Palestine: A People's Endurance, Struggle and Hope

This year's 7 October reminds the world community of three years of Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the cumulative number of Palestinians killed since 7 October 2023 is around 74,000, while the number of people injured in the attacks is around 175,000.

In addition to the killing of Palestinians in Gaza, more than a thousand Palestinians have also been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. As reported by UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund), as of June 2026, the number of children killed in Palestine since the escalation of violence in 2023 was at least 21,700, while around 45,000 children were injured.

Apart from the ordinary Palestinians, it has been reported by the UN Human Rights Office that so far around 290 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces. In addition to journalists, about 580 aid workers, more than 390 UN staff members, and around 1,700 health workers, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health personnel, have also been killed. The global community has condemned such heartless killing by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) as a violation of international conventions.

At the moment, the tide is changing. The old narrative that blames the Palestinians for the terror attack that happened in 2023 is now being questioned. The world is gradually coming to see another side of the story: allegations that Netanyahu and members of his cabinet allowed the infiltration by Hamas to happen, giving the IDF an excuse to enter Gaza and carry out indiscriminate killings of innocent Palestinians who have already been suffering ever since the Nakba of 1948.

In the midst of the war, the heroic people of Palestine have shown great determination and resilience in defending their land and dignity. They have shown the world their deep attachment to the land they call 'Palestine'.

Despite the torture, killing and bombing campaigns carried out by the IDF, the Palestinians have never lost their spirit in defending their motherland, where, for many of them, their umbilical cords are buried. It has been heartbreaking to witness, during the bombing campaigns, how homeless Palestinians have been forced to evacuate from one place to another in an attempt to escape the Israeli bombs and war machinery.

Looking at the 'do or die' spirit shown by the Palestinians has convinced a large section of humanity, both in the East and the West, that the Palestinians have a deep and enduring claim to the land they call their homeland.

In contrast to the Palestinians, Israelis living in Israel, when facing a barrage of missiles coming from Iran, were seen grabbing their belongings and rushing to the nearest airport to seek refuge in safe-haven countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Egypt and Jordan.

Looking at videos on YouTube and other social media platforms showing what was happening to the so-called 'runaway' Israelis, many people were quick to write in the comments to caution those countries that such Israelis might one day, in the future, permanently settle there and claim that they are the rightful owners of the land.

In looking into who the real supporters of the Palestinian people are, we find ordinary people in the USA, Europe, Asia and the Muslim world. In contrast to these good citizens of the world, the hypocrisy of some Arab governments has been deplorable. In public, the leaders of such countries vehemently condemn Israel, call for an end to the human carnage and demand that the land be returned to its rightful owners. But behind the scenes, they continue to side with the USA and Israel.

For the last few years, during this recent crisis, especially during Ramadan, when the Palestinians were fasting without proper food, water and shelter, many Arab leaders did not do much to alleviate the suffering of their fellow Muslims in Palestine. At the same time, they were busy supplying the basic amenities of life to the Israeli population in Tel Aviv.

The Ummah in the Arab world and elsewhere felt enraged by this attitude of the Arab leaders. Witnessing this hypocritical attitude of the Arab leaders, they had no choice but to label such leaders as traitors to the Palestinian cause and to the struggle for a liberated homeland.

In contrast to the Arab leaders, Iran as a whole, the Houthis of Yemen, and Hezbollah came forward to support the Palestinian people, calling for the killing to stop and for Palestine to be liberated from the Israeli regime. The resistance shown by these groups in the Middle East has given Muslims around the globe, as well as the world community, hope that the day for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state for its people is not very far off.

Interestingly, the emergence of these resistance groups in the Middle East, especially Iran, has sent a message to the USA, Israel and other oppressive regimes of the world that occupation, colonisation, subjugation, and the robbing of the land and resources of other nations are no longer possible.

During this era of globalisation and the fast pace of information transfer through the Internet and social media, the oppressed and downtrodden countries can update their military capabilities. Besides that, when the colonised and oppressed nations come together as an alliance, they can increase their military power and turn the tables on those rich and powerful countries that like to bully them.

Finally, a salute to the Palestinian people for their commitment to safeguarding the land of their ancestors, for enduring many decades of suffering, and for their hope and determination to free their homeland from the Zionists, as well as American and other forces that want to annihilate them.

Viva Palestine!

(The views expressed are those of Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak from the Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM, and do not necessarily reflect the views of IslamiCity)