In today’s world, which prides itself on scientific advancements and technological progress, humanity continues to be repeatedly humiliated.
The recent situation in the Gaza Strip has become a deep source of shame and self-reflection for human civilization. Israel’s continued blockade, drone strikes, and attacks on ships carrying humanitarian aid are not only violations of international law, but also brutal assaults against humanity.
The attack on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s aid ship in international waters, damaged by an Israeli drone strike, proves that the world has reached a point where bombs and shells are overcoming milk and medicine.
Armed attacks on civilian ships not only violate international maritime laws but also constitute a form of state terrorism. The United Nations and other international bodies, which merely issue statements, allow Israel to carry out such acts with impunity. Yet, the ship was carrying food, medicine, baby food—life-saving supplies.
When the ship caught fire and its engines were disabled due to the drone strike off Malta's coast, 30 unarmed Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens desperately tried to keep it afloat.
This is the true face of humanity—where people fight with all they have to save lives, while the smooth-talking diplomats of states remain passive.
Gaza today is a prison. For over three months, humanitarian aid has not been able to reach there. What the United Nations and UNICEF have stated numbs our minds—countless children in Gaza are dying simply due to a lack of food. "Children are not only dying from bombs but from hunger," this line reflects the ultimate defeat of humanity.
Some say, “Israel is deliberately using hunger as a weapon of war.” How horrifying: how could hunger be used as a weapon of war in today's civilized world? This is a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. If the international community does not oppose this, it will become complicit in the crime through its silence.
According to the World Food Security Monitoring Agency, almost all residents of Gaza are suffering from severe food insecurity. Dr. Ahmed Abu Nasir has said, “What children need to grow is not available in northern Gaza.”
This is not just an issue of one region, but an existential question for the entire world. Are we building a world that is not suitable for children?
In this situation, we must remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: “Silence in the face of injustice only encourages injustice.” Nelson Mandela also said, “The deepest and most profound expression of a society’s soul is reflected in its treatment of its children.”
Therefore, I call on all nations of the world, especially the developed and powerful countries—no more indifference when it comes to humanity. The path for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza must be opened immediately. Accountability for the attack on aid ships in international waters must be ensured.
The time to stand for humanitarian law and ethics is now. This world must be made safe for children, where every child has the opportunity to survive with food, medicine, and shelter. The collective efforts of all people are necessary to create a world where children’s smiles return.
It must be a humane world, not one of war, but of peace, compassion, and love. If we fail to do so, what we call “civilization” will become nothing more than an empty mask.
