War on Gaza: History and Dehumanisation

The history of the ‘holy’ wars among the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is a history of reciprocal hate and violence against each other.[1] Judaism is the ancestral faith of Christianity and Islam. The latter two have been the traditional adversaries of the former in the trajectory of the past. Jews were not only oppressed and persecuted by their adversary faiths throughout history, but they also reciprocated the animosity. Hate and violence against Jews culminated in the 1930s and 40s in Europe, and Christian Germany became the epicenter under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the protagonist of the Holocaust as the Final Solution of the ‘Jewish Question.’ The holocaust, as the biggest horror of history, symbolizes human evil of the highest order.  Auschwitz, being the witness to the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Jews, symbolizes the demonic character of human evil.

Jews lived like refugees and were stateless from the time of the biblical Exodus till they finally got their Jewish state (Israel) in 1948, riding on the global sympathy wave in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II.  The long-cherished dream came true; it was nothing short of a liberation for the Jews globally, and liberation comes with an immense moral responsibility; the historical victims have a great moral responsibility not to perpetuate the wrongs which they have suffered. The success of liberation, therefore, can not be evaluated from achieving liberation alone; it must also be seen whether the liberated ones have fulfilled their moral responsibilities towards others.

The survivors of the holocaust were expected to teach two moral lessons of responsibility to their succeeding generations: the principle of coexistence, and self-restraint from reproducing the structures of violence and oppression which the Jews themselves had experienced during the holocaust. But instead of following the principle of coexistence, they started reproducing the structures of dominance and oppression. Paulo Freire, the great Latin American thinker, expressed his moral anxiety in the context of liberation/revolution, saying that there is a greater danger ahead in the post-liberation/revolution as the victims turn perpetrators, and the oppressed become the oppressors, replacing one structure of oppression with another.[2] The Jewish state has proved Paulo Freire to be true.

7th October

On 7th October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,139 Israelis. According to Israeli sources, Hamas also took 253 individuals as hostages, including Israelis and Americans.  There is no legal justification for killing and capturing civilians as hostages. This is not only reprehensible but also illegal and punishable under international law. The Geneva Convention IV[3] is very categorical in this regard, as the Convention has been adopted exclusively for the protection of civilians, and therefore, Hamas must be held accountable.

The Western world swiftly condemned Hamas’ attack, calling it not only a “terrorist” attack but also a barbaric and inhuman act. Some have called it a ‘war crime’, and rightly so. However, holding Hamas alone responsible does not do justice to the historical context in which the attack of October 7th took place. Hamas’s attack occurred against the backdrop of a consistent failure of international law, diplomacy, and international institutions. In addressing the UN Security Council’s Special Emergency Session on 24th October 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the historical context surrounding the attack, stating: “The Hamas attack of October 7 did not happen in a vacuum, but in the historical context of 56 years of illegal and suffocating occupation of Palestine in gross violations of human rights of Palestinians. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and [1] plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced, and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.” To draw a logical and nuanced conclusion, revisiting the historical context of the conflict is necessary.

The Historical Context of Hamas’ Attack

The United Nations notes that before the Nakba,[4] Palestine was a culturally and ethnically diverse society. However, tensions between Arabs and Jews intensified in the 1930s, driven by increased Jewish immigration, mainly due to persecution in Europe, and the Zionist movement's push to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. In November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution[5] to partition Palestine into two states—one Jewish and one Arab—while placing Jerusalem under UN administration. The Arab world rejected the plan, arguing it was unfair and violated the UN Charter. Jewish militias launched attacks on Palestinian villages, leading to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians. The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in 1948 after the British Mandate ended. British forces withdrew, Israel declared independence, and neighbouring Arab armies intervened. The newly established Israeli forces launched a major offensive, resulting in the permanent displacement of more than half of the Palestinian population, according to the United Nations. As early as December 1948, the UN General Assembly urged the return of refugees, restoration of property, and compensation.[6] In 1967, Israel illegally occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, revealing its expansionist ambitions in collaboration with Western neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism. This occupation became one of the largest forced land acquisitions in neocolonial history, displacing half a million Palestinians and causing widespread suffering. In February 1968, Israel's Ministry of Interior issued a regulation declaring that the West Bank and Gaza Strip would no longer be considered enemy territories. As a result, Israel views itself as an Administering Power rather than an occupier of these territories.[7] Israel started encroaching upon the Occupied Territory, particularly in the West Bank, through the illegal settlements.

