GAZA - As Gaza marks two years since the beginning of an occupation that has claimed over 67,000 lives, the cries of a wounded land still echo through the ruins, a place where grief and hope now coexist amid devastation.
Thousands of Palestinians are still believed to be buried beneath the rubble as Gaza’s occupation enters its second year. It has turned into one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history, with families still searching for their loved ones under the weight of destruction.
The Palestinian Centre for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared has pleaded for international help to recover the bodies of some 9,000 victims buried over the past two years. But Gaza’s Civil Defence teams believe the true figure could be closer to 15,000.
Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by the lack of heavy machinery, leaving many trapped victims unreachable. The NGO called for international forensic teams, excavators and mobile DNA laboratories to be deployed, hoping that families may finally find closure.
“Such assistance would at least ease the grief of families who can finally give their loved ones a proper burial,” the organisation said.
The devastation extends beyond human suffering. According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Gaza now faces a deep ecological crisis. Water supplies are contaminated, ecosystems are collapsing and farmlands once filled with olive trees and citrus groves have turned into wastelands.
“The immediate priority is to end the suffering of the Palestinian people. Restoring freshwater systems and clearing debris are equally vital to saving lives and laying the foundation for recovery,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said.
Before the occupation, one-third of Gaza’s land produced fruits, vegetables and poultry. By August, over 91 per cent of that land had been destroyed, a collapse that wiped out the enclave’s food production entirely.
UNEP, which has conducted more than 40 post-conflict environmental assessments since 1999, described Gaza’s condition as the most catastrophic it has ever recorded.
“The situation is worsening by the day. If this continues, Gaza could face ecological collapse that will take generations to recover from,” Andersen warned.
Yet amid the darkness, solidarity continues to shine. Around the world, people have taken to the streets to demand justice for Palestine. From London to Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur, millions are raising their voices for Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as an unacceptable humanitarian catastrophe, urging an immediate ceasefire.
“We are facing a humanitarian tragedy that is entirely man-made. There is no justification for the killing of civilians. Only peace can guarantee safety for all sides,” he said.
In Malaysia, tens of thousands gathered at Dataran Merdeka in a display of unity across races and faiths during the Palestine Solidarity Rally.
Footballers like Mohamed Salah, Mesut Ozil and Leandro Trossard have spoken out for Gaza, while artists and filmmakers in Hollywood have called for boycotts against companies supporting the Zionist regime.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is planning an emergency summit in Riyadh to discuss collective action against Israel, while several nations have already brought the case of genocide to the International Court of Justice.
Across social media, the hashtags #CeasefireNow and #FreePalestine has gone viral, symbolising a growing global movement that sees Gaza’s struggle not as a regional conflict, but as a universal call for justice and humanity.
Two years on, Gaza still cries, but around the world millions are listening. - Agency