Now that some hours have passed since the official declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza, I think it’s a safer time to make some sort of comment. [1]
I hesitated to do so before we actually arrived at this particular moment, because there was always the chance that the Israelis might renege on the deal, as they have stalled several times over the course of the past 15 months.
But that moment has now arrived, and Hamas has declared the names of the prisoners they agreed to release, and the Israeli Knesset as well as cabinet have signed the deal — to great sorrow, sobbing, and dismay as the pictures show.
In any case, it’s time to talk about this particular moment which we have all been calling and waiting for, for over 470 days, and the genocide that was committed.
BACKGROUND
- On Sunday, the Gaza ceasefire came into effect, bringing a pause to 15 months of crimes against humanity by the Zionist regime
- A study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimates that there were 64,260 traumatic injury deaths between 7 October 2023 and 30 June 2024
- The ceasefire plan is almost identical to the document put forth by the Biden administration in May 2024; many have questioned why Zionist leader Benjamin Netanyahu accepted it only recently
- 69 women and 21 teenage boys have so far been released by Israel while three Israeli prisoners have been returned by Hamas
- A sense of relief and gratitude is being felt by Muslims across the globe; we pray that the peace holds and the Zionist entity does not renege on its word as it has all too often done
Jubilation after total devastation
This deal — whilst a jubilant and celebratory moment — comes on the back of a tragedy and a devastation I doubt very much that anyone would have witnessed in our collective memory.
Nowhere in the world has such a level of barbarity and depravity been delivered upon a defenceless nation of two million people with nowhere to go, with no means of leaving or seeking refuge.
No such scenes have we seen in the space and time that we find ourselves.
Remember the war crimes that were committed
The very first thing that we must remember is the crimes committed (and it’s not just one crime). We continue to use the word genocide, but it’s not just a genocide.
These are war crimes. These are crimes against humanity. These are crimes against children. These are crimes against civilian installations.
You can talk about dozens and dozens, a catalogue of crimes, many of which under international law would deserve the launching of the greatest and grandest of military ventures.
But in the world today, they deserve nothing but further support for the perpetrator — we will touch on this a bit later.
A great moment, but Gaza remains under siege
This is a great moment for the people of Gaza.
Finally, they can bury their dead, they can mourn their shuhadā, they can look after their wounded, and they can start to rebuild whatever remnants of life they had before the genocide began.
But let’s not forget that Gaza remains under siege, and it remains part of Palestine under Israeli occupation, and unfortunately nothing has changed. It’s just been that, subhānAllah, we’ve become desensitised to it and even normalised the past 15 months.
And now we are seeing that missiles are not falling from the skies onto the heads of civilians. Yes, we see this as a moment that we need to celebrate and commemorate, and we need to be jubilant in our reaction, all of this is true.
Remembering where we stand today
We also need to understand the realities of where we have come from and where we stand today.
Gaza remains under siege — this is going to be the 18th year — but remember that this past 15 months wasn’t the only war or atrocity perpetuated by the Israelis against Gaza over the course of the last 20 years.
On a local level, we need to observe and continue to observe, not only the holding of the ceasefire, but also the ramifications for those in the West Bank.
Palestinian Authority are mourning the ceasefire
This might come as a surprise to many who aren’t fully aware of the Palestinian political scene.
But make no mistake, amongst those who are mourning the ceasefire are, unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The PA should be at the very forefront of celebrating the sort of comparative sense of safety that Gazans now find themselves in. But it has constantly been egging the Israelis on, and celebrating the bombing of Gaza.
Gaza has always been a thorn in the side of the PA. And for that, the likes of Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) are more than willing, and will absolutely continue to be more than willing, to see Gaza wiped off the face of the Earth.
West Bank Palestinians punished for celebrating Gaza victory
We’ve seen in the past few months, and in fact years, that whenever the people of Gaza achieve some sense of victory or prominence, the PA delivers a punishment upon those sympathisers in the West Bank.
And what’s been happening not only in Jenin, but in various other places where people have, for instance, been mourning the dead of Gaza, they themselves have been targeted with live ammunition!
Some killed, scores rounded up. And the PA has been behaving precisely as its job description states — as a collaborator and an extension of the military and security arm of the Israelis within what is supposed to be an independent Palestinian authority and territory.
Pay attention to what’s happening regionally
Egypt
As for the Egyptian side, what happens with the Rafah border is concerning.
Earlier unconfirmed reports are that Gazans who were affluent enough to afford the $5,000 per person fee to cross into Egypt — either for medical treatment or to meet loved ones — are now told that, should they wish to return to their homes in Gaza, they need to pay another $7,000!
Further as yet unconfirmed reports show that the Egyptian military and regime are more than happy to cash out on the back of Gaza and its tragedy, both previous as well as coming.