To address the crisis, the Camp David Accords were convened in 1978, proposing autonomy for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.[2]  However, concerns emerged regarding the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as the number of settlers continued to grow. While the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) had long served as the political representative of the Palestinian people, Israel initially refused to negotiate, branding the PLO a "terrorist organization." As a result, the Camp David Accords left this issue unresolved. In the early 1990s, the situation changed when Israel officially recognized the PLO as the legitimate political representative of the Palestinians and began direct negotiations with them.

The Oslo Peace Accord process began with secret negotiations in Oslo, resulting in the PLO's recognition of the State of Israel and Israel's acknowledgment of the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and a negotiation partner.[3]  The Oslo Accords were a series of agreements between Israel and the PLO, with the Oslo I Accord signed in Washington D.C. in 1993, and the Oslo II Accord signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995. The 1993 Oslo Accords, officially known as the Declaration of Principles, were signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. These accords aimed to offer Palestinians the prospect of an independent state through a "two-state" solution, envisioning peaceful coexistence between Israel and a sovereign Palestinian state. The agreements laid out a timeline for advancing the Middle East peace process, with plans for Israel to withdraw its forces from Palestinian territories and transfer security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, the Oslo Accords included provisions for establishing a protocol for free elections in the Palestinian territories, setting the stage for the eventual creation of an independent Palestinian state. The agreements granted limited Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, allowing for partial Palestinian self-governance in these areas. Both the Camp David and Oslo Accords aimed to create an interim framework for peace, followed by a final settlement within five years. However, shortly after the Oslo Accords, it became clear that Israel had no political intention of fully honouring the terms. This led to a continuous cycle of violence and retaliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, the United Nations passed numerous resolutions to address the conflict. Despite 56 years of occupation, peace accords, and UN resolutions, the Palestinian people's right to self-determination remains unrealized.

In 2002, citing security concerns, Israel began constructing a barrier to unilaterally separate Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from Israel, as well as from East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements that were illegally established on Palestinian land in the West Bank.[8] Critics and human rights organizations have accused Israel of deliberately designing the complex route of the barrier—often called the "apartheid wall"—to maximize the amount of Palestinian land and Israeli settlements on the western (Israeli) side, while confining as many Palestinians as possible to the eastern side. The barrier stretches 712 kilometres, with 65% of it running mostly inside the West Bank. As a result, many Palestinian farmers have been cut off from their land by the wall. Additionally, Israel has set up 645 checkpoints and physical barriers in the West Bank alone[9], severely restricting the free movement of Palestinian residents. This strategy effectively annexes substantial portions of Palestinian territory. The wall has been declared illegal under international law and has faced ongoing condemnation from the United Nations (UN), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and numerous human rights organizations.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), more than 5 million Palestinian refugees are scattered throughout the Middle East. Currently, Palestinians continue to experience dispossession and displacement due to Israeli settlements, evictions, land confiscation, and home demolitions. Since Israel occupied Palestinian territories in 1967, the lives of the residents have been profoundly affected by violence from both Israeli security forces and settlers. The illegal settlements have significantly changed the demographics of the Occupied Territories. Experts contend that Palestine is the largest open-air prison in the world, with its residents dehumanized and treated as captives of Israel for decades.[4]  According to UNICEF, the Gaza Strip has been completely blockaded for at least the last fifteen years.[10] The people of Gaza have relied on international aid for decades, lacking resources of their own, with nearly 80% of the population unemployed. In other words, Gaza is severely constrained by Israel, which controls everything from water and fuel to electricity and food supplies.

