Gaza: A Stain on Israeli Conscience

CrossFireArabia
Features
August 5, 2025

Any escalation in Israeli military attacks, especially ground operations in the Gaza Strip, would cause unprecedented civilian slaughter and collapse the already failing humanitarian response.

The planned escalation, if carried out, would mark an unprecedented chapter in Israel’s ongoing genocide, committed openly before an international community that continues to provide political, financial, and military cover to the perpetrators. These forthcoming crimes would be premeditated, arising not from sudden developments on the ground but from a deliberate and public policy. The international community bears full responsibility through its silence and inaction, alongside the direct complicity of numerous states.

Strong indications suggest that the Israeli government intends to escalate its genocidal campaign, culminating in the full military occupation of the Gaza Strip. Over the past week, political and military actions led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have intensified, including discussions in closed-door meetings explicitly raising the option of a full-scale invasion and occupation. The cabinet has also begun deliberating executive measures to prepare for the operation.

Available data indicate that Prime Minister Netanyahu has approved the general framework of a plan aimed at seizing control of the entire Gaza Strip by force.

The planned military escalation violates international law, including international humanitarian law and the Genocide Convention. It follows months of forcibly confining over two million Palestinians to less than 15 per cent of the Gaza Strip, the systematic destruction of housing, the elimination of approximately 84 per cent of hospitals and health facilities, the collapse of over 95 per cent of water and sanitation systems, and the closure of all schools. This reflects a deliberate strategy of imposing coercive living conditions intended to destroy the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, a protected national group, within a pattern of acts that constitute the crime of genocide.

Euro-Med Monitor’s field assessment indicates that the Gaza Strip is currently undergoing the worst phase of humanitarian collapse since the onset of the genocide in October 2023. Over 90 per cent of the population has been forcibly displaced across devastated areas in repeated waves driven by relentless bombing and destruction.

Famine has escalated to the point of claiming hundreds of lives, with the entire population now facing severe food insecurity. Meanwhile, the health system has nearly collapsed due to overwhelming pressure and the depletion of medicines and essential supplies.

Israel’s plan to further escalate military operations reflects a dangerous level of brutality and underscores the impunity it continues to enjoy. Over the past 22 months, Israeli forces have committed some of the gravest crimes against Palestinian civilians, systematically stripping them of their humanity. The Gaza Strip now faces unprecedented destruction, sustained by unconditional US political and military support and widespread international complicity that has enabled these crimes to continue without accountability.

The Gaza Strip is now the most densely populated area on Earth, with nearly 2.3 million people forced into no more than 55 square kilometres, lacking infrastructure or any form of protection.

Any ground assault would inevitably result in unprecedented human casualties, particularly among women and children, who often make up over 70 per cent of the victims of Israeli attacks. This would amount to mass killing in a confined space from which civilians have no means of escape.

Since 26 July, Israel has pursued a deceptive scheme, falsely claiming improvements in the humanitarian situation in Gaza while in reality maintaining the blockade and starving the population.

Incoming aid meets less than 15 per cent of basic needs. This superficial increase is intended to appease global public opinion and reduce pressure over the unfolding famine. The greater danger lies in using this as a cover to escalate the genocide and consolidate military control over the Strip. This includes forcing civilians into detention and deportation camps in preparation for their displacement, while reshaping Gaza’s geography and demography to serve the Israeli colonial-settler project in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The involvement of several states in pro forma measures, such as increasing aid airdrops without addressing the root causes of starvation and blockade, risks providing false political or humanitarian cover for policies aimed at the destruction of the Gaza Strip and its population. An immediate review of these states’ responsibilities is essential, along with concrete measures to ensure their contributions are not used to legitimise or conceal genocidal policies. They must take urgent action to halt ongoing crimes and uphold their obligations under international law.

States must urgently push for the restoration of humanitarian access and the lifting of the illegal blockade, as this is the only way to stop the accelerating humanitarian deterioration and ensure the entry of aid, given the imminent threat of famine.

The establishment of safe humanitarian corridors under UN supervision is vital to ensure the delivery of food, medicine, and fuel to all areas of the Gaza Strip, with the deployment of independent international monitors to verify compliance and ensure the rapid rehabilitation of the agricultural and livestock sectors as part of both emergency relief efforts and long-term recovery.

