One year and two days ago, on October 7, 2023, attendees of a music festival in Israel were attacked by terror organization Hamas, leading to retaliatory attacks against Palestinians in Gaza. A year hence, the conflict has expanded, with other countries like Iran and Lebanon getting involved.
The depth and extent of the conflict, stretching as far back as decades, are far too complicated to expound on. This is true especially for those of us who get our information online, in the comfort of our relatively peaceful homes, and from sources whose affiliations may affect their positions.
What is plain to see, however, is the amount of suffering by ordinary civilians. The trite adage “all is fair in war” rings loud, as people and their lives have become collateral damage. Photos of death and destruction are heart-wrenching. One imagines the homes that no longer stand, or precious possessions that are lost or scattered.
Imagine the displaced – their living arrangements, their health and sanitary conditions, their constant fear of being killed in the next attack. Survival has become their only motivation – no longer getting an education, completing their studies, building a life with the people they love, experiencing simple pleasures like travel or a good meal.
Imagine, too, the hopelessness that comes with the uncertainty. After all, life has changed drastically from that which they have known before. Who knows whether they can rebuild their homes? Get reunited with family members who have been lost? Get excited about the future again?
What is plain to see is that those who make decisions to attack and counterattack may be driven by a human urge to protect what is theirs, hurt who have hurt them, and to conquer their enemies.
“Ceasefire” is a call we make along with the rest of the world. We look on at what is happening at the Middle East with horror, our hearts breaking for the children who would become orphans and who would live lives far beneath their potential.
As of this writing, the Philippine government is doing its part in providing a safe place for displaced Filipinos or bringing them home. The conflict endangers these overseas workers’ incomes as well, and they must have viable options on how to provide for their families even if they leave their jobs in the precarious region.
Then again, our concern for what is happening in the Middle East goes beyond economics. War has never benefitted anybody – except perhaps those who profit from the sale of weapons. In a war, nothing is fair and nothing adds up. The human toll – death, destruction, trauma, lost opportunities – are far too heavy to bear that we wonder when, or if, those engaging in it will ever come to their senses.