In July 2021, the UN Special Rapporteur stated that “Israeli occupation has been characterized by settlement expansion that aims to permanently alter the ethnic demographics of East Jerusalem, which amounts to a war crime.”[5]  In June 2022, the UN Human Rights Council-mandated Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, concluded that the ongoing occupation and discrimination against Palestinians are the primary causes of recurrent instability and the protraction of conflict in the region. [6] Under international law, Palestinians have a right to political self-determination. Both the Special Rapporteur and the Commission of Inquiry have found that the prevailing coercive environment has hindered the Palestinian inhabitants of the Occupied Territory from exercising their legitimate right to self-determination and other fundamental human rights. Craig Mukhiber, a former senior UN Human Rights official who has resigned amid the ongoing conflict due to the United Nations' inaction and lack of political will, explained in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera that “the two-state solution promised by the Oslo Accord in 1993 has become an ‘open joke’ around the corners of the United Nations.” He noted that the UN and the international community have tragically failed to deliver a ‘state of Palestine’ to its people as promised under the Oslo Accords.[7]  The anger, frustration, and suffocating conditions of Palestinian life over 56 years provide the historical context for Hamas’s attack on October 7th. It is not an exaggeration to say that this attack symbolizes the collective failure of international law and institutions, including the United Nations.

Dehumanisation of Palestinians

In retaliation for the October 7th attack of Hamas, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unleashed an unprecedented military counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Since October 7th, Israel has killed nearly 47000 civilians, including a substantial percentage of women and children, though Lancet has estimated deaths of over 186,000 people in Gaza until July 14, 2024.[11]  According to the Health Ministry of Gaza, the Israeli counteroffensive has wounded over 110,000 civilians, and over 8000 Palestinians have been illegally detained from the West Bank so far. More than 30000 civilians in Gaza are missing, probably dead under the rubble, according to the Health Ministry of Gaza. The dead civilians in Gaza include 160 journalists and 225 personnel of the United Nations’ humanitarian aid agencies. More than 70% of victims in Gaza are children and women; thousands of children have lost at least one limb, and thousands have lost at least one of their parents in the last 14 months of the Israeli war on Gaza. [8] 

Israel has devastated the Gaza Strip on a catastrophic scale, destroying the entire civic infrastructure only to render Gaza uninhabitable for Palestinians. Every Palestinian is now a legitimate military target for the IDF. No civilian facility/infrastructure is spared, right from residential neighborhoods to hospitals, schools, refugee camps, ambulances, mosques, and churches and to humanitarian aid convoys; everyone and everything is being targeted indiscriminately, even though hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel are specifically protected under the First Geneva Convention unless they are used to commit, outside their humanitarian duties, acts harmful to the enemy under Chapter III and IV. [9] 

Nearly 80% of Gaza has been turned into rubble by the Israeli airstrikes. This is important to say that the way Israel is unleashing relentless bombardments on Gaza, the people of Gaza are now suffering from anthropogenic hunger and starvation, infectious diseases of epic proportions. Israel is using the hunger and starvation of Palestinians as a weapon of war. There is an imminent threat of epidemics in Gaza on account of thousands of corpses rotting under the rubble. The Gaza Strip is under complete siege; no place is safe for the 2.3 million inhabitants. Wherever they try to escape, guns, bombs, and missiles of the IDF are chasing them. Every Gazan is now on the radar of the Iron Dome “defense’ System of Israel. Gazans are terribly trapped between the Mediterranean and the Israeli military terror. The Jewish state has clearly turned into a genocidal state.

