” enemy openly admits it has no intention of halting its war on Gaza, does this mean the world will stand idle until the genocide is complete? This war, which has now persisted for more than a year, has revealed one irrefutable truth: there is no effective way to confront this level of atrocity except through resistance. Relying on international decisions, human rights institutions, or agreements has not restored life or freedom to the Palestinian people—history proves this time and again.

While some legal efforts have broken the silence, they have yet to halt the entity's genocide or end the war. Despite the United Nations, human rights organizations, and watchdog groups raising alarms about “Israeli” actions—and even as the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against the enemy’s Prime Minister—the genocide continues, intensifying over time.

Recently, The New York Times revealed a report confirming that the occupying entity authorized its forces to launch attacks in Gaza even if they resulted in significant civilian casualties following the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7. According to the report, mid-ranking officers were granted authority to target a wide range of sites, even if the strikes risked killing up to 20 civilians.

Similarly, the Hebrew newspaper “Haaretz” reported confessions from “Israeli” soldiers about the unprecedented scale of atrocities committed against the Palestinian people. These brutal mass killings have taken a toll on the psychological health of some soldiers, as reflected in their testimonies.

A Palestinian doctor in Gaza distressingly asks, “What remains of the martyrs after death? Bones and memories—is that all that remains of a person? Who inherits their fear, anxiety and sorrow?”

Iman Al-Haj Ali, a journalist from Gaza, captures the sentiment of her people, saying: “At the end of this year and the start of a new one, Palestinians dream of an end to the genocide. They hope their stories will not remain ignored in a fragmented world, but instead receive a response from those with the ability to listen and act to achieve real change.”