It has been 366 days, 8,784 hours, and countless heartbeats since October 7, 2023—the day Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began. What followed has been nothing short of an unspeakable tragedy, an unrelenting campaign of brutality that has decimated an entire population. The numbers alone are staggering: 41,825 lives lost—each one a name, a story, a family torn apart—nearly 16,765 of them children whose only crime was being born in Gaza. Over 96,910 have been left maimed and scarred, both physically and psychologically, while more than 10,000 souls remain buried beneath rubble that was once their homes.
While some of the world’s most powerful leaders sit in silence, offering little more than empty words and hollow condemnations, there are countries that have dared to take a stand!
1. Trinidad And Tobago
“Recognition of Palestine is moral and just and demonstrates Trinidad and