Al-Qalam 
For some historical context, Gideon was a biblical figure who led the Jews in their battle against the Midianites, who were connected to the Amalekites. To make things clearer, Palestinians are identified as contemporary Amalekites, which means that, according to the twisted logic of Israel, the killing of Palestinian women, men and children is somehow justified.
Just as Jehovah sanctioned the killing of all Amalekites by the ancient Jews, it appears that Israel feels obliged to do the same. Whether or not the name of the military assault is simply an attempt at dark humour, it doesn’t really matter. At the time of writing this, Gideon’s Chariots has begun, albeit with tanks instead of chariots. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past 48 hours, and all functioning hospitals in Northern Gaza are out of service.
The details of the latest offensive lack the power to evoke any more shock or surprise. The military wishes to carve up Gaza into military zones. Over 300,000 Palestinians have been forced to evacuate their homes. For over 75 days, only five aid trucks have entered Gaza. Mainstream media is not showing people the bloody and heartbreaking images streaming out of Gaza, and thus, many people are left in the dark. For many Palestinians, hope has never been fainter.
Bisan Owda, an award-winning journalist from Gaza, appealed to the people of the world to lobby their governments and the public to put pressure on Israel and its allies to end the war. ‘We need to keep up with the protests, the boycotts and the pressure on our government. The Israeli embassy must be shut down and we must not allow any person entrance into our country if they hold an Israeli passport. For over 18 months, the calls have been getting louder and louder. Soon, there will be silence; it will be too late.’
Zaynab Khan