All states, individually and collectively, must urgently fulfil their legal obligations to halt the genocide in the Gaza Strip in all its forms. This includes taking concrete measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the enclave, ensure Israel’s compliance with international law and the International Court of Justice rulings, and guarantee full accountability for crimes committed against Palestinians. Euro-Med Monitor also calls for the enforcement of the International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued for the Israeli Prime Minister and former Defence Minister, and for their swift surrender to international justice without regard to immunity.

The international community is urged to impose economic, diplomatic, and military sanctions on Israel and its more powerful allies, particularly the United States, for their grave and systematic breaches of international law; these sanctions should include comprehensive arms embargoes and the suspension of all forms of political, financial, military, and intelligence cooperation. In addition, Euro-Med Monitor calls for freezing the assets of responsible Israeli, US, and any complicit EU officials, banning their travel, halting their military and security companies’ access to international markets, and suspending trade privileges and bilateral agreements that facilitate Israel’s ongoing Western-backed crimes against the Palestinian people.

Countries with universal jurisdiction courts must issue arrest warrants for Israeli political and military leaders involved in the ongoing genocide and initiate legal proceedings to fulfil their international legal obligation to prosecute serious crimes and combat impunity. They must also hold accountable their citizens found to have committed violations against Palestinians, in line with their national and international legal obligations and within their territorial or personal jurisdiction.

Furthermore, the International Criminal Court (ICC) must expedite its investigation into crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, broaden its scope to include genocide and forced displacement, and issue additional arrest warrants for Israeli officials involved in these crimes. States Parties to the Rome Statute must fulfil their legal obligations by executing ICC arrest warrants without delay, thereby upholding international justice and ensuring accountability for grave crimes against victims.

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

Features

Jordan Footballers Delighted For World Cup Matches

CrossFireArabia
June 9, 2026

The qualification of Jordan’s national football team for the FIFA World Cup for the first time has sparked ambitions far beyond mere participation, with many Jordanians expressing confidence that the team can make a deep run in the tournament.

The World Cup will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, with Jordan drawn in Group J alongside Argentina, Algeria and Austria.

In interviews conducted by Anadolu in the Jordanian capital, citizens voiced optimism that the team can achieve unprecedented success on the global stage.

“When I see Jordan’s flag flying among the flags of nations around the world, it fills me with pride to be Jordanian,” said taxi driver Ahmad Al-Khalayleh. “Jordan is strong everywhere and will always remain at the forefront, and its flag will continue to fly high, God willing.”

Al-Khalayleh said the national team had faced unfair treatment in previous tournaments but was ready to meet expectations.

“I promise you that Jordan will leave a distinctive mark in its opening match against Austria, and the players will compete with one spirit and one heart,” he said.

Wadie Al-Qaisi, a young supporter, said he hoped the tournament would showcase Jordan’s growing football stature.

“We want the entire world to recognize Jordan’s value and the strength of its national team, and how capable it is of breaking records and achieving the ambitions of the Jordanian people,” he said. “We hope to reach the highest levels at the World Cup.”

Another fan, Aboud Al-Deek, said Jordanians were celebrating a historic achievement.

“We are very optimistic about the national team players reaching this advanced stage and qualifying for the World Cup finals for the first time,” he said. “The entire Jordanian people are happy about this achievement, and we look forward to seeing an outstanding and impressive performance.”

Haitham Al-Dajaah said the team’s success should encourage greater investment in youth football development.

“As fans and members of the sporting community, we hope to see greater attention given to youth and junior development programs so that we can compete in the advanced stages of future World Cups,” he said. “With ambition, determination and perseverance, we will be a formidable force at the World Cup, God willing.”

Young supporter Hamza Salah expressed the highest hopes of all.

“There is a sense of optimism that the national team will advance to the later stages, such as the quarterfinals or semifinals, and even win the trophy, God willing,” he said. “Jordan is capable of achieving that.” Anadolu

Features

Diving in a War Zone

CrossFireArabia
June 8, 2026

By Jing Zhang

When US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, triggering one of the most serious geopolitical crises in years, the Strait of Hormuz – a narrow channel just 34 kilometres wide at its narrowest point – became a global flashpoint overnight.

Iran closed the waterway to foreign shipping, attacking merchant vessels and cutting off around 20 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil trade. Some 20,000 seafarers were stranded in the Persian Gulf. The UN Secretary-General called for an immediate ceasefire.

