LK INNOVATE

Author: Dr. Lokman Khan

23 October 2023 — A day that will be remembered as the beginning of a relentless assault, a crime against humanity, and a harrowing attempt to erase the people of Gaza from existence.

On 7 October, in a sudden attack inside Israel, hundreds of Israeli citizens were killed and abducted. I condemn that attack in the strongest possible terms—there is no justification for the loss of innocent lives.

The focus of this piece is to shed light on the Israeli military operation that began in Gaza on 23 October 2023, as a response to that day’s events, and its devastating consequences. To call this operation merely a “response” would be an understatement; “violent retribution” is a more fitting description. The relentless bombing campaign that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initiated on Gaza has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe of a scale rarely seen in modern history.

The Toll: A Terrifying Statistic

According to data from the United Nations and other reliable international organizations, over 50,000 people have been killed in this conflict since October 2023. According to the latest statistics released by the Gaza Ministry of Health on June 22, 2025, at least 56,156 Palestinians have been killed and 132,239 injured in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and June 25, 2025.

The number of children and women among the casualties is extremely alarming. According to various UN reports and reliable research, the percentage of deaths among children and women is approximately 50% to 70% of the total fatalities. A UNICEF report indicates that over 50,000 children have been killed or injured since October 2023, with many being killed. Similarly, according to data from UN Women, over 28,000 women and girls have been killed since October 2023, meaning on average, one woman or girl is killed by the Israeli forces every hour.

Between October 23, 2023, and June 26, 2025, approximately 34 of Gaza’s 36 to 38 hospitals have been completely or partially destroyed, which accounts for about 90% to 95% of the hospital infrastructure in Gaza. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported at least 697 attacks on healthcare facilities and services during this period. These statistics provide evidence of a deliberate destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza and highlight the depth of the humanitarian crisis there.

Furthermore, attempts to annihilate the entire population continue by obstructing food supplies and cutting off water and electricity. According to the latest reports, this suffocating blockade is still ongoing.

These statistics are not just numbers; each number represents a person’s life, a family’s dream, and a community’s future.

The Mark of Destruction and the World’s Silence

What is happening in Gaza is not merely a war; it is one of the greatest humanitarian crises in human history. The scenes of children’s charred bodies being pulled from the rubble of hospitals and the cries of the hungry and wounded have been broadcast directly to the world. Yet, the international community, especially those who claim to be guardians of human rights, has not taken any effective action.

The United States has repeatedly used its veto power in the UN to block ceasefire resolutions against Israel, effectively granting Israel impunity to continue its operation. As a result, despite extreme violations of international law and human rights, no accountability or justice has been ensured.

Allegations from International Observers

Many international figures, such as former US security analyst Scott Ritter, British journalist Piers Morgan, and former footballer Gary Lineker, have publicly accused Israel of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. In their view, Israel is completely disregarding international law in the name of self-defense. While a state certainly has the right to self-defense, if that right is used to indiscriminately kill innocent children, destroy hospitals and schools, and deprive an entire population of their basic rights, it ceases to be self-defense. It becomes a brutal monstrosity.

The World in the Dock of Conscience

The current situation in Gaza is not just a crisis in a specific territory; it is a profound test for all of humanity. If the world does not raise its voice against this brutality today, we will lose the moral right to stand up against any injustice in the future. When humanity is being subjected to such extreme humiliation, the silence and bias of global powers are shaking the very foundations of civilization.

The October 7 attack was wrong, there is no doubt about that. But if a greater wrong is committed in response to that wrong, where thousands of innocent lives are taken, history will remember not just the first incident but also the subsequent massacre. Do the cries of these children and the wails of these helpless people truly not move our conscience? Or have our human feelings become so numb that we view this devastation merely as a news report?

These questions stand before not just Gaza, but the conscience of the entire world. If we want to build a just and humane world, this devastation in Gaza must be stopped immediately.