Standing at the breakwater in Marsaxlokk, the sun dipping below the horizon, I watch the fishing boats return. Their catch, like Gaza’s, is a daily struggle. Yet, while Maltese fishermen face challenges, they do so with the assurance of safety and human rights. This is not the case for Gaza’s fishermen, who live under a brutal blockade and the constant threat of violence.

Gaza, a strip of land barely 41 kilometers long and between 6 to 12 kilometers wide, has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. This collective punishment has turned Gaza into the world’s largest open-air prison, with 2 million Palestinians trapped within its borders. The United Nations has warned that Gaza could become uninhabitable by 2020, a grim prophecy that seems increasingly likely.

Malta, with its own history of occupation and struggle for freedom, has a unique perspective on this crisis. Yet, our response has been muted, our silence deafening. While we condemn human rights abuses elsewhere, we’ve barely whispered a word about Gaza.

Genocide is not just about mass killings, but also about destroying a people’s way of life. Gaza’s fishermen, once among the most successful in the region, now face a 3-nautical-mile limit imposed by Israel. They risk being shot at or arrested if they venture further. Their catch has plummeted, their livelihoods destroyed.

This is ecocide, the destruction of an environment to the extent that it becomes uninhabitable. Gaza’s water, electricity, and healthcare systems are on the brink of collapse. Israel’s control over Gaza’s borders and airspace means it can restrict the entry of vital goods and materials. The UN has warned that Gaza’s only power plant could shut down permanently, leaving the strip in total darkness.

Malta, with its reliance on tourism and fishing, should understand the devastating impact of such policies. Yet, our government has been eerily silent on Gaza’s ecocide, choosing instead to focus on our own economic growth.

Impunity fuels further violence. Israel’s military has killed thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, including hundreds of children, with no consequences. The UN Human Rights Council has repeatedly called for accountability, but to no avail. The international community’s failure to hold Israel to account has emboldened it to continue its brutal policies.

Malta, as a member of the European Union, has a responsibility to uphold international law and human rights. Yet, our government has chosen to prioritize our economic ties with Israel over our moral responsibility to the people of Gaza. We’ve even refused to join the UN Human Rights Council’s investigation into Israel’s actions in Gaza, citing our ‘special relationship’ with Israel.

This is the price of impunity. It’s the price Gaza’s children pay every day, as they grow up in a war zone, their future uncertain. It’s the price Maltese taxpayers pay, as our government chooses to prioritize economic interests over moral ones.

Malta cannot claim to be a beacon of human rights while turning a blind eye to the suffering in Gaza. We must break our silence and demand justice for the people of Gaza. We must pressure our government to hold Israel accountable for its actions and to support a just and lasting peace in the region.

We can start by signing petitions, writing to our MPs, and joining protests. We can also support local NGOs working on the issue, like the Malta Palestine Solidarity Committee. We can refuse to be complicit in Gaza’s slow death, and instead choose to stand on the right side of history.

As we watch the sun set over Marsaxlokk, let’s remember the sunsets in Gaza, shrouded in darkness and fear. Let’s remember that our silence is not neutral. It’s complicity. And let’s resolve to break that silence, to speak out, and to act.