In the occupied Palestinian territory, a somber reality emerges against the backdrop of worldwide indifference. Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the West Bank are part of a planned system of deterrence, control, and suppression rather than being sporadic acts of violence.
The cold, mathematical reasoning that supports this system puts strategic goals ahead of human life. Palestinians go through a never-ending cycle of violence, displacement, and death while the rest of the world looks the other way. This page explores the workings of Israel’s military strategy, the international cooperation that makes it possible, and the similarities to other areas where comparable strategies are used.
Gaza: The Epicenter of Indifference
Over two million Palestinians live in Gaza, a heavily populated stretch of land that has come to represent devastation and hopelessness. Human rights organizations have referred to the oppressive embargo that has engulfed Gaza since Israel’s unilateral pullout in 2005 as collective punishment. Major military strikes against the region have progressively become more devastating in each successive operation. Israel has used intensive military operations against an unprepared Palestinian population during the 2014 Gaza War as well as during 2021 and Operation Cast Lead, which extended from 2008–2009. The Israel Defense Forces targeted civilian facilities along with armed organizations while implementing overpowering military action during these conflicts. Hospitals, schools, mosques, and residential structures are regularly demolished under the pretext of targeting Hamas members or weapons depots. The total count of fatalities reveals a horrendous loss where civilians exceed all other groups of victims. The United Nations recorded that the Gaza conflict resulted in the deaths of 2,200 Palestinians, with approximately 500 children losing their lives during the 2014 war. The official figures receive a diverse range of assessments from Israel and its international partners, who usually classify these fatalities as natural consequences of combating terrorism. The world has shown minimal interest when judging these criminal acts against humanity. Various UN investigations that revealed possible war crimes against Israel have failed to produce meaningful consequences for its actions. During the 2018 Great March of Return protests, Israeli forces murdered 183 Palestinians while inflicting hundreds of additional injuries on the protesters. Israel received no punishment despite the United Nations finding both the lethal force against peaceful protesters and its excessive nature to be illegal. Researchers agree that the situation represents a disturbing conclusion about the value of Palestinian lives in Gaza.
The West Bank: An Epidemic of Bloodshed
The West Bank experiences a distinct form of violence—one that is slower, more deliberate, and less obvious—while Gaza is the target of Israel’s extensive military operations. Here, targeted shootings, raids, and arrests are used to kill Palestinians rather than heavy artillery barrages or airstrikes. Another Palestinian is slain every few days, frequently in unclear or contentious circumstances. Although these deaths seldom garner public attention, their goal is very clear: to keep a restive populace under control and discourage opposition. Israel’s strategy in the West Bank is based on a careful balancing act between force and moderation. On the one hand, the hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers who reside in illegal settlements throughout the region are supposed to be protected by the Israeli military and Border Police. Israel, however, is careful not to incite another intifada, or popular revolt, as this may destabilize the area and attract international censure. To achieve this, powerful weapons like combat helicopters and armed drones are rarely used. Rather, under the pretense of counterterrorism operations, foot soldiers commit murders. The goal of this steady stream of violence is to maintain the Palestinian people’s terror and obedience without inciting a broad backlash. This tactic depends on the cooperation of the international community, which has demonstrated little desire to hold Israel responsible for these murders. Security forces do not need to investigate killings except in cases where the victim holds foreign citizenship, such as Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. After the May 2022 murder of Abu Akleh, numerous people expressed outrage while calling for an independent probe, yet this rare moment of investigation quickly vanished. Justice is still out of reach for the great majority of Palestinians.
The Function of Technology: Accuracy and Disinterest
Advanced technology, such as precision-guided missiles and armed drones, forms the foundation of Israel’s military policy. Although the truth is much more nuanced, these instruments are frequently cited as proof of Israel’s dedication to reducing civilian deaths. More accuracy is made possible by technology, but it also gives Israel the ability to fight wars with a level of disinterest that verges on apathy. A fatal outcome occurs in Gaza due to the challenging distinction of militants from civilians. The Israeli military fired four times more artillery projectiles into Gaza during 2014 compared to what it had launched during 2008-2009. Many people interpreted this escalation of violence in Gaza as a sign that Israel did not care about human lives because there seemed to be no reasonable military basis. In the same vein, the use of one-ton bombs in heavily populated places, like the 2002 attack that killed 14 people and Hamas commander Salah Shehadeh, shows a heartless contempt for human life. Technology has a distinct, but no less nefarious, function in the West Bank. Drones and facial recognition software are among the surveillance tools used to keep an eye on and manage the Palestinian populace. Israel can carry out targeted executions with surgical accuracy thanks to these instruments, but they also undermine any sense of freedom or privacy. The ongoing surveillance serves as a reminder of Palestinians’ oppression.
International Complicity: A Silent Endorsement
A fatal outcome occurs in Gaza due to the challenging distinction of militants from civilians. The Israeli military fired four times more artillery projectiles into Gaza during 2014 compared to what it had launched during 2008-2009. Many people interpreted this escalation of violence in Gaza as a sign that Israel did not care about human lives because there seemed to be no reasonable military basis. The narrative about Israel is likewise maintained by Western media sources. Reports about Palestinian casualties rarely mention the Israeli occupation and apartheid system leading up to such incidents. These reports usually describe them as security threats to Israel. Palestinian resistance is formally classified as terrorism but civilian casualties tend to get dismissed as incidental losses. The biased reporting creates misinformation about conditions on the ground, thus discouraging people from recognizing Palestinian life as valuable.
Similarities in Kashmir: An International Oppression Trend
Israel’s strategies in Palestine are not the only ones. Troops under Indian security command have utilized comparable strategies to suppress the Muslim population that dominates Kashmir, which remains an unresolved region. Tens of thousands of Kashmiris have faced death or disappearance during the ongoing insurgency since its beginning in the late 1980s, and international organizations largely stayed silent about the matter. Similar to Israel, India defends its actions by claiming they are required to fight terrorism, but in practice, they are a cruel occupation that deprives Kashmiris of their fundamental rights. There are a lot of similarities between Kashmir and Palestine. In both wars, a strong state maintains control over a disenfranchised populace by employing overwhelming force. Both are typified by a steady stream of violence intended to quell opposition without inciting public indignation. Furthermore, the cycle of violence has been permitted to continue unchecked in both instances due to the international community’s passivity.
In conclusion, an appeal for responsibility
Israel’s military policy in Palestine is based on deadly mathematics that serves as a sharp reminder of the dehumanization that happens in conflicts characterized by power inequalities. For Palestinians, the figures represent lost lives, broken families, and ruined futures rather than being merely arbitrary statistics. This cycle of bloodshed will go on until the international community does something significant to hold Israel responsible. This also applies to Kashmir and other areas where comparable strategies are used. The lives of Kashmiris, Palestinians, and other oppressed peoples are not disposable, and the world needs to acknowledge this. We can only expect to create a more just and equitable world by taking on the oppressive structures that allow these atrocities.
