That quote by the author Gerald Seymour captures the essence of what has unfolded in Palestine over the past two years and how the media has chosen to portray it.
The Nakba
In November 1947, the United Nations approved a plan to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states—against the will of the majority Palestinian Arab population. Almost immediately after the partition plan passed, the expulsion of Palestinians began. In 1948, this ethnic cleansing led to the Nakba (Catastrophe): over 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes by the Israeli forces.
Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians did not end there. It continued through the ongoing occupation of more Palestinian land and the imposition of a siege on the Gaza Strip, amongst many other violations.
October 7 and the Terror that Followed
On October 7, 2023, Hamas—the ruling authority in Gaza—launched a large-scale attack in response to the occupation and siege of the Gaza Strip and the systemic oppression of its people. According to the United Nations, around 1,200 Israelis were killed, and approximately 250 were taken as hostages.
Israel used this attack as a pretext to begin the relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has not ceased since.
The Israeli government has oppressed the Palestinian people for over 75 years. The scale and brutality of the bombing in Gaza now meet the criteria for genocide.
Genocide is defined as the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying them. Dr. Raz Segal, a renowned Israeli genocide scholar, has described Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as ‘‘textbook genocide’’.
From the moment Hamas retaliated, much of the world instantly branded them as villains—largely due to the conveyor belt of misinformation and propaganda disseminated by Western media in favour of Israel while simultaneously dehumanising Palestinians.
For example, six official Israeli accounts claimed that babies had been beheaded on October 7. No evidence was ever provided. Al Jazeera’s investigative unit later conducted a forensic analysis of the events and conclusively debunked the claim. Yet, the rumour spread like wildfire, further painting the Palestinians as savages and ‘uncivilised’.
International Law or Just Friendly Advice?
Pro-Israel people say that Israel is simply defending itself. The problem with this claim is that it is simply not true. Israel is an occupier.
According to Article 43 of the Hague Regulations (1907):
“The authority of the legitimate power having in fact passed into the hands of the occupant, the latter shall take all the measures in his power to restore and ensure, as far as possible, public order and safety while respecting, unless absolutely prevented, the laws in force in the country.” This means they cannot use violent or illegal means to maintain control, which Israel has been doing for decades.
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and killing countless Palestinian civilians is collective punishment, which is a war crime according to Article 33 of the Geneva Convention (IV). It says, “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.”
An outrageous number of violations of international law are committed by Israel, but they are dismissed with no intention of complying with them, while the Western world order does nothing to change that.
The Battle between the Media and the People
The list of war crimes committed by the Israeli government is far too long, and yet it barely receives a fraction of the scrutiny, media coverage or calls for accountability that Hamas has had since October 7.
Multiple reputable human rights groups and medical organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Doctors Without Borders all agree that the Israeli government is intentionally killing civilians. Despite all of this, the Western media has held the power to change and maintain certain narratives commonly in favour of Israel, and it is far from unbiased.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has continually committed war crimes such as indiscriminate bombing, yet barely any outrage is shown for it. In contrast, when the Israeli government or the IDF blame Hamas for using civilians as human shields or claim that they were simply defending themselves, it is believed more often than not by Western media.
However, the people around the world have been seeing the atrocities committed by Israel and are standing up against them for the Palestinians. Many now look at Hamas as freedom fighters standing up against their oppressors, rather than terrorists. There have been countless demonstrations across Europe and Asia. Hundreds of thousands of people have been protesting, especially in the United States, whose leadership stretching back decades has wholeheartedly supported Israel and armed it.
Looking Ahead
Compare global awareness in October 2023 to today in 2025. There has been a seismic shift after people saw what happened on October 7, and they became more educated on the evils of the Israeli government as well as the cause Hamas has been fighting for. This change in global consciousness cannot—and must not—be underestimated, and we must continue and maintain the pressure being put on Israel and its allies to stop the killing in Gaza and the West Bank. We must make sure that the state of Israel is held accountable and prosecuted for the war crimes they committed and the complicity of its allies in the genocide of the Palestinian people is punished.