It is not about religion; it is about lies, war crimes, and human rights violations in Gaza

It is possible to trace the conflicts surrounding Jerusalem back to the first century. Then came the Crusades in the 1090s. This region has always been war-torn, as Jews, Christians, and Muslims all claim it to be their holy land—the land that was promised to the true believers.

Fast forward to the 20th century—more specifically, 1948—when Israel was born and assumed control of Jerusalem by 1967. So, what is the point of waging war after that? It no longer seemed to be a conflict between Palestine and Jewish lands; it became a war between states. While it is easy to interpret the conflict as a war between religions, is that the case today when nobody is fighting to occupy the holy land? Is it a war when most of the dead on the Palestinian side are civilians—or is it ethnic cleansing? Does anyone remember Hitler?

According to different estimates, around 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 15th Israel-Palestine war that started on October 7, 2023, most of whom are civilians. According to a Save the Children official, at least 15,000 children have been killed since then, who probably have very little idea as to what a religion is, let alone understand the definition of a religious conflict.

The January 19 ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas seemed like a ray of hope, but it faded quickly as Israel violated the deal on March 18, 2025, launching air strikes on civilians. The ceasefire hardly lasted two months and never made it to stage two. There have also been numerous reports of small-scale armed conflicts during those two months.

From the standpoint of a religiously unaffiliated bystander, the ceasefire felt like a lie—a convenient pause to let Gazans prepare, just a commercial break before bombs started dropping again.

Video footage released on April 5 by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) shows the final moments of 15 medics in Rafah’s Tal as-Sultan neighborhood in southern Gaza on March 23. This forced the Israeli army to walk back its previous statements claiming that the military “did not randomly attack” the convoy and had instead fired on “terrorists” approaching in “suspicious vehicles.” The vehicles seen in the footage included a red fire truck and ambulances carrying uniformed medics—men who were shot to death by Israeli forces. So Israel lies again!

This has also been the deadliest war ever for journalists and media workers, with 232 deaths in the hands of Israeli forces since October 7, 2023. This death toll exceeds the number of journalists killed during both World Wars, the Vietnam War, the Yugoslav Wars, and the war in Afghanistan combined. Earlier today (April 7, 2025), Israeli forces carried out an air strike on a media tent in the Khan Younis region in Gaza.

The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has also documented 35 instances of the Israeli army deliberately targeting and killing journalists solely because of their work.

The latest bombardment in Gaza on Sunday, April 6, killed at least 32 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children. During the so-called ceasefire, Israel has also blocked hundreds of aid trucks from reaching the Gaza Strip. If these are not examples of human rights violations, then what are?

This is clearly a humanitarian crisis—not a religious one. It is about the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and support from the U.S. Trump administration only intensifies it. What’s even more shocking is the silence of major U.S. media outlets on the latest bombardments and the footage released by the PRCS.

Social media feeds are now flooded with images and videos of protests all around the world, showing solidarity with Gaza. However, a disturbing trend can be seen: numerous posts praising Hitler for “trying to kill all the Jews.” Supporting that is no different from supporting the attacks on Palestinians. The focus should be on carrying out justice for all. Ethnic cleansing of one community never justifies the same horrors being inflicted on another, ever!

It is now high time for world leaders to support and stand with Gaza and Palestine as a whole. One doesn’t need to be a Muslim—or belong to any religion—to see the atrocities Palestinians are enduring. It is now imperative to seek accurate information, challenge misinformation and disinformation, and support efforts that promote peace and justice. The situation in Gaza clearly demonstrates that the defense of human rights transcends all boundaries and is a collective responsibility.

On an ending note, we, at TWH, firmly believe: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.