Since 8 July, the Israeli military has killed nearly 1,400 Palestinians, a majority of whom have been civilians. It has wounded 8000 people. 3 Israeli civilians have been killed along with 56 Israeli soldiers during this time. At least 15 women and children have been killed when the Israeli state hit a UN-run school and another 19 when it hit a crowded market on 30 July.

Mass killings in the name of protecting one’s ‘own people’ can never be justified nor can the aerial bombardment of such a densely-populated area like Gaza, which is the biggest “prison camp” in the world. The murder of civilians cannot be explained away as military “achievements”.

In this human tragedy, the number of civilian dead and wounded – many of them children – increase several-fold every day in Gaza, leaving the world stunned. On the other hand, the Right-wing anti-Semitic Hamas continues firing towards Israel, forcibly preventing Palestinians attempting to flee their homes to seek shelter and demanding the destruction of Israel.

War and continuation of war now for both of the reactionary sides seems to be the means as well as the objective. They both benefit from this war; ceasefire for them is only to prepare for another round of killing and destruction of the other side.

Humanity’s voice is not represented by either the Israeli government or the anti-Semitic Hamas. In the continuation of the carnage, these two reactionary forces feed off each other and prevent peace and a two-state solution for their own interests and in order to legitimise their rule. The Israeli government continues to prevent the formation of a legitimate and independent Palestinian state whilst Hamas sees the formation of a Palestinian state as its own downfall.

International bodies and Western governments also rely on empty rhetoric to deflect the growing popular and public opinion against this murder of innocent and defenceless civilians in Gaza.

This war is criminal and must end immediately and unconditionally. The voice of humanity must clearly side with neither of the two poles of reaction: the Israeli state and its Western government backers on the one-hand and the reactionary right-wing Islamic Hamas backed by and the Islamic regime of Iran and Hezbollah of Lebanon on the other.

The third camp, the camp of humanity, must defend the people of Gaza against this criminal bombardment of civilians and side with the people of Israel and Palestine who deserve nothing less than peace and this could only be achieved through a two-state solution.

Worker-communist Party of Iran – Organization Abroad
1 August 2014