Opinion: Are Palestinian Lives Valued Worldwide?

Hani Almadhoun, the Director of Philanthropy at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency USA, shares his personal perspective on growing up in Gaza and the ongoing struggles faced by his family who still reside there.

Witnessing the surreal and staggering devastation on the streets of Gaza, where my parents reside, and the tragic loss of over 10,000 Palestinian lives unfolding before my eyes, my heart continues to sink. Filled with hope for an end to this relentless nightmare, I yearn for someone or something to intervene, yet it remains an elusive wish.

Instead, I am constantly filled with sorrow for the families impacted and saddened by the deep-seated injustices that enable such a horrific loss of life to endure.

Every morning, my wife and I awake in Virginia with the realization that we will not come across any positive news regarding the situation some 6,000 miles away in Gaza. With each update, our hopelessness intensifies, leaving Palestinians to endure the burden of these unspeakable acts, all while the rest of the world simply observes.

We find ourselves in an unsettling state, like waking up from surgery, still sedated. We know our surroundings, but meaningful action feels elusive.

Destruction and chaos at Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza, November 6.

Belal Khaled/Anadolu/Getty Images

Ahmad, my cousin on my mother's side, tragically lost both his parents and all his siblings in a devastating bomb blast on Monday. The fact that a mere four minutes of being outside the house determined his fate, separating life and death, sends shivers down my spine.

My fellow workers at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the field regularly share updates on the casualties among our staff, the destruction of facilities due to Israeli airstrikes, and the alarming scarcity of essential resources such as food, water, medicine, and fuel in Gaza.

Prior to the recent hostilities, the devastating blockade enforced by Israel for 16 years had already resulted in a staggering 75% of Gaza's population being reliant on UNRWA food assistance for their sustenance. Due to the current situation, our year-end initiatives at UNRWA USA to secure sponsors for university scholarships for talented refugee students in Gaza have been disrupted. Higher education institutions, such as Al-Azhar University, where I personally spent a semester, now lay in ruins.

Gaza's academics and students have experienced a significant shift in their priorities, moving away from considering their future careers to focusing on basic survival.

The ongoing crisis in Gaza raises pressing inquiries regarding the significance of international humanitarian laws. Are they still applicable? Does the world value Palestinian lives?

Hani Almadhoun

The unfolding catastrophe in Gaza raises critical questions about the relevance of international humanitarian laws. Do they still matter? Do Palestinian lives matter to the world?

In Gaza, my mother's words convey the profound effect of events since October 7th. Enduring days filled with anxiety and complete communication silence, she shared her thoughts with me: "We spend each moment gazing at the ceiling, anticipating a bomb to descend at any minute, ushering us into an unknown future."

This illustrates the lasting fear and indeterminacy that engulfs my family. By deciding to sleep in the living room with all her grandchildren, my mom demonstrates a meaningful act of love and the extent to which she is willing to go in order to safeguard them, be it in this realm or the one beyond.

My eight-year-old nephew, Yazan, finds solace in his belief that his grandma's blanket acts as a shield. This mixture of heartache and warmth is both poignant and comforting.

During these difficult times, it is these gestures of love and compassion that offer a ray of hope and a feeling of safety, even within a world filled with great danger.

Happier times: writer Hani Almadhoun (left) buying Eid candy with his family in Gaza city during a visit home over the summer.

Yazan, with the weight of the world on his young shoulders, serves as a painful reminder of the immense difficulties endured in present-day Gaza. Spending endless hours queuing for bread, a valuable resource in a war-torn region plagued by food and water scarcity, serves as a poignant reflection of the persistent struggles faced every day.

In moments of intense worry and contemplation, my nephew Omar wonders if he will come back home to his family unharmed or if he will be unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. To address these concerns, it is crucial for the international community, including esteemed individuals like President Joe Biden, to unite and promptly advocate for a ceasefire.

We must prioritize the maintenance of human rights and international laws, aiming for a world that recognizes the inherent worth of every life, irrespective of nationality or background. Our goal should be to establish a future that values and safeguards the rights of all individuals, including Palestinians.

Neglecting to support the civilians residing in the Gaza Strip will only exacerbate their suffering and instill a sense of desolation and pessimism.

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In spite of enduring a violent military occupation for several decades, Palestinians have remained resilient. According to international law, the occupying power is obligated to guarantee the well-being and safety of the occupied population, explicitly forbidding collective punishment and forced displacement.

However, as I observe the present conditions in Gaza and the continuous attack on the entire populace, I am left contemplating whether the Israeli military seeks to achieve an eventual surrender in order to impart a familiar lesson of defeat onto us and future generations, just as they did with our ancestors.

Having departed from Gaza in mid-August and passed through the Rafah Crossing, I bid my friends farewell with the words, "Take care of our homeland." This statement holds an even deeper significance to me now.