Since 7 October 2023, the Israeli war machine has turned Gaza into a cauldron of wanton violence where the crimes it is carrying out there could become a blueprint that can be replicated elsewhere by other powers. It has placed the world on a trajectory away from the rules-based order towards hegemonic conquest.
Nearly two years of Israeli bombardment, destruction, murder and starvation of Gaza and its people have united the academic community in resolutely calling the war what it actually is: a genocide—one that not only represents a stain on humanity but exposes the hypocrisies of many countries that claim to be 'civilised'.
Israel's justifications for what it's doing in Gaza—" eliminating Hamas, defending itself, and rescuing the hostages"—are no longer convincing to the majority of people around the world. This can be seen in opinion polls—even in places like the US and UK, whose populations are now firmly against the war.
Atrocity fatigue
But as the war drags on—with Israeli atrocities stacking up so fast that one can hardly keep track—a type of atrocity fatigue has kicked in, with intermittent public outrage surfacing when Israel commits a particularly cruel or outrageous crime.
Israel has systematically attacked hospitals, journalists, schools, displacement camps, aid seekers and even sniped children in their heads. Further compounding this sense of hopelessness is the fact that Israel has literally gotten away with murder, having faced no serious consequences for its litany of crimes.
