The Fire this Time: Burning Civilians Alive in Gaza

On October 13, the world was once again confronted with the stark reality of brutality in Gaza, as Israeli forces launched a horrific assault on the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza. One year and one week into this genocide, the world just witnessed one of its darkest chapters.

Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of unimaginable horror—civilians, including the most vulnerable, trapped and burned alive in an institution that should have been a sanctuary. This atrocity is not just another tragic event in a long history of violence; it is a chilling manifestation of a calculated strategy to obliterate Palestinian life.

After 373 days of genocide, horrific incidents like this one are no aberration - but a bleak expectation.

Al Aqsa Hospital, a symbol of resilience amid devastation, has served as a refuge for countless families seeking safety from relentless bombardment. To target such a facility is a grotesque violation of human rights and a blatant affront to humanity itself. A week after the one year anniversary of genocide in Gaza; this attack may be among the most vile. It is a deliberate act of terror designed to instill fear and hopelessness in the hearts of a beleaguered population. The images from that day are haunting—a stark reminder of a reality that the international community often chooses to ignore or, worse, normalize.

People were burned alive, many of them children, while still tethered to IV’s and hospital beds. The attack was a deliberate one, leveled upon civilians in need of dire medical attention and clenching onto life.

The grotesque violence inflicted upon Gaza is not an isolated occurrence; it is a continuation of decades of colonial oppression and ethnic cleansing. This systematic assault on civilians reveals the true nature of the Israeli state: one that prioritizes military might over human life and perpetuates a narrative of dehumanization. The callousness with which these acts are carried out speaks to an ideology rooted in supremacy, one that seeks to erase the very existence of Palestinians.

Yet, equally complicit in this ongoing nightmare is the United States. The U.S. has long provided unwavering support to Israel, enabling its violent expansionism and reinforcing a status quo that disregards Palestinian lives. The recent horrors at Al Aqsa Hospital are a direct result of this complicity; every bomb dropped and every civilian life lost is a stain on American foreign policy. The rhetoric of democracy and human rights rings hollow when it is juxtaposed with such overwhelming support for a regime that systematically commits war crimes.

The international community’s response to these atrocities often falls woefully short. While expressions of outrage surface momentarily, they are frequently followed by silence or ineffective measures. This reluctance to hold Israel accountable not only emboldens its actions but also perpetuates the suffering of Palestinians. It is a glaring example of how power dynamics shape global politics, where the lives of the oppressed are viewed as expendable.

We must challenge the framing of this conflict as merely a geopolitical struggle. It is a humanitarian crisis that demands our moral outrage and active resistance. The targeting of civilians and the destruction of essential infrastructure must be condemned unequivocally. How many more lives must be sacrificed before the world acknowledges this as a grotesque violation of human rights? How long will the world allow Netanyahu and his collaborators in the United States to make a mockery of the rule of law?

In the aftermath of the horrors witnessed at Al Aqsa Hospital, we must not forget the names and stories of those who perished. Each life lost is a reminder of the ongoing fight for justice and the right to exist. We cannot allow these narratives to be drowned out by political platitudes or media soundbites

Western media outlets are complicit in the erasure of these stories. And as the horror at the hospital unfolded, CNN, the BBC and their legacy counterparts were slow to report. And when they did, reduced the war crime to a passing blip on a grand narrative of biased reporting that rendered the same old message: Palestinian lives matter far less than Israeli lives, and at worst, don’t matter at all.

Western truths burn. But after a year of genocide, understanding their truth will help us find our own.

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Khaled A. Beydoun is a law professor and author. He publishes his daily insights on Instagram and Twitter at @khaledbeydoun.