The Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza has been taking place for around 8 months at this point, after Israel had been horrifically attacked by Hamas on October 7th 2023. The Hamas attack on October 7th saw the deaths of around 1200 Israelis dying and dozens more being held hostage by Hamas fighters. Israel’s subsequent war in the Gaza Strip has so far seen the deaths of just under 35,000 people in the Gaza Strip (at the time of writing).
This war has been watched by much of the world, with many nations calling for a session of the violence. Likewise, there have been millions of people all over the world who gathered in the streets in protest, calling for an end to the violence in the Gaza Strip. The images of death and destruction that have emanated from the Gaza Strip have been truly unbearable.
A humanitarian crisis has befallen the people of Gaza, in addition to living at constant risk of falling victim to Israeli bombardment. Food and other humanitarian assistance has been slow in reaching the people of Gaza due to them being required to pass through checkpoints put in place by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). The IDF emphasises that these checkpoints are required in order to prevent weapons or things that could be used to manufacture munitions from falling into the hands of Hamas fighters.
So far, numerous journalists have died in Gaza while attempting to perform their duties of reporting on the violence taking place in the Strip. According to a preliminary investigation performed by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as of May 10, 2024, at least 97 journalists and media workers were among those who have died so far in the war.
Africa’s Reaction to the war in Gaza
Following the October 7 attack against Israel, numerous African nations had expressed their support and sympathy toward Israelis, who had suffered as a result of the attack. However, as the death toll has mounted in Gaza, various African governments have increasingly expressed their condemnation against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. In UN votes calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, African nations have voted overwhelmingly in favour of calling for a cessation to the war.
While African governments have generally voted in favour of bringing an end to the conflict in Gaza, it would be wrong to say that Africa’s governments are all within the same wavelength in regard to Israel. While some nations such, as Algeria and South Africa, have showcased a strong rebuke of the Israeli state in favour of the Palestinian struggle, other nations such as Kenya, Zambia, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have in some cases been more aligned with the Israeli cause.
South Africa genocide case against Israel
The African country that has so far inserted itself into this conflict has been the South African governments’ ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. The ANC has had a long history of expressing support for the struggle of the Palestinian people.
Nelson Mandela once famously said in regard to the struggle of the Palestinian people that “we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” He had said this three years after the fall of apartheid in South Africa and his election as South Africa’s first black president.
This ANC’s support for Palestinians has continued into the modern day, as a result, the South African ruling party has been among the most vocal supporters of Palestinians on the international stage during this time. They have on multiple occasions called for a cessation to the war and have filed a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Should Africans rather focus on our own problems
Whenever these sorts of debates around such international conflict take place, there is typically a cohort of Africans who argue that it is not the place of Africans to get involved in such matters so far away from us. They would often point to the many struggles faced by Africans on the continent. The argument is made that, rather than focusing our energies on these international events, we should be more focused on improving things at home.
They would argue that many of the major crises facing Africans are typically sidelined or not given any sort of attention by the international community, therefore there is no reason for us to worry about their conflicts; whether it be Russia’s war in Ukraine or Israel’s war in Gaza.
There is indeed some truth to these statements, as the African continent is currently experiencing major conflicts that rarely get address in international media, such as: the devastating war in Sudan that has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis for the Sudanese people; the political instability that has arisen from multiple coups in West and Central Africa; or the fighting and deaths caused by terrorist group operating in the Sahel.
These conflicts that are inflicting a lot of suffering towards Africans rarely get talked about or highlighted on international forums or media, due to the wars in Gaza and in Ukraine. Students all over the United States have been protesting, calling for their universities to divest from businesses profiting from Israel’s war. However, there haven’t been any such protests against any firms or interest groups, profiting from the war in Sudan, for example.
There is all that without even mentioning how decades of corruption and economic mismanagement by African governments have left our economies underdeveloped and have left millions of Africans destitute. How a lack of economic opportunities has caused there to be high levels of youth unemployment in our nations.
Therefore, it begs the question of why should we care so much; when the world hasn’t cared about many of the problems faced by Africans?
Indifference towards human suffering
On the other hand there is the cohort of Africans who care passionately about the war in Gaza. They would argue that regardless of whether Africa receives international support, it is important to advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people.
Members of this cohort would point to how in the past, the international community came together to condemn and isolate the Apartheid regime in South Africa in order to bring an end to the racist and oppressive system. They would argue that the Palestinian people are suffering under a similar system of oppression, therefore their struggle against the Israeli regime should be supported in the same manner.
Conclusion
Regardless of which side one falls, either on the Israeli side or the Palestinian side, I believe it is clear to anyone watching that the devastating loss of life taking place currently is a tragedy.
The October 7th attack on Israel was the worst attack experienced by Jewish people since the holocaust. The massacres that had taken place of young people attending a music festival, the use of sexual violence against Israeli women by Hamas militants and the attacks against families within Israeli communities were heartbreaking to read about. Moreover, an unfortunate result of the war has seen a sharp increase in antisemitic rhetoric and attacks around the world.
The destruction in the Gaza Strip has been horrifying to witness. The images of thousands of people suffering from life altering injuries and dying has been unbearable to watch. The amount of children who have experienced horrific injuries and death is simply unthinkable.
It was not long after the Israeli offensives had begun in Gaza, that I simply could not bear to look at such imagery from Gaza any more. I cannot even begin to imagine how traumatic living through the war over the past 8 months has been for the people of Gaza.