Dehumanisation of the people of Gaza is an integral part of the Israeli military strategy. Language is the weapon of war, and words are tools for dehumanising the people of Gaza.  For example, Israel’s Défense Minister Yoav Gallant called Palestinians “human animals” on 9 October. One American Congressman, Max Miller, an American Republican politician and former aide to Donald Trump, spoke openly about the genocide of Palestinians on Fox News, saying Palestine was to be converted into a “parking lot” on 26 October. The American leader used explicit terminology to label Palestinians “children of darkness” who live by the “laws of the jungle.” Netanyahu, in September 2023, used a map of the future state of Israel, which included all the territory the Palestinians believed should be part of the borders of the future state of Israel. This includes the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. [10] This tells the real intention of the Jewish state. This projected map of Israel is a clear indication that wiping out Palestine completely from the world map is the ultimate objective of the Israeli official policy.

Though exhausted completely in the ongoing genocides over the last year, and the unprecedented ordeals and dehumanization, the Gazans have refused to succumb before the military might of Israel. The Jewish state undoubtedly has the state-of-the-art technology of war, and Gaza is now a laboratory for experimenting with every new weapon of war invented by Israel and the US. The courage and the daunting spirit of resistance of Gazans are unparalleled in history. Antony Loewenstein, the author of the Palestine Laboratory[12] said humorously recently in a public meeting in New Delhi: “Everything is made in China in this world, except Courage. Courage is made in Gaza.” This courage is indeed a stark contrast with the millions of German Jews who had queued up themselves before the Nazi soldiers like lambs to the slaughter (Auschwitz).

Israel is now replicating the same military terror in Lebanon with the excuse of fighting and eliminating its traditional enemy, Hezbollah. Israel has always perceived Hezbollah as an existential threat. Though the Jewish state is calling its air strikes against Hezbollah ‘precise’ and ‘targeted,’ hundreds of civilians and dozens of the top brass leadership of Hezbollah have been killed. More than a million civilians have been displaced so far in the suburbs of Beirut. Israel is now preparing for a ground offensive against Hezbollah, decimating Lebanon the way it has decimated Gaza. The international community once again is largely rendered helpless in view of the US's unequivocal military and diplomatic support in the UNSC in favour of the Jewish state on the pretext of its right of self-defense. This is not inappropriate to say that the scale of destruction of human lives and infrastructure, with unprecedented dehumanization, indicates that international law has suffered the biggest casualty in this Israel-Hamas conflict, in addition to the erosion of faith in the international community in the United Nations and the Security Council. The opening words of the UN Charter lay down its purpose and objective: “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Slaughtering of civilians in the conflict and the failure of the United Nations to act upon the Oslo Accord in the last 30 years has undermined not only the United Nations’ credibility, integrity, and political neutrality, but also defeated the very object and purpose of its creation. The Israeli war on Gaza should be seen in this larger context of the pathetic failure of international law, diplomacy, international institutions, and the international community.

Response of Jews in Israel

 Since the expressions ‘Jews’ and the “Jewish State” are being used interchangeably in this write-up, I may be blamed for making no distinction between Jews and the Jewish state. But before I proceed, let me clarify that making such a distinction serves no purpose. A recent survey[13] in Israel reveals that the majority of Israeli Jews have no sympathy for Gazans, let alone empathy. About 73% of Israelis are in favour of this war, out of which about 39% of Israelis say Israel’s military response against Hamas in Gaza has been about right, while 34% say it has not gone far enough, according to the survey. For Jews, rather, business is as usual; they are taking hot sips of coffee, enjoying beer, whisky, and champagne in bars and clubs, throwing dance parties. People in Tel Aviv are enjoying life with all material splendors and elegance without being concerned the least about what is happening next door in Gaza. Innocent civilians are being slaughtered by the ‘brave’ Jewish soldiers, and people are dying of hunger and starvation. Jews are rather celebrating the ‘heroic’ deeds of their soldiers on social media. Jews are dehumanizing Palestinians as much as they themselves were dehumanized by the German Christians in Auschwitz. Jews, however, do not realize that relentless military violence in Gaza is harming the image of Jews globally. Jews are now losing not only their moral right to condemn antisemitism but also global sympathy as victims of the holocaust. The whole world is watching the scale of dehumanization of the Gazans by the Jewish state. As the global perception of Jews is changing swiftly, they may not be able to harvest the benefits from their victimhood image anymore in the future. 

