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Gaza: keep talking about it

Illustration+of+a+Watermelon%2C+a+symbol+of+Palestinian+solidarity%2C+with+the+phrase+Free+Palestine%21+Photo+credit%3A+Laura+Bernal
Illustration of a Watermelon, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, with the phrase “Free Palestine!” Photo credit: Laura Bernal

We must be the voice for the silenced.

As the genocide in Gaza continues, we see less and less coverage on social media.

There is not little coverage because of the lack of war crimes but rather because the people of Gaza not only lack service but lack food, water and safety.

Who is to report and spread news of all the wrong doings when there is barely anyone left to report it?

Of course, there are still journalists hard at work, spreading information about what is going on in Gaza but it does not come at the rate it was at the beginning of the war because throughout the duration of this attack, the IDF has killed over 33,000 Palestinian civilians including 90 Palestinian journalists.

This is not to say there is no information coming out of Gaza but because western media scarcely acknowledges it, the conversation surrounding the crisis in Gaza has slowed.

So, if you are not actively paying attention, there is probably a lot that you have missed.

Palestinians have been violently pushed out of northern Gaza and are currently all displaced within Rafah, a city bordering Egypt.

They have little to no food or water. From targeting civilians as they attempt to get aid that was dropped to them, now known as the flour massacre, to the seven humanitarian aid workers from World Central Kitchen who were targeted and killed, it seems the IDF will do anything they can to prevent them from receiving aid. The Palestinians who are not killed from the constant bombing and gunfire, will likely starve to death.

In February, the UN made an official statement concerning the treatment of women at the hands of the IDF.

“Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten. On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food,” UN experts said.

“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.”

Although this is an international affair, violence against women anywhere is violence against women everywhere.

We see videos and images released of Palestinian men stripped of their clothes and tortured.

Numerous videos and photographs have also been released of decaying Palestinian bodies that were flattened by Israeli tanks.

And since the US government has decided to be financially involved in the conflict, it is very important that as citizens of the US, we acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians and spread the news.

We are seeing the pain these men, women and children are suffering with as they witness the murder of their children and families. We witness their cries as they dig their bodies from the rubble and carry them away from the destruction. We see their distress as their homes and land destroyed. We hear the horror stories of what occurs if they are taken into IDF custody.

Every day, there are unimaginable reports of what Palestinians are going through.

Are we expected to look the other way? To not talk about it?

How can we see their suffering and not amplify their voices?

I urge you to use your voice to keep the conversation about Gaza going. I urge you to spread any information you can. You might think that you are only one person and it won’t have any effect but spreading information and news to just one person can be a domino effect. Share the infographics on your instagram, retweet the breaking news onto your timeline, repost the tiktok videos, share the donation links, contact your local politicians, keep boycotting, and share your opinions. We must not let the conversation surrounding this genocide die. We must keep the conversation alive.##

 

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About the Contributor
Laura Bernal
Laura Bernal, Staff Writer
Laura Bernal is a staff writer for Talon Marks covering arts & entertainment and news. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and attending concerts. She plans to transfer to Cal State Fullerton and work at an independent magazine.
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