Other regional players
What is going to happen from Jordan’s side, the Saudis, and probably the Syrians, will all be quite interesting developments. However, I do believe the Syrians should focus on Syria right now.
As for Qatar and Türkiye, they were, of course, instrumental in arriving at this particular deal, but we still have much to consider.
We hope that Gaza will be allowed to take a breath, to rebuild, to re-gather, but unless it’s absolutely free, such war crime episodes will not be far away, and we could fully expect to see another devastating attack mounted by the Israelis on Gaza any time in the coming future.
So what came of 7 October 2023?
There is the obvious question regarding who “won”.
Why is it that we’re seeing the Gazans jubilant over the rubble of their devastated Strip, while close to the mass graves of their loved ones?
Why is it that they are in such a triumphant celebratory mood when the Israelis are in mourning? Why is that, and how can we explain this?
Israelis have suffered a massive defeat!
For all intents and purposes and on a strategic level, we can comfortably say that the Israelis have suffered an extremely devastating defeat.
And that comes on many levels, with the first being reputational.
The fact that the 7th of October 2023 actually happened, and in the blazing way that we saw, this smashed the myth of Israeli invincibility, of the most secure army in the entire world. That reputational damage is irreparable.
There was also the failure of the so-called Iron Dome defence system, which the West funded to the tune of tens of billions of dollars. Its capabilities had been mythically described and yet it failed to live up to lore.
Likewise, even though the Israeli army — regardless of how hard, brutally, depravedly, and devastatingly they — continued to barrage Gaza with all sorts of sophisticated weaponry, until the very final hours they were being subjected to counterattacks from either Hamas or other militant groups.
This shows the utter failure of this claimed-to-be all-powerful army to achieve a victory against what is often called a ragtag of ill-fed, malnourished young men who haven’t been through any kind of formal training.
This is truly something that the Israelis will never be able to repair.
Moral standing of Israel obliterated
We can add to the above, the clear collapse of the moral image of Israel.
Israel was built upon a number of principles, one of which was the moral position that — as a result of the Holocaust that the Jews of Europe suffered — they were due a land and state of their own.
That moral standing came crumbling down (if it hadn’t already) over the course of the past 15 months.
The actions, reactions, behaviour, crimes, targeting of children and women, of health workers and hospitals, teachers and professors, schools and schoolchildren, and civilian installations in general, is something that the Israelis will never be able to wash.
It simply will not wash, regardless of how many Hollywood blockbusters they fund or how many celebrities choose to take their side and to speak in their defence.
The fact is, now Israel is recognised far and wide as the most terrorising and troublesome player that threatens world peace. That in itself is something that the Israelis will never be able to overcome.
Zionist project lost this battle from the start
In around November or December 2023, I said that the Zionist project in Palestine has already lost — notably more than a year ago!
And I believe that, today, I find myself proven correct more than at any other time.
The Zionist project is certainly on its way down; it is facing the barrel of a dismal end. By the measure of time and history, this may take a few years or even a couple of decades, but it won’t be more than that. It is on its knees and the moral question and position which it has used to lean on is no more.
I, therefore, recognise the devastation and existential threat that the Israelis find themselves suffering today, no matter where they travel in the world… be that Japan or Korea in the Far East, or America, Mexico, Peru, or Chile in the Western Hemisphere.
All these countries where Israelis find themselves, rightly or wrongly, they are hated and loathed for the actions of not only their government but because of the premise of their ideology which has not only stolen Palestinian lands, but also tried and tried and tried again to wipe out the Palestinian people.
Colonial settler projects will always fall apart
It is a simple fact that the nature of Israel’s colonial settler project has always been like how the United States was built upon the massacre of millions upon millions of Indigenous Americans.
It is similar, in fact, to the Australian colonial settler project, due to which millions of Indigenous Australians perished because the white man wished to build a new state.
And it is also similar to what we saw in South Africa in recent times. With apartheid South Africa, the world witnessed its defeat, and this was by the tenacity of not only the South Africans. Although we, as the world, were late to the game, we boycotted the regime and insisted that we wouldn’t sit down until apartheid came crumbling down. And it did!
The same will happen with Israel. And we can list the losses that the Zionists have already felt, including the ICC rulings, the arrest warrants against its leaders, as well as the countless editorials and op-eds written shaming and disgracing Israel and its leaders.
There is also the fact that now more than ever before, the world can openly and publicly speak about the criminality, the depravity, and the inhumanity of Zionism, without the repeated plot, plan, and trick that the Zionists tried to play by equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.
With the innumerable losses that the Zionist project has already witnessed, I believe — inshāAllah — we will witness the end of it with our own eyes.
World is now fully aware of what Israel stands for
People around the globe now recognise what Israel really stands for, as well as the victimhood of the Palestinians in real terms.
