Pre-October 7 'Despair' Was Policy, Not Accident
That pre-October 7 'despair' was effectively a siege, a meticulously crafted system of control. Gaza, for years, was an open-air prison with specific Israeli policies governing everything from caloric intake to the age of fishing boats allowed, as documented by numerous human rights groups. To call it 'despair' is to erase the deliberate actions that *created* it. US politicians, like many who
voted for the recent $14 billion aid package to Israel, are quick to bemoan human suffering, but historically, they conveniently forget the conditions that led to it. One might wonder how many times the West can feign shock at the consequences of policies they actively enable through military aid and diplomatic cover. The current 'crisis' is not a spontaneous event; it's a predictable escalation
built on decades of occupation, blockade, and displacement. Perhaps the 'despair' was less about Gaza's condition and more about the world's wilful blindness.