Fatshimetrie
In the midst of an endless conflict, despair and suffering continue to mark the lives of civilians trapped in the violence in the Gaza Strip. Among them, the heartbreaking fate of a Palestinian infant, Jihad, and an elderly Israeli man, Oded Lifschitz, illustrates the human tragedy playing out in this martyred region.
Jihad, a four-month-old baby, is fighting for his life after a tumor that was compressing his small heart was removed. His mother, Tamara Al-Maarouf, is helpless and struggling to find treatment abroad for her child. On the other hand, Oded Lifschitz, 84, was kidnapped by Hamas militants and has been held hostage in the Gaza Strip for over a year, leaving his family in anguish and uncertainty.
These two fates, that of a Palestinian infant in distress and an elderly Israeli man taken hostage, testify to the cruelty of war that indiscriminately affects the innocent. In a context where political stakes and negotiations have failed, these lives find themselves trapped, victims of a conflict that is beyond their control.
Jihad’s case is unfortunately not isolated. Thousands of patients in Gaza urgently need medical care abroad, but evacuations have been rare since Israel took control of the Rafah border crossing in May. This situation has plunged Gaza’s health sector into an unprecedented crisis, with hospitals overwhelmed by the wounded from the conflict and an alarming spread of preventable diseases.
The destruction of infrastructure caused by Israeli attacks has led to a resurgence of deadly diseases such as polio. In response to this health emergency, vaccination campaigns have been launched to protect Gaza’s children, although conditions are far from ideal. The lives of thousands of innocent people are at risk, trapped in a cycle of violence and despair.
While Tamara Al-Maarouf watches over her sick son and Oded Lifschitz’s family hopes for his return, the international community remains a spectator to this human tragedy unfolding before its eyes. There is an urgent need to find lasting solutions to end the suffering of these individuals held hostage by a conflict that does not belong to them.
Ultimately, the harrowing story of Jihad and Oded underscores the need for urgent and coordinated action to save innocent lives and end the needless suffering in the Gaza Strip. It is time for the international community to take responsibility and act to ensure a better future for all civilians caught in this devastating conflict.