Following the massive, surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel in which over 1,400 were killed and many were taken hostage, Israel has been retaliating against Palestine with brutal force killing thousands of civilians.
This Hamas attack was profoundly tragic, but the ensuing and ongoing attack on Palestine by Israelis has been an abhorrent escalation of the age-old conflict.
For those who don’t know, Hamas has been deemed a terrorist organization by many, including Canada, but it is also the political party which has control over the area known as the Gaza Strip.
The group have long been aggressive against Israel, with whom Palestinians have long been at odds with over religious and ethnic differences.
Israel, however, has long had the upper hand in the decades-long conflict because they have financial backing from the United States, among others, and they control most of the contested territory that has been fought over by the Palestinians and Israelis.
They use their position of power to push the Palestinian population out of the territories they claim as theirs and leave them in dire living conditions.
Because of this, Israel is considered an apartheid state, segregating and subjugating the Palestinians.
In their retaliation to the Hamas attack on October 7th, Israel’s military have killed over 8,300 in Gaza.
It is estimated that 40% of those killed have been children.
The controversy lies in the fact that they have been dropping bombs on the Palestinians at an unprecedented rate, including on refugee camps, hospitals and schools where thousands of innocents have been killed as a result.
Israel also controls the Palestinians electricity, water, access to internet and their food imports among other facets of their basic needs and infrastructure.
Their tactics have been considered by many as verging on genocide and could be considered ethnic cleansing.
Since October 7th, Israel has indicated that its military will not stop until Hamas is wiped out entirely.
In Canada, people have been calling on the federal government to immediately ask Israel for a ceasefire to stop the killing.
For British Columbians, this conflict may feel far away, but it can still have a heavy impact on some, especially those within the Jewish and Muslim communities.
Some ways British Columbians can help those impacted by this conflict are:
- Show up peacefully at local rallies – There have been rallies in Victoria and throughout the rest of Canada since October 7th in support of both Israel and Palestine. The most important thing to remember is that in calling for a ceasefire, it is paramount that people in attendance remain peaceful in their support
- Educate yourself – learn about the decades of strife between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Recognize the nuances and pain experienced by both sides of this conflict and try talking about it with others to pass that knowledge on
- Write to your elected representatives – find your MLA and MP online, or even reach out to Prime Minister Trudeau himself, and write to them asking them to push for a ceasefire amongst their peers
- Give financially:
- Islamic Relief Canada (IRC) is responding and working with local partners to give emergency medical assistance to nearby hospitals, urgent food support to displaced families and clean water to entire communities. Until November 12th, the Canadian government is matching all donations made to IRC
- The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) provides humanitarian aid and medical relief to children and their families
- The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and/or United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are both United Nations run organizations who will ensure that the children and displaced Palestinians in Gaza will receive the aid they need
These are just a handful of ways to aid Palestine in the ongoing attacks upon the Gaza Strip which have killed thousands. If you know of another way to provide aid to those impacted, let us know in the comments below.
