Mad Max Gaza 23, 24.

At the moment when the American Secretary of State is making his eighth monthly “tourist” visit to the Holy Land, the image of absolute destruction and desolation of the Gaza Strip from the occupation forces’ air bombardment of the Palestinian infrastructure with the 2.2 million Palestinian civilians they run chased on foot and any means in one direction or another to save themselves from the relentless pursuit of the fire of the occupying forces are reminiscent of Apocalypse scenes and science fiction films, such as the one mentioned in the title of this analysis.

These are unprecedented war situations with which even the combatants of the First and Second World Wars would be puzzled. Perhaps never until now in history have civilians been hit with firepower as proportionately as the Palestinians of Gaza by the occupying forces. This is also proven by the number of bombs that have been dropped on Palestinian civilians and proportionately exceed those of the Second World War.

In addition to the 37,000 Palestinian dead and over 80,000 wounded compared to the 1,200 Israeli dead and the collateral losses of 105 journalists (100 Palestinians, 2 Israelis and 3 Lebanese) and 224 aid workers, including 179 UNRWA staff, the data speaks for itself about the magnitude of the disaster and the forces of reaction that this disaster has already unleashed.

Due to Israeli airstrikes, famine plagues Palestinian civilians. In early 2024, the Gaza Strip faced one of the worst cases of man-made famine in a century. Food prices rose in Gaza as food stocks ran out. With limited aid entering the region and soaring food prices, the population continued to suffer, with children particularly vulnerable to malnutrition and dehydration. About 2.2 million people in Gaza are considered to be facing emergency food insecurity.

On the question of the lack of potable or non-potable water, according to the competent UN agency, UNOCHA, some displaced people were surviving on 3 percent of the minimum daily water needs. As of April 2024, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, all citizens of the Gaza Strip are drinking unsafe water that puts their lives at risk. In February 2024, it is indicative that Palestinians in Gaza City were killed by an Israeli airstrike while collecting water. Gaza Municipality reported that 700 million liters of sewage had leaked into the streets of Gaza City, threatening underground water supplies (11.2.2024,). According to the UN, up to a quarter of Gaza’s water wells had been destroyed (28.2.2024). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization the water was at 7% of pre-October levels. In May 2024, according to the Coastal Municipal Water Supply, entire water and wastewater systems are approaching total collapse because the damage is so extensive.

The lack of water is linked to the risk of epidemics that public health experts constantly warn of breaking out and spreading in Gaza. According to Oxfam and the United Nations, the lack of clean water and sanitation in Gaza will fuel an increase in cholera and other deadly infectious diseases. According to Oxfam, Gaza’s sewage pumping stations and sewage treatment facilities are not functioning, so the accumulation of solid waste and unburied bodies are potential carriers of disease. Due to the lack of clean drinking water, Gazans drink water contaminated with sewage, seawater and farm water, another major source of disease.

The deterioration of the civilian population’s psychology is a result of months of continuous airstrikes and bombings. Children develop psychological trauma, with symptoms such as convulsions, aggression, bedwetting and nervousness. 90% of children in pediatric hospitals in Gaza have or report symptoms of anxiety. The majority showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress and 82% reported fears of imminent death. On 6.11.2023, UNICEF spokesman Toby Fricker warned of the psychological impact and “tremendous stress” experienced by children in Gaza. On 17.11.2023, the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that 20,000 people needed specialized mental health services. As of 9.1.2024, OCHA reported that 485,000 people with mental health problems were not receiving the necessary care.

From the above it becomes clear that the sick will of those who have caused the impermissible humanitarian disaster in Gaza and also those governments in the otherwise “civilized” Western world who have allowed this disaster has surpassed the imagination of even the most unbridled cinematographer.