Don’t forget the children of Gaza

The Gaza strip is a narrow area of Palestine, that only measures 11 by 51 kilometres, and nevertheless is home to 1.6 million Palestinians. Most inhabitants of the Gaza strip, about 75% percent of them, are refugees from the ethnic cleansing of Palestine that was perpetrated by zionist terror organizations in 1948 (the Nakba).

Since 2007, ‘Israel’ has kept Gaza under a tight siege. Gaza residents are rarely able to leave the area. In 2017, 54 Palestinians died while waiting for visas to leave for medical treatment. Electricity is available only for a few hours per day. Almost all water contains sewage and is therefore unsuitable for drinking. There are severe shortages of medicine and medical supplies. There is a high rate of unemployment, and nearly 80% of Palestinians in Gaza rely on humanitarian assistance.

Israeli bombardments and invasions

Recently, there have been 3 major Israeli attacks upon the Gaza strip. In the winter of 2008/2009, Israeli shelling killed 1,417 Palestinians. In 2012, the attacks cost 174 Palestinian lives. The massive onslaught of 2014 was the worst of all: 2,200 Palestinian deaths, 550 of which were children. The destruction of the bombardments was so enormous, that 100,000 people became homeless. Israeli shelling reduced a staggering 285 kindergartens to rubble.

The children of Gaza

One million children in Gaza are living in dire conditions, caused by the destruction. They have limited access to clean drinking water. This has a direct impact on their physical health. The impact of the horrible situation has close to 80% of children suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), being unable to sleep, having nightmares and suffering from concentration problems.

Uncertain future

A UN report released in 2012 predicted that Gaza would be ‘unliveable by 2020’. However, there is a strong case to be made for that already being the case since years. The mass murder and destruction of 2014 has had a lasting impact on the daily situation of the Palestinians living in the Gaza strip.

The song ‘Children of Gaza’

Doc Jazz’s song ‘Children of Gaza’ is one of his most well-known songs. He wrote it during the 2008/2009 attack. The original came out in its most raw form when the song had only just been written. To date, no other Doc Jazz original has reached such a wide audience.

The facts mentioned above in this post are just a small selection of the horrendous situation of the Palestinians living in what some call the ‘largest open air prison‘ in the world. As the song states, it is very important to share these facts with the citizens of the world. As ‘Israel’ justifies all its genocidal attacks as ‘self-defense’, the more people are aware of those facts, the less they will buy into the deception.

No one has an immediate solution for Gaza, and no one can pretend to have one. However, let’s at least all follow the message in the song, and keep making noise for the children living there. Pressure on ‘Israel’ must be increased, and the most effective way for this so far has proven to be the BDS (Boycott-) strategy. We must create awareness for their plight around the world!

Below is a performance by Doc Jazz of his song ‘Children of Gaza’, which he played at a Nakba commemoration in Utrecht, the Netherlands, on May 15, 2011.