Violence and Genocide: Israel’s Political-Military System

What has happened and is happening in the Gaza Strip is not merely a sudden event, but an ongoing process rooted deeply in Israeli policies that have existed for decades. After the recent ceasefire, the situation may seem calm in Israel; the sirens have stopped, and most prisoners have returned home. Yet this calm does not extend to Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinian civilian victims continue to fall daily, and humanitarian aid remains severely restricted. The Israeli political and military system that permits violence is still in place, and without accountability, there is every reason to believe that the violence will recur, possibly with even greater intensity.

Systematic Genocide and Historical Roots

The Israeli military campaign that has continued for two years in Gaza (since October 7, 2023) meets the clearest definition of genocide: a systematic attempt to destroy a group of people based on their identity, through killing, starvation, forced displacement, and the destruction of vital infrastructure. The numbers and facts leave no room for doubt: over 68,000 people have been killed, including women and children; tens of thousands remain missing; hundreds of thousands have been injured; and hospitals and journalists were direct targets. Homes have been completely destroyed, and entire families wiped out. Israeli officials have openly declared their goals: to render Gaza uninhabitable. This is not metaphorical, but a legal definition of genocide.

However, the roots of this genocide did not begin with the October attack nor end with the ceasefire. It is the result of decades of military occupation, an apartheid system, impunity, and systematic humiliation of Palestinians, within a framework designed to ensure Jewish supremacy over the entire land. These practices have been reinforced by favorable circumstances and the exploitation of specific events to escalate violence.

International Continuation of Negligence

The attack allowed the Israeli system to carry out a large-scale campaign of destruction under the banner of “self-defense,” yet it was merely a continuation of more than half a century of occupation, blockade, and military campaigns that killed thousands of Palestinians. The international community, especially the United States and Europe, has allowed or ignored this reality, reflecting how genocide can become normalized in the twenty-first century—not only in scale or method but also in international tolerance.

The violence is not limited to physical harm. The Israeli system reinforces itself through political and legal structures, including a government that enacts racist policies, settler militias that perpetrate terror, detention centers holding thousands of Palestinians without trial, and daily war crimes that go unpunished. All these elements make the system a continuous platform for coercive and racial control.

Accountability and Justice Are Essential

Despite targeted media coverage and official Israeli propaganda, global awareness of what is happening continues to grow. Grassroots movements in the United States and Europe have begun identifying the Israeli system as responsible for ongoing genocide and systematic human rights violations. The system does not target Palestinians as individuals, but as a specific group.

The current ceasefire does not mean the crisis is over. In Gaza, violence continues in non-immediately lethal forms: children suffer from untreated deformities and injuries, famine is increasing, and the blockade prevents access to food and basic aid. The lack of accountability for Israeli officials harms not only Palestinians but sets a dangerous international precedent: if a state can commit genocide without punishment, it sends a message to the world that this can be repeated.

Accountability is essential because it is the only way to ensure genocide does not recur. Israeli leaders must bear legal and political responsibility for their actions, and the normalization of violence against Palestinians must not become part of the existing political system. Standing against this system protects the lives of both Palestinians and Israelis, ensuring that justice—not impunity—becomes the guiding principle.