Following every Israeli war on Gaza, numerous narratives emerge. Some claim victory for one side and defeat for the other, while others – knowingly or unknowingly – attempt to exploit the aftermath for their own purposes.
The latter is not always nefarious, as the humanitarian calamities resulting from Israel’s actions are undeniable – especially as Israel and its allies often use aid to Palestinians as bargaining chips for political concessions or to exert pressure on the Strip and its leadership.
This dynamic often results in the exploitation of Palestinian suffering to raise funds, sometimes by organizations with high overhead costs, leaving independent researchers puzzled over the discrepancies between the funds collected and the funds allocated.
Additionally, Gaza lacks an independent commission to track all received funds and their usage, which leads to controversies and public accusations at times.
Exploiting Gaza: However, this is a topic for another discussion. The issue at hand here is the portrayal of Gaza’s victims – particularly children – without dignity or respect for their privacy, all in the name of helping Palestinian victims.
Throughout the latest Israeli assault on Gaza, the desperation of many Palestinian families, faced with famine and extermination, led them to seek help from international donors, often turning to online donation platforms.
Many of these personal fundraisers were, of course, legitimate, as Gaza was entirely pushed past the point of starvation. Yet, suspicious accounts also appeared, raising money for individuals – real or imagined – who had not sought assistance.
Perhaps future researchers will uncover how Gaza has been exploited by online profiteers and determine how to regulate such practices.
We hesitated to raise this issue during the war, fearing that a single misstep could have dire consequences for an individual or a family. Now that a ceasefire has been signed, it is crucial to open the conversation to scrutiny.
Reclaiming the Narrative: The latest Israeli war on Gaza was not ordinary, but then, no previous wars have been anything but destructive and lethal. For Israel, it was a genocide – a war aimed at exterminating Gaza’s population through mass killings and driving the survivors into Egypt.
Thanks to the legendary steadfastness of Gaza’s resistance and the unbending spirit of its people, Israel failed. As Israeli writer David K. Rees said, “For the first time, Israel just lost a war”
This is the Gaza that most Palestinians want us to know and remember – a symbol of collective strength and resistance. Their hope is that this message can reverberate around the world, not only to elevate the centrality of Gaza and Palestine in all political discourse but also to inspire oppressed groups globally to fight for their rights unapologetically.
Excerpted: ‘The Fight for Dignity:
Reshaping Gaza’s Post-War Narrative’.
Courtesy: Counterpunch.org
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