Shazia Ramzan
For the first time in two long years, the skies above Gaza are quiet. After enduring relentless bombardment, starvation, and mass displacement, the people of Gaza are returning to what remains of their homes — if those ruins can still be called homes. Relief is visible on their weary faces, but it is mixed with deep sorrow and disbelief. Over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, entire families erased, and generations scarred by a genocide that unfolded before the eyes of a silent world.
Israel’s brutal military campaign, launched in the name of “self-defence,” left Gaza in ruins. Cities have been flattened, hospitals destroyed, and basic infrastructure turned to dust. Survivors now face famine, disease, and the psychological trauma of witnessing loved ones buried under rubble. Medical experts warn that the physical and mental recovery of Gaza’s population will take decades. As the UN humanitarian agency put it, the task of rebuilding Gaza is nothing short of “monumental.”
Follow Republic Policy on YouTube
Yet, even as U.S. President Donald Trump and Western leaders celebrate their role in brokering “peace,” the reality on the ground is one of unimaginable devastation. True peace cannot be declared through summits and signatures; it must be built on justice and dignity. For Gaza, that means accountability for war crimes, reparations for survivors, and international recognition of Palestinian self-determination.
The Gaza genocide must never fade from global memory. The world cannot allow this tragedy to be whitewashed by diplomatic spin or media fatigue. Just as the Holocaust remains enshrined in historical consciousness, so too must the slaughter in Gaza be remembered as a stain on humanity’s conscience. The architects and perpetrators of this atrocity — whether in Tel Aviv or among their foreign enablers — must be held to account before international courts. Anything less would be a betrayal of the thousands who died crying for justice.
Follow Republic Policy on Facebook
Cynics warn that the ceasefire may only be temporary. Israel’s record of broken promises looms large, and many fear that once Israeli hostages are recovered, the Zionist regime might resume its genocidal campaign. The onus now lies on the deal’s guarantors — the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia — to ensure Israel adheres to its commitments. The credibility of Trump’s so-called “Middle East Peace Plan” will depend not on rhetoric, but on sustained enforcement.
Follow Republic Policy on TikTok
The later stages of the deal remain murky. Questions linger about Hamas’s disarmament and Gaza’s future governance. Palestinian resistance factions — including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the PFLP — have unanimously rejected any form of foreign “guardianship” or Western-led administration. Gaza, they argue, must never again become a colonial experiment administered by external powers. The right to govern Gaza must rest solely with its own people, free from coercion and foreign manipulation.
Follow Republic Policy on Instagram
In the streets of London, Paris, New York, and Berlin, millions of ordinary citizens defied their governments’ complicity by demanding an end to Israel’s war crimes. These global protests have been a powerful reminder that public conscience often outpaces political leadership. The moral courage of these demonstrators must not be forgotten — their voices forced a reckoning that governments tried to suppress.
Follow Republic Policy on WhatsApp Channel
Still, true peace for Palestine cannot come through ceasefires alone. The roots of the conflict lie in decades of occupation, apartheid, and systematic dispossession. Without addressing these injustices, Gaza’s wounds will never heal. The long-term solution remains the same as it has always been: the liberation of occupied Palestinian land and the establishment of a sovereign, viable Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The world must recognize that Gaza’s suffering is not collateral damage — it is the result of an international system that has repeatedly failed to uphold its own principles. Western democracies, while preaching human rights, armed and funded an apartheid regime. Their double standards — compassion for Ukraine, indifference for Gaza — have shattered whatever moral credibility they once claimed.
For Pakistan and the wider Muslim world, this moment demands more than statements of sympathy. It calls for a united diplomatic strategy to pursue war crimes accountability through the International Criminal Court, the UN General Assembly, and the OIC. It is time to make “Never Again” mean something real for Palestinians.
In the end, Gaza’s survival is a testament to human resilience. Despite losing everything, its people refuse to surrender. Their steadfastness — sumood — stands as a moral victory against tyranny. But resilience should not become an excuse for the world’s inaction. Gaza deserves not only compassion, but justice.
The ceasefire may have silenced the bombs, but peace will remain elusive until freedom replaces occupation. The rubble of Gaza must one day give way to schools, hospitals, and homes built by Palestinians for Palestinians. Only then can the words “lasting peace” carry meaning beyond diplomatic theatre.