Paulo Freire’s perspective hence, appears to hold true in this context. The Jewish people and the Jewish state have collectively reproduced structures of violence and oppression in Palestine, contributing to the current human rights crisis in the region. It is regrettable to witness that shortly after gaining a separate nation-state, the victims transformed into perpetrators, and the persecuted became the oppressors. The ongoing Israeli conflict in Gaza indicates that neither Jews nor the Jewish state has learned any moral lessons from the history of the Holocaust. The historical victims have turned perpetrators, the oppressed are now taking on the role of oppressors.

Moral Diplomacy and India’s Position

The idea of a two-state solution, which has been a joke around the corners of the United Nations until October 7, has now reappeared on the centre stage. Of late, wisdom prevailed, particularly upon the former victims of the western colonialism; Israel has been prosecuted recently under the Genocide Convention, 1948, in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for committing genocide in Gaza.[11]  This prosecution was held at the instance of the Republic of South Africa, supported by some African and Latin American countries.

Ironically, the Genocide Convention was adopted in the aftermath of the holocaust to avoid future genocides in the world. Ironically, however, after 75 years, Israel is accused of genocide and hence being prosecuted under the same Genocide Convention, though it has not deterred Israel from continuing its genocidal mission. Prosecuting Israel in the ICJ by the nations of the global south, nonetheless, has placed them on the highest pedestal of political morality in the global order. South Africa, particularly in recent days, has emerged as the greatest voice of human rights against genocide, racism, xenophobia, colonialism, and imperialism. These efforts of the global south have not gone in vain; the Israeli war on Gaza indeed has legitimized the Palestinian claim for a separate and independent sovereign state.[12]  Over 146 countries have recognized Palestine’s right of self-determination so far; Norway, Ireland, and Spain are the recent ones to give recognition to the Palestinian claim. [13] 

As far as India is concerned, India was quick to condemn Hamas’ attack on October 7 as a “terrorist attack.” But even after 12 months of relentless and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment on Gaza, killing 42000 civilians, a moral courage seems to be missing; to even call it a war crime, let alone genocide. [14] Theoretically speaking, India has always supported the two-state solution to the problem. However, the sufferings and miseries of Palestinians have largely been ignored in practice, especially at the crucial junctures of history when India could have made a real difference at the international level. For example, in recent days, India abstained from voting consistently, instead of supporting the draft resolutions brought before the UN Security Council for an “immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza.[15]  If any of the three draft resolutions were allowed to succeeded, thousands of innocent lives could have been saved in Gaza. On 18 September, 2024, the 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the resolution, with 124 nations voting in favour, 14 against, and 43 abstentions. India once again abstained pm on this resolution "demanding that Israel bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory without delay and within the next 12 months." [16] 

Here, let me clarify that the intention is not to allege that India’s abstinence has led to the prolongation of the conflict and the consequent human casualties. Even if India had voted in favour, the draft resolutions were bound to be defeated as the United States (one of the five permanent members of the Security Council) was determined to misuse its veto power in favour of Israel[17] . The idea, therefore, is to highlight that India could have taken a more principled, moral, and pro-human rights approach on the issue, which could have enhanced its moral clout in international diplomacy. Voting on the draft resolutions of the UNSC was a historic opportunity for India to prove that it has the moral capability to become a global leader. But we have missed the historic opportunity. Israel, being one of the most intimate defense partners of India, political realism and pragmatism prevailed over political morality and the national commitment to human rights. Moreover, it is worth reminding that India is under an obligation not only to promote international peace and security U/A 51 of the Constitution, in addition to fostering respect for international law and treaty obligations. India, despite being a signatory to dozens of human rights and humanitarian law treaties and conventions, has abstained from voting.

In view of the Constitutional and international obligations, the least India can do is to stop supplying military equipment, arms, and ammunition to Israel with immediate effect. This is the bare minimum service to humanity that India can do at this crucial juncture. A group of activists, civil servants, lawyers, and academics recently filed a petition before the Supreme Court to cancel the existing licences and permissions and halt any new licences given to Indian companies to supply military equipment and arms to Israel during the ongoing conflict. Unfortunately, however, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, saying that the issue pertains to the realm of diplomatic policy of a sovereign nation with another. This implies that this is the prerogative of the executive (government), rather than of the judiciary. [18] The Supreme Court’s position is clear from the order of dismissal of the petition that whenever there is a conflict between the sovereign right of diplomacy and the considerations of human rights, the former shall prevail over the latter. Prioritising diplomacy over human rights is certainly problematic for the future of humanity.

Hence, it is important to say that the moral imperative demands let us not forget that[19]  history will judge whether India was morally on the right side of history at the crucial juncture when humanity was being brutalized and dehumanized in Gaza.[20]  This undoubtedly raises a greater question of the ethics and morality of the global political order. We nevertheless must decide whether political realism and pragmatism must be the sole determinants of the global political order. The vital question is, can humanity at this crucial juncture afford to have an amoral political order? Does the world warrant a moral order based on universal moral principles? Moral response to these questions should decide India’s diplomacy and foreign policy.

[1] See- Robert P. Ericksen and Susannah Heschel’s Betrayal: German Churches and the Holocaust (1999), Augsburg Fortress; and R. Michael’s Holy Hatred: Christianity, Antisemitism and the Holocaust (2006), Palgrave Macmillan.

[2]  Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

[3] The Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, August 12, 1949.

[4] The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab Israeli war. The Nakba had a profound impact on the Palestinian people, who lost their homes, their land, and their way of life. It remains a deeply traumatic event in their collective memory and continues to shape their struggle for justice and for their right to return to their homes. see-The Question of Palestine:   https://www.un.org/unispal/about-the-nakba/#:~:text=About%20the%20Nakba%20%2D%20Question%20of%20Palestine&text=The%20Nakba%2C%20which%20means%20%E2%80%9Ccatastrophe,ethnic%20and%20multi%2Dcultural%20society. 

[5] (Resolution 181 (II)) titled as “Future government of Palestine”

[6] Resolution 194 (III) titled as “Palestine Question – UN Mediator report, Conciliation Commission to be established, Jerusalem status, refugees”: Palestine — Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator.

[7] The Legal Status of the West Bank and Gaza, The United Nations (1982), available at https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-203742/#:~:text=The%20position%20taken%20by%20the,those%20areas%20as%20occupied%20territories.

[8] Institute for Middle East Understanding, 3 July, 2024, https://imeu.org/article/israels-west-bank-wall.

[9] Fact Sheet: Movement and Access in the West Bank, reliefweb, 25 August, 2023, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/fact-sheet-movement-and-access-west-bank-august-2023  

[10] See- “Fifteen Years of the Blockade of the Gaza Strip” while briefing by Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the UN General Secretary, 3 July 2022, https://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/fifteen-years-blockade-gaza-strip. 

[11] See- Lancet Letter Estimates as many as 186000 deaths in Gaza, People’s Democracy, 14 July, 2024, https://peoplesdemocracy.in/2024/0714_pd/lancet-letter-estimates-many-18600-deaths-gaza

[12]  Antony Loewenstein, Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation around the World, Verso Books (2023).

By Laura Silver and Maria Smerkovich, “Israeli Views on Israel-Hamas War: Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis see the war very differently,” Pew Research Centre, 30 May, 2024, available at https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2024/05/30/israeli-views-of-the-israel-hamas-war/, accessed on 30 August, 2024.