What is really happening in Gaza?
Since October 7, 2023, over 75,000 people have been killed with the majority of them women, children, and the elderly. Muslim American Society The UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that four of the five acts of genocide as defined by the Genocide Convention have been committed. in Gaza. Muslim American Society. These are not minor acts being committed. They come from the highest levels of international law.
What does Islam say about this?
Oppression is not something taken lighty. Allah says in the Quran:
“And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women and children?” - Surah An-Nisa 4:75
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Help your brother whether he is the oppressor or the oppressed.” The companions then asked how they could help an oppressor, and he replied “By preventing them him from oppressing.” - Sahih Bukhari.
75 Years Ago…
To understand the genocide happening in Gaza today, you have to go back to 1948. Palestinians call it the Nakba. (Arabic for "catastrophe”). Before the Nakba, Palestine was a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. That changed when conflict between Arabs and Jews intensified through the 1930s and 1940s, driven by a surplus in Jewish immigration to Palestine and the Zionist movement's goal of establishing a Jewish state. Muslim Youth of North America. On May 14, 1948, as soon as the British Mandate expired, Israel declared independence. Ultimately triggering the first Arab-Israeli war. Zionist military forces expelled at least 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, capturing 78 percent of historic Palestine. Muslim Youth of North America The remaining 22 percent became what we know today as the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
More than 400 Palestinian towns were destroyed between 1948 and 1950 Religion News. This includes homes, neighborhoods, mosques and businesses wiped out just to prevent Palestinians from returning. Today, approximately 8.36 million Palestinian refugees exist, including Nakba survivors and their descendants. Then came 1967. During the Arab-Israeli War, Israel occupied the remaining Palestinian territories… East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza and still continue to occupy them to this day. While the UN partition plan allocated Israel 55 percent of the land, today it controls more than 85 percent of historic Palestine. Korean Studies Institute
Eye opening video documenting and speaking about the experience of children in Gaza, including their living conditions, internal struggles and much more.
Documented by ABC News
The Ceasefire
On October 10, 2025, a ceasefire brokered by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey went into effect. Under its terms, all living hostages were released in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and Israeli forces were to withdraw to pre-designated lines within Gaza. Muslim Youth of North America
But the ceasefire has been unreliable from the start. Israel violated the ceasefire agreement at least 1,193 times between October 10, 2025 and January 9, 2026, through continued attacks by air, artillery, and direct shootings. Muslim Youth of North America Only 43 percent of the aid trucks that were supposed to enter Gaza actually did. Israel blocked essential food items including meat, dairy, and vegetables. Muslim Youth of North America. Israel closed all of Gaza's borders. Under US pressure, it reopened one crossing for the limited entry of food and fuel to keep hospitals running. Icnaconvention
What can YOU do about it?
Make du'a - A short and simple task but loved and accepted by Allah (SWT)
Stay informed and share accurate information.
Donate to vetted humanitarian organizations like Islamic Relief or UNRWA.
Refuse to let the conversation die when the media moves on!!
Learn the history of Palestine so you can speak with knowledge.
Connection to MIST Theme
The theme Currents of Consequence is honestly most aligned with Gaza as a real-world example of what that means. Every decision made by world leaders, every time the media chose to ignore it, every time people simply scrolled past instead of educating themselves on the matter — those were all currents that led to consequences that we are seeing right now. But it also works the other way. Every du’a you make, every time you educate someone on Palestine and its detrimental crisis, every dollar you donate that is also a current with a consequence. Being in highschool or college may lead to doubts on what to do, but that is not true. Small actions done consistently and sincerely have always been how change happens. All of these actions may lead to a bigger change. You do not have to be a world leader to matter. You just have to choose not to be silent.
The Ummah
And Gaza is not the only place suffering. Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Egypt, Bangladesh…the list goes on. Muslim countries around the world are facing wars, economic collapse, and political instability that rarely make headlines. Their struggles deserve the same attention. May Allah grant them ease. Ameen.
