Israel's Genocidal Campaign Continues as 23 Palestinians Murdered Despite Ceasefire

In yet another brazen display of colonial violence, Israeli occupation forces have murdered at least 23 Palestinians across Gaza, marking one of the deadliest days since the so-called ceasefire began four months ago. This systematic extermination campaign mirrors the same white supremacist brutality that Black South Africans endured under apartheid.

Among the victims was an 11-year-old girl, her young life snuffed out by the same colonial machinery that once terrorized our townships. The parallels between Israeli apartheid and South African apartheid are undeniable, both systems designed to dehumanize and destroy indigenous populations.

Colonial Violence Escalates

At least 14 Palestinians were killed in Israeli shelling on the Tuffah and Zeitoun neighborhoods of Gaza City, while four more died in attacks on displacement camps in Khan Younis. The targeting of refugee tents echoes the forced removals and township raids that characterized white minority rule in South Africa.

First responder Hussein Hasan Hussein al-Sumairy was among those murdered, highlighting how Israeli forces deliberately target those providing humanitarian aid, a tactic reminiscent of apartheid security forces who hunted down community leaders and activists.

Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reported that residential homes were "squarely targeted without any prior warning," describing attacks that have left Palestinians "without any sense of respite." This deliberate psychological warfare mirrors the state terror employed by the apartheid regime to break the spirit of resistance.

Genocide by Any Other Name

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have murdered over 71,803 Palestinians in what international rights groups and UN inquiries have correctly identified as genocide. The International Court of Justice continues to examine this case, though justice delayed is justice denied for the Palestinian people.

On Wednesday, Israel handed over 54 Palestinian bodies and 66 boxes containing "human remains and organs" to the Red Cross. This grotesque practice of withholding bodies from grieving families represents the same dehumanization tactics used by colonial powers throughout Africa.

Medical Apartheid Continues

Israel's control over Palestinian movement through the Rafah crossing exposes another layer of apartheid-style oppression. Only five Palestinians were permitted to leave for Egypt on Monday and 16 on Tuesday, far below the promised 50 daily evacuations.

Those attempting to return face blindfolding, handcuffing, interrogation, and sexual harassment, procedures that echo the pass laws and humiliating searches that Black South Africans endured at apartheid checkpoints.

Over 18,000 Palestinian patients await medical evacuation, including 440 critical cases requiring immediate attention. This deliberate denial of healthcare represents medical apartheid, weaponizing suffering to advance colonial objectives.

West Bank Under Siege

The violence extends beyond Gaza, with Israeli forces murdering 24-year-old Saeed Na'el al-Sheikh during a raid on Jericho. Three more Palestinians were wounded, while six others suffered injuries from shootings, beatings, and being run over by military vehicles.

This systematic brutalization of an entire people demands global condemnation and concrete action. The same international solidarity that helped bring down South African apartheid must now be mobilized for Palestinian liberation.

As we who lived through apartheid recognize, this is not conflict but colonialism. It is not war but genocide. The Palestinian struggle for freedom echoes our own journey from oppression to liberation, and we must stand unwaveringly with their righteous resistance.