Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has called for an urgent ceasefire between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel, as the conflict in the Gaza Strip escalates to unprecedented levels of violence.
Israel unleashed its fiercest air strikes in 75 years of conflict with the Palestinians, causing widespread destruction in Gaza despite threats from Hamas to execute captives in retaliation.
In response to the dire situation, Israel has announced its determination to exact "mighty revenge," mobilising hundreds of thousands of reservists and imposing a total siege on Gaza, home to 2.3 million people.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Malala voiced her concern, stating, "I join the call for an immediate ceasefire. As I have processed the tragic news of the past days, I think of the Palestinian and Israeli children caught in the middle."
Drawing from her own experiences during her childhood in Pakistan's Swat Valley, the renowned education activist recalled, "We woke up to the sounds of mortar shells, saw our schools and mosques destroyed by bombs. Peace became something we could only dream about."
Malala emphasised the indiscriminate suffering caused by war, noting, "War never spares children — not those kidnapped from their homes in Israel, not those hiding from airstrikes or without food and water in Gaza."
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) October 10, 2023
Expressing her deep sorrow, Malala added, "Today, I am grieving for all the children and people longing for peace and justice in the Holy Land."
Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her unwavering advocacy for the right of every child to receive an education.
The current crisis in the region unfolded when hundreds of Hamas fighters launched an assault on Israel on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. This attack marked the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
In retaliation, Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel and used explosives and bulldozers to breach the fence surrounding the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
According to Israeli authorities, Hamas gunmen have claimed the lives of more than 900 people and injured over 2,000 in Israeli cities, towns, and kibbutz communities. On the Gaza side, health officials reported a toll of at least 765 people killed and more than 4,000 wounded.
As the international community watches with increasing concern, the urgent call for a ceasefire gains prominence in the hope of alleviating the suffering and bringing an end to the devastating conflict in the Holy Land.