Beneath all of it, the fish kept swimming.

Back in the water

Three Chinese divers based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – diving instructor Rui Li, freediver Shanshan Du and technical diver Jie Zhang – had been locked out of the water for weeks by the coastal closure. When a ceasefire allowed limited access in mid-April, they went straight back in.

World Oceans Day, marked each year on 8 June, carries the theme this year of Reimagining the Relationship Between Humans and the Ocean. For these three, that reimagining is anything but abstract.

“We were actually a little worried before setting off,” says Du, who dived the narrowest stretch between the UAE and Oman on 18 April, just days after the UN welcomed Iran’s announcement that the strait would be open to commercial vessels during the ceasefire.

“But after more than two months, we all felt it was fantastic to be able to dive again. We encountered a large group of dolphins. There was none of the war-torn atmosphere I had imagined – only peace and beauty before my eyes.”

Zhang, who dived the area as recently as last week, describes coral diversity she has rarely encountered elsewhere – soft and hard corals varying with the topography, and sea turtles gathered in such numbers they evoked a nature reserve.

A person in a scuba diving suit and mask makes a peace sign against the ocean and blue sky. — Courtesy of Jie Zhang. Jie Zhang is back from the depths, feeling the warmth of the sun.

Troubling signs

She also noticed something more troubling. “I saw more white debris on the seabed than before,” she says, uncertain of its origin. And when she and her companions followed dolphins near the eastern side of the strait, the water around the animals was streaked with green algae, oil fumes and floating rubbish.

“I recalled that when I used to chase dolphins, the water was blue. Seeing this scene with my own eyes is still very heartbreaking.”

Li is careful to hold both realities at once. The strait is not the world’s most biodiverse marine zone, he notes, but its complex topography sustains coral reefs of unusual variety – formations “as white as silver needles” alongside colonies “as purple as pine forests” – as well as seahorses, whale sharks and species rarely seen elsewhere.

He describes witnessing a boat captain who, unable to dive and with no other means of communication, could reliably find a pod of dolphins that seemed to recognise him. “We would greet each other and then go our separate ways,” Li says. “This place is truly magical.”

A wide bay with deep blue water, bordered by arid, rocky mountains and a small coastal settlement on the right. — ©Jie Zhang Overlooking the Strait of Hormuz from the Musandam Peninsula, Oman.

Potential catastrophe

Yet he is also acutely aware of what armed conflict can do to such a place. An attack on oil storage facilities, he points out, could be catastrophic for marine life. “Many marine organisms are small and vulnerable. A single attack could be enough to wipe out some amazing species that have never been seen by humans.”

Zhang frames the underwater world’s vulnerability in blunt terms. “No one can speak for the underwater ecosystem – fish can’t speak, and neither can large animals.

“We dump all the disputes, wars and pollution on land onto the ocean, ignoring the fact that the ocean has no good self-protection capabilities and can only bear all the conflicts and damage caused by human activities.”

Diving has quietly dissolved certain certainties for all three. “Underwater, the ocean has no borders,” says Zhang. “Ocean currents and schools of fish move freely. When whale sharks cruise, they follow fixed routes through different countries – they are free. Humanity should share this blue world instead of tearing it apart with disputes.”

A person in a wetsuit and goggles floats in the ocean, adjusting their mask with both hands. — ©Jie Zhang Rui Li makes a heart gesture to his dive buddy on the water’s surface, which also stands for “OK” in diving hand signal terms.

Mother ocean

Li reaches for a different metaphor – warmer, and perhaps more honest about the limits of human agency. The relationship between people and the sea, he suggests, is something like that between a child and a parent: the ocean sustains us, nurtures us, occasionally punishes us.

“We have grown old enough to want to protect it, he says, yet what we can actually do remains small. “Our parents are still quietly waiting for us, helping us, and continuing to nurture us.”

Du, diving in a country where people of dozens of nationalities converge, has found that underwater, borders feel beside the point. Communication happens through gesture alone. “Because of this hobby, and because of the ocean, it has created a wonderful environment for us.”

The conflicts raging above the surface have not ended. Talks between Washington and Tehran remain fragile, conditions volatile. But 71 per cent of the Earth is ocean – and, as Li says to anyone who has yet to see it: come and touch the refreshing water whenever you can.