The past 15 months have proven that.
in addition, the BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) movement has cost multinationals billions on top of reputational damage. Now that the war is over, it doesn’t mean that people will flock back to Starbucks to shore up its crumbling stock prices! And the same goes for McDonald’s, KFC, and others.
People who made their billions on the back of investing in Israel have suffered losses which I predict they will never be able to recoup.
Movements led by brave Jewish voices
Across the world, many brave, courageous, and principled Jewish voices in Europe, North America, and across the world, have decried and denounced Israel for its crimes committed against the Palestinians.
Intellectuals and academics that have all of a sudden become household names around the world include Professors Noam Chomsky, Ilan Pappé, Shlomo Sand, Avi Shlaim, and Norman Finkelstein, not to mention the activist Miko Peled.
This is as a result of their principled stance.
What happens next?
A number of questions need to be asked, including what now for the pro-Palestine campaigns here in the UK, across Europe, and generally in the West?
What about the situation of Muslims who were explicit in their support for Palestine? What about those who continue to carry the icons of Palestinian resistance — including the keffiyeh, the watermelon, and Palestinian flags?
Zionist response to world opposition has already been felt
I have spoken on several occasions about the blowback or retribution that the Zionists will, without doubt, attempt to make. I believe it will be brutal.
I also believe that the 18 January demonstration here in London and the subsequent arrest — needless and violent — of over 70 demonstrators signals what we must expect to come in the future. [2]
We will see ever greater regressions in spaces, as well as intolerance for the so-called rights and freedoms to speak, to hold opinions, and to hold beliefs. The most democratic of nations will come crashing down on those who choose to exercise their rights.
I believe we will see a backward turn in our civil rights as citizens. And I believe we will see an exponential social and ideological rise in the political far-right, as well as the spread of Islamophobia, racism, and fascism.
Let’s make no mistake about it, the scenes that we saw in London on Saturday were akin to the scenes that we see and decry in China and Russia — what we perceive to be far darker places and corners in the world. Here, it was just different complexions and names with different excuses. But the practices are the same.
Islamophobia will continue to rise in the UK and elsewhere
So many students over the course of the past year have found themselves out of their universities. And so many workers — both public as well as private — have found themselves without jobs.
So many people have been “cancelled” because of their anti-Zionist stance, and I believe we will see more of this.
I also think there will be people openly deported. The current ongoing saga regarding Pakistani/Asian/Muslim rape gangs is just part of it, despite 85 per cent of group-based child abusers being white. [3]
The rise of the far-right and of riots (which didn’t culminate in the way that was threatened back in August), I think they are here to stay. The growth of Reform UK and the possibility, albeit distant, that the next Prime Minister might be someone called Nigel Farage, are matters that we must expect.
All of the above fall under the same guise. And that is the Zionists fighting back. Those who stood by Palestine, those who raised the Palestinian flag, those who criticised and denounced Israel and the Zionists, they are in for a punishment.
And unfortunately, we don’t have a political or judicial system that is capable of dealing with this kind of blowback.
So if there are any public interest lawyers out there, they need to clear their diaries!
I believe that those with donations to give should consider — especially coming to Ramadan — donating to the efforts of lawyers as well as volunteers who are going to be helping those out of pocket, out of work, out of university… those left almost destitute because of the fact that they bravely stood by Palestine.
Make du’ā for the best; prepare for the worst
We should focus and be focused, while expecting the worst. We hope for the best and always make du’ā for that, but preparing for the worst is most prudent. And this should come neither as a surprise nor something we should complain too much about.
We seek our rights, we will demand our rights. There’s no doubt about that. But the fact that we should face difficulty, I believe, is part and parcel of our test. So we shouldn’t be surprised by the actions of the authorities, including government and the police, in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
But generally speaking, we are living in an historic time; we are seeing the decline of Western hegemony and Zionism, and hopefully the collapse of Israel and the end of this petty project that has cost humanity so much.
Hopefully, now that we have seen Gaza and the way in which the people resisted till the very end, likewise with Syria and the collapse of the former regime, we will, inshāAllah, also witness in Sudan the paring back of the UAE’s grip on the region.
Working together to end all oppression
We can hope to see a continued cycle of changes, a conveyor belt of radical transformations, not only of regimes, but of people and of awareness, and a coming together of all those who believe in truth, regardless of them being Muslims or otherwise.
One thing that’s been proven over the course of the past 15 months is that victories can be attained when people peacefully come together, collaborate, and work with each other.
And the way that we have seen the pro-Palestine campaigns become these giants whom governments as well as other authorities fear and are intimidated by to no end, I believe that is a lesson for all of us, that working collectively affords us energy and power like we can never ever imagine!
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/18/london-protest-israel-gaza-war-arrests
