09/10/2024
STATEMENT OF THE UPPhA SC ON ONE-YEAR MARK OF THE GAZA SIEGE
This October 7 marks one year since Israel launched its attacks on the Gaza Strip, taking thousands of lives. All eyes are on Palestine, and there is no denying that this is an act of genocide to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip. Not only is Israel attacking Gaza, but also its neighboring regions. The UPPhA SC condemns these vile and inhumane actions by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOFs). We call for the immediate ceasefire of these attacks, as well as the end of the Israeli occupation.
Gaza is a narrow strip of land surrounded by Israeli regions, with a total population of 2.3 million. It was previously occupied by Israel in 1917, but when Palestine was reinstated as a legitimate nation in 1993, Israel was called to withdraw its hold on the lands. However, the tension between Israel and several Arab countries has been a long-standing conflict, with instances of launching attacks on Israel to reclaim territorial rights. In 2006, Israel reoccupied Gaza and has since continued its siege on Gaza and its citizens.
Before October 7, Israel had declared that it would indiscriminately bomb Gaza over the years, and on October 7, Hamas launched an attack on Israel to ease the blockades they set on Palestine. Since then, the IOF has been raining bombs and missiles on Gaza and the West Bank, sending forces to torture and imprison Palestinians in the occupied lands. Yesterday, leaflets were dropped on all areas of Northern Gaza, forcing civilians to evacuate south once again, and while attempting to flee, heavy Israeli airstrikes were dropped on the Jabalia refugee camps, injuring and killing many. No place in Gaza is safeโnot when even safe zones are targeted by the IOFs. These forces are not only present in Gaza, but also in Beirut, Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, Syria, and Yemen.
As of writing, there have been 41,870 recorded deaths and 97,166 injured individuals in Palestine since October 7, 2023, almost half of each number accounting for children and babies. Due to the nonstop brutal offense of Israeli forces, several people remain trapped under the rubble, making the actual death toll greater and unknown. Despite the imbalance in counterattacks for a whole year, the IOF continues to brutalize every nook and corner of the Gaza Strip, including mosques and schools where Gazans take shelter. This includes the very recent attack on a mosque occupied by evacuees displaced from Deir el-Balah, killing 26 people. With the intensity of each attack rising by the day while also extending violence to adjacent countries, it is vital to remain steadfast in documenting and standing against ethnic cleansing until the occupation is ceased.
Regions near Palestine stand against Israel and its occupation. Neighboring countries Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen are not exempt from Israel's unrelenting series of war crimes. The conflict only escalates with the recent airstrikes on the Lebanese capital of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley to the east, along with the Syrian capital of Damascus and the Yemeni city of Hodeidah. Several individuals have been killed, with Lebanon reporting more than 2,000 deaths in the past period. Its authorities also report over 9,000 injured and upwards of a million forced to flee their homes. Lebanon is no longer safe and has postponed the start of its school year as a protective measure. The IOF continues its destructive pattern, indiscriminately attacking civilian areas with claims of affiliations with military targets such as Hezbollah. We should not be waiting for further horrors to ravage Lebanon as they did Palestine before we take a stand.
We condemn this ethnic cleansing and demand the immediate ceasefire of the IOF in all regions. This act of genocide is a clear violation of humanitarian rights by imperialist Israel and its supporters. Shame on Israel for forgetting its history and reviving the Holocaust on their Palestinian brothers.
More than enough Palestinians have been martyred, and no space is left for humanitarian crimes. We call on all constituent units of the UP System to stand one with the Palestinian Resistance and to continue spreading awareness. We call on local and national media outlets to show solidarity with the brave Palestinian journalists by exposing all the IOF attacks on Palestine and its neighboring countries.
The UPPhA SC, as one with all its batches and organization, in our solidarity with the UP System, stands with Palestine! We condemn Israel in their acts of genocide.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
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