Standing at the edge of the Grand Harbour, the waves lapping against the ancient walls of Valletta, it’s easy to feel a world away from the conflict in Gaza. Yet, the echoes of its cries for justice resonate even here, in the heart of our peaceful island nation. The question that haunts us, as we stroll along Republic Street or sip coffee at a café in St. George’s Square, is this: how can we, as global citizens, stand by and watch as Gaza’s people suffer under what many are calling a slow-moving genocide and ecocide?

UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk, in his 2021 report, described the situation in Gaza as “a humanitarian horror story” and a “slow-motion disaster.” The Gaza Strip, a mere 360 square kilometers, is home to over 2 million Palestinians, many of whom are descendants of refugees who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine war. Decades of Israeli blockade, along with periodic military conflicts, have left Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins, its economy in tatters, and its people living in what the UN calls “unliveable” conditions.

Water, electricity, healthcare, and education are scarce. Unemployment hovers around 50%. The UN predicts that Gaza could become uninhabitable by 2020. Yet, the world watches, largely silent, as the people of Gaza are slowly suffocated, their cries for justice falling on deaf ears.

Gaza’s environmental degradation is a silent killer, often overlooked in the midst of the Strip’s more pressing humanitarian crises. The Mediterranean Sea, once a source of life and livelihood for Gaza’s fishermen, is now heavily polluted, its fish stocks decimated by overfishing and pollution. Gaza’s farmlands, once fertile and productive, are now contaminated by sewage and chemicals, their productivity declining year by year.

Gaza’s sole power plant, damaged by Israeli airstrikes, operates at minimal capacity, leading to frequent power outages. The lack of electricity hampers the operation of water and sewage treatment facilities, leading to further environmental degradation and public health crises.

Impunity, the lack of consequences for wrongdoing, is at the heart of Gaza’s crisis. Israel, as the occupying power, has been repeatedly criticized by the international community for its actions in Gaza. Yet, it continues to act with impunity, its actions going unpunished, its leaders unaccountable.

Here in Malta, we can’t stand idly by. We must raise our voices, demand justice, and push for accountability. We can start by supporting local initiatives like the Maltese-Finnish Association for the Support of the Palestinian People, which works to raise awareness and provide aid to Gaza’s people. We can also push our government to take a stronger stance on the issue, to use its diplomatic influence to pressure Israel to lift the blockade and respect Palestinian rights.

As we enjoy our peaceful lives in Malta, let’s not forget the people of Gaza, trapped in their open-air prison, their cries for justice echoing across the Mediterranean. Let’s not let their struggle fade into the background noise of our daily lives. Let’s stand with Gaza, demand justice, and refuse to be complicit in its slow-moving disaster.

Malta, with its strategic location and historic ties to the region, has a unique role to play in the struggle for justice in Gaza. As a member of the European Union, Malta can use its influence to push for a more strong EU policy on Israel’s actions in Gaza. As a Mediterranean nation, Malta can also work to build bridges of understanding and cooperation with its Palestinian neighbors, providing aid and support where needed.

But Malta must also confront its own complicity in Gaza’s crisis. As a major recipient of Israeli aid and investment, Malta must ensure that its relations with Israel do not come at the expense of Palestinian rights. It must also ensure that its own actions, such as its treatment of migrant and refugee boats, do not contribute to the region’s humanitarian crises.

The path to justice and dignity for Gaza’s people is long and fraught with challenges. But it is not impossible. We have seen it before, in South Africa, in the Arab Spring, in the fall of the Berlin Wall. People power, when united and determined, can overcome even the most entrenched oppressions.

Let’s not forget the words of the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: “I am not a simple story to be told at evening gatherings. I am a people that has lived and continues to live.” Let’s ensure that the story of Gaza’s people is not just told, but heard, and acted upon. Let’s ensure that their struggle for justice and dignity does not fade into the annals of history, but becomes a beacon of hope for a better, more just world.