7 October 2023 - 7 October 2024 - One year later...

[ummtaalib]

 

Since October 7, 2023, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated into one of the most devastating periods in the history of the region, with dire consequences for the civilian population in Gaza and the broader Palestinian territories. This escalation is not an isolated incident but rather part of a long-standing struggle that dates back to the mid-20th century.

 

Historical Context

The roots of the conflict can be traced to 1947, when the United Nations proposed a partition plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. This plan was rejected by Arab leaders, leading to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the establishment of the state of Israel. In the aftermath, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced, an event they refer to as the Nakba, or "catastrophe." Since then, the region has witnessed repeated cycles of violence, territorial disputes, and a series of wars and uprisings.

 

The Current Escalation

Gaza, home to some 2.3 million people, bears little resemblance to what it was a year ago. Israeli attacks have reduced entire neighbourhoods to rubble, erased centuries-old mosques and churches and destroyed vital agricultural lands.

 

The scale of destruction in this small area of just 365sq km (141sq miles) is so immense that many residents cannot return home - and likely won't be able to for the foreseeable future.

 

Humanitarian Impact

The human cost of this recent conflict has been catastrophic:

 

Casualties: As of now, thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including a significant number of women and children. Hospitals in Gaza report that they are overwhelmed with the influx of injured civilians. In contrast, Israeli casualties have also been significant, including both military and civilian losses.

 

Displacement: The violence has caused massive displacement within Gaza, with hundreds of thousands fleeing their homes in search of safety. Refugee camps are overcrowded, lacking essential supplies like food, water, and medical care. The Israeli military has repeatedly hit the camp of some 116,000 registered refugees, with United States-made 2,000-pound bombs, killing hundreds of people. These bombs are among the largest and most destructive and can leave craters with a diameter greater than 40 feet (12 metres).

 

Infrastructure Damage: Critical infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and residential buildings, has been severely damaged or destroyed. This has resulted in widespread homelessness and has crippled access to essential services. The destruction of healthcare facilities is particularly alarming, as medical staff struggle to cope with the influx of patients and shortages of supplies.

 

In the past year, Gaza's Government Media Office has recorded the complete destruction of at least 611 Masjids and the partial destruction of 214 Masjids due to Israeli attacks.

 

Not far down the road from the Old City, in the heart of Gaza City's Remal neighbourhood, is the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). IUG, together with al-Azhar University, are the two top universities in the Gaza Strip, providing higher education to tens of thousands of students each year. While both universities have been targeted in previous wars, this latest war has left their campuses completely devastated. Of Gaza’s 12 universities, none is left standing.

 

In Remal neighbourhood is al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in the Strip and one of the first hospitals to come under attack. On November 15, Israeli soldiers surrounded the medical complex where thousands of Palestinians were sheltering. Five months later in April, it came under a two-week siege that left the hospital in ruins and hundreds of people dead.

 

Over the past year, at least 114 hospitals and clinics have been rendered inoperative, leaving many patients without access to essential medical services.

 

In central Gaza, lies Deir el-Balah, one of Gaza's main agricultural hubs, known for its cultivation of oranges, olives and, notably, dates. Israel has killed at least 41,000 people and injured nearly 100,000 others in bombings, by destroying healthcare that could have saved them, and by starvation.

 

More than half (60 percent) of Gaza's farmland - crucial for feeding Gaza’s population of which 96 percent is food insecure, has been damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks.

 

Utter Destruction

In just one year of war, the landscape of Gaza has altered almost unrecognisably. Almost 60 percent of Gaza has been damaged or destroyed. An estimated 75,000 tonnes of explosives have been dropped on Gaza with experts predicting it could take years to clear the debris amounting to more than 42 million tonnes, which is also rife with unexploded bombs.

 

What Should We Do?

The greatest means to attaining victory is strong Iman and good deeds. Allah’s promise of victory is reserved for those whose Iman is firmly embedded. This is because when Iman becomes deeply rooted in the believer’s heart, one is willing to sacrifice his desires and his personal gains for the sake of Allah’s din.

 

On the eve of the Battle of Qadisiyyah, Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab radiyallahu anhu advised Sayyiduna Saʿd bin Abi Waqqaṣ radiyallahu anhuma and his army:

 

“Fear your sins more than you fear the enemy as your sins are more dangerous to you than your enemy. We Muslims are only victorious over our enemy because their sins outnumber ours, not for any other reason. If our sins were equal to those of our enemy, then they would defeat us due to their superior numbers and resources.”

 

How many of our own transgressions are contributing to the weakness and predicaments facing Muslims around the world?

 

Let us not allow our sins and failure to observe the fundamentals of Islam correctly become a stumbling block for the progress of the Ummah.

• Pray every single fardh Salah on time.
• Perform Salah in jama-ah in the Masjid, including Fajr.
• Ensure that Zakah is discharged timeously and correctly.
• Do not disobey your parents.
• Do not harm your spouse or children.
• Do not look at Haram.
• Be honest in dealings and transactions.
• Make sincere repentance.

May Almighty Allah alleviate the struggles our brothers and sisters are enduring, remove the hardship and pain they are experiencing, bring them complete ease and immediate victory and destroy the enemies of Islam with a humiliating and crushing defeat, Ameen. 

 

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians