Stopping the massacre in Gaza first: Human lives are more important than any political plan

Author: بسام زكارنة

Gaza is bleeding every hour, blood stains the streets, and hospitals and schools are collapsing under continuous bombardment. Civilians are dying non-stop, and children, women, and the elderly are living in terror moment by moment. Amid this madness, simple and burning questions resonate in every corner: When will the ceasefire begin? When will aid arrive to save lives, stop the war of starvation, and rebuild what has been destroyed? And who will protect the innocent from this daily death that spares no one?

Any political plan, no matter how much it touts slogans about peace or reconstruction, fails if it does not prioritize stopping the killing and genocide as an immediate and urgent objective. Palestinians cannot wait for political provisions to be negotiated, for weapons to be surrendered, or for unclear conditions because lives are lost every day.

The Israeli demand for the disarmament of Hamas is often presented as a prerequisite for a ceasefire, but in reality, it opens the door to a series of never-ending rolling demands. It begins with the dismantling of missiles and military capabilities, then extends to the destruction of tunnels, followed by the capture of leadership, and then their killing, as well as conducting repeated inspections. Every minor violation or anything incomplete is used as an excuse to continue the bombardment. This way, any potential truce becomes a perpetual test for the Palestinians, while the occupation remains unrestrained, and daily killings of civilians continue. This mechanism makes it clear that any political plan or slogans about peace remain hollow unless preceded by a guarantee of a permanent cessation of bloodshed and the immediate protection of people’s lives.

The recently announced American-Israeli plan, from which the rightful party—the Palestinians—were excluded, did not provide a binding mechanism to stop the bombardment immediately or protect civilians but instead focused on long-term conditions unrelated to saving lives. Palestinians need an immediate and permanent cessation of the massacre, the introduction of humanitarian aid, and the protection of people before any political negotiations.

The international community, including Arab and Islamic nations, often settles for managing the crisis instead of resolving it, fearful of confronting major powers or facing the repercussions of direct intervention, leaving civilians unprotected before the ongoing killing machine.

The message is clear: human life comes first, then any political plan. There can be no genuine peace or reconstruction if the bombardment continues and if the occupation remains unrestrained. A ceasefire and civilian protection are not options but urgent humanitarian obligations for the international community and the parties controlling the conflict.

Until this is achieved, Gaza will remain a symbol of daily tragedy, and the simple questions about the lives of civilians will remain unanswered. The priority must be to stop the death and protect people before any political terms or long-term plans.