The emotional toll of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and their effects on the Palestinian population was powerfully highlighted by Australian MP Kat McNamara during her speech at the legislative assembly in Darwin on 20 March 2025.
Overcome with emotion, McNamara shared the tragic stories of Palestinian children being pulled dead from the debris after Israel resumed bombings on March 18, resulting in over 1,000 deaths since that date. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the death toll has surpassed 50,000, with a significant number being women and children, since the latest escalation began on October 7, 2023. A report from The Lancet, a British medical journal, projected that the total number of deaths had exceeded 186,000 by July 2024.
In June 2024, the UN Secretary-General included the Israeli armed forces on the “list of shame” for parties involved in serious violations against children in conflict. Human Rights Watch reported that Antonio Guterres’ findings attributed 5,698 violations to Israeli forces, which included the killing and injuring of children, as well as assaults on schools and hospitals. Additionally, there were over 23,000 reported but unverified serious violations affecting 3,900 Israeli children and 19,887 Palestinian children.
South Africa has taken a significant step by filing a gnocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In January 2024, the World Court determined that Israel’s actions could be considered gnocidal and mandated measures to prevent further violence against Palestinians, which Israel ignored. In July 2024, the ICJ issued a non-binding advisory opinion declaring that Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful.
As efforts to apply international law and advocate for Palestine’s freedom continue, the daily struggles and suffering of its people are being brought to light by individuals like Kat McNamara.
We welcome your thoughts on this critical issue.
Video credit:
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Sources
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/07/1152296
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129722
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/095/07/pdf/n2409507.pdf
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/06/13/israel-joins-un-list-shame-abuses-against-children-war
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/8/gaza-toll-could-exceed-186000-lancet-study-says