By Usama Nicola, Bethlehem, Palestine, September 2025

The ongoing catastrophe in Gaza is not merely a conflict but a genocide devastating the Palestinian people. Since hostilities sharply escalated on October 7, 2023, Gaza has experienced the displacement of two million people. Over 65,174 martyrs have been recorded in hospitals, with a total of 166,071 injured and 11,200 missing persons, 4,700 of whom are children. Additionally, 2,092 families have been completely eliminated, and 70 percent of the victims are women and children. Gaza is currently enduring a severe man-made famine, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation. More than 422 individuals, including 145 children, have reportedly died from hunger, with malnutrition-related deaths rapidly escalating alongside severe acute malnutrition among children and pregnant women. The number of hunger-related deaths continues to rise each day. Over 330,500 buildings have been damaged, including 69% of schools, hospitals, universities, and municipal service buildings; 92% of homes; and 68% of the road network. The overwhelmingly civilian population is left with shattered families, ruined homes, and a society on the verge of collapse. This intentional destruction of Palestinian life, culture, and existence has been extensively documented by human rights groups, the UN, and international legal experts, who classify the Israeli military campaign as genocide.

For Palestinians in Gaza, daily life has become a harrowing struggle to survive amid relentless bombings, starvation, and ongoing displacement, leaving no safe refuge. This forced displacement, coupled with a blockade denying essentials such as food, water, and fuel, constitutes the use of starvation and deprivation as weapons of war, resulting in widespread malnutrition, disease, and death.

This genocide is not sudden but a culmination of decades of oppression, ethnic cleansing policies, and attempts to erase Palestinian life. Israeli military and political leaders have openly expressed intentions to reduce Gaza s territory and forcibly remove Palestinians actions condemned as war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court and UN experts. Even some Israeli voices confirm the reality of ethnic cleansing underway.

The psychological toll is immense, with Palestinians subjected to unrelenting terror through indiscriminate killings and destruction of their cultural and social institutions. The destruction of educational centers and the disintegration of social supports threaten the survival of Palestinian identity itself.

From a Palestinian perspective, the world’s governments remain painfully silent despite rising international waves of popular solidarity with Palestinians. Their inaction in the face of such unimaginable horrors feels like a deep betrayal and a cruel complicity in the ongoing genocide. While the voices of scholars and human rights defenders grow louder in their urgent calls for justice, the grim truth is that legal condemnations alone have failed to trigger the life-saving intervention desperately needed to protect thousands of innocent lives.

Just yesterday, the United States once again vetoed a UN resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, following a vote in the Security Council on Thursday 9/18/2025. Additionally, yesterday was supposed to be the critical deadline set by the United Nations for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territory a pivotal moment in response to generations of injustice. This deadline, based on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, is not merely a legal formality; it is a moral call from the world to end decades of suffering, displacement, and the systematic denial of freedom and dignity for Palestinians.

This moment demands that we recognize the full extent of the pain endured by the Palestinian people the endless nights of fear, the shattered homes, and the stolen futures of children. The UN s urgent call is a fragile beacon of hope, a promise that peace, respect, and justice might still be within reach if the international community chooses to act with courage and conviction.

Yet, the path ahead feels heavy with obstacles. The occupation endures not only through policies but also through a legacy of mistrust and cruelty. The symbolic weight of this deadline must be matched by genuine, unwavering action from all those who hold power from governments to global institutions to break the cycle of oppression and violence.

The message is clear and non-negotiable: an immediate halt to military attacks, the lifting of the suffocating blockade, and the opening of safe humanitarian corridors are urgent necessities. Without our collective solidarity, justice, and protection, this relentless genocide will continue to tear apart Palestinian families and erase their very existence.

We cannot stand by. Palestinian lives demand and deserve our unyielding support and compassion.

Let’s keep pressing for justice, peace and an end to all violence together.

Support Usama’s writing ministry and family by subscribing to Bethlehem Updates as a generous supporter.

About the Author

Usama is a Palestinian civil society activist, husband, and father of three, rooted in the ancient and resilient city of Bethlehem. He brings together his love for people, justice, and faith in everything he does. His writing flows from the lived realities of Palestinians under occupation, grounded in both hope and heartbreak, and carried by a deep commitment to human dignity and spiritual reflection.

Bethlehem the city where heaven met earth is not only Usama’s birthplace, but also the heart of his mission. For him, it is a sacred place where history, struggle, and faith meet; a city that teaches him daily about rootedness, resistance, and radical love. His stories rise from this soil, offering readers an invitation to listen deeply, reflect honestly, and act justly.

Through his Patreon page, Usama shares regular reflections, updates from Bethlehem, and spiritual insights, building a global circle of solidarity and learning. His hope is to warm hearts, challenge comfort, and remind people everywhere that even in places of sorrow, life still grows.

Support Usama’s writing ministry and family by subscribing to Bethlehem Updates as a generous supporter.