[Blog] Gaza: the end of an attempted genocide and the reconstruction of a nation begins

A historical moment this mid-January 2025: the end of an attempted genocide and, hopefully, the start of the rebuilding of a nation.

What is genocide? It is the deliberate and systematic destruction, completely or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group. It is inhuman, immoral, illegal, and completely unacceptable. It involves violence against people simply because of their difference.

1945: After Nazi Germans exterminated more than five million Jews during WWII, from 1941 to 1945, the Jewish people settled in Palestine and built a strong, new state of Israel.

1993: After the Hutus massacred 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in 1993, the Tutsis rebuilt Rwanda as one of the cleanest and best-run African states.

2025: After the attempted genocide by Israel of the Palestinian people in Gaza, from 1948 till now, but mainly during the last 15 months when Israel destroyed most schools, most hospitals, most housing, most roads, most production systems, and attempted to starve the population, Gaza/Palestine can now reconstruct and rebuild their homeland.

Now we witness the end of the continued non-recognition of Palestine by Israel. The ‘imprisonment’ of the Palestinian people till today, denied return to their land, denied the two-state solution—one being an independent Palestine. A process of independence for Palestine, Gaza, and the West Bank. A difficult process that needs the support of all states of the region, USA, EU, China, and India. A process that Hamas can help by dissolving itself under its present armed forces constitution and reforming itself as, for example, the PPP (Palestine Political Party), devoted entirely to rebuilding Palestine and its efficient governance.

We mourn the 46,500 Palestinians, including 17,500 children, killed in the last 15 months, also more than 109,196 people injured, and the more than 11,160 missing. Including the murder by Israel of eight more people and 25 injured after the agreement on the ceasefire. We also mourn the toll on Israelis killed, numbering 1,139. And we are grateful for the release of hostages held by Hamas, as well as political prisoners from Israeli jails, which started on 19th January and is to be followed for the next six weeks. We witness the 10,000+ Palestinians going on foot, donkey carriages, lorries, vans, and cars back to their villages or towns to see their houses. In 80% of cases, destroyed and reduced to rubble by Israeli bombs and missiles. A sad tragedy of human wickedness. Now, of course, the UN agencies and all nations in the area (Egypt, Doha, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and others) as well as those outside are starting a huge help movement to feed the Gaza people (reduced to starvation by Israel in its genocide attempt) and start the reconstruction of habitats, schools, hospitals, production and commercial structures, roads, and communications, etc. In fact, to rebuild all.

All states must now support and indeed put pressure on Israel and Hamas to fully implement this ceasefire and agreement. The rebuilding of Gaza must start now.

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For the future: What to do to prevent such wars and genocides

Peacekeeping: In practice, the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations are not always effective, but these must be improved and deployed fast into any area at risk.

Love one another: Today we must pray for those being persecuted. We must protest by word and deed, including at the political level through our voice at the United Nations.

We must teach in our schools the culture of peace and, when conflict arises, that of reconciliation and forgiveness.

And most importantly, we must attempt to resolve differences between states and between peoples by negotiations and arbitration—not by using guns and missiles as arguments.

On the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Pope Francis urged reconciliation. He said, "Reconciliation and the healing of wounds must remain the priority in Rwanda.”

All religions teach the culture of peace and, when there has been conflict, the principle of reconciliation.

Dr Michael Atchia

(Past Programme Director, United Nations)

mklatchia@intnet.mu

20th January 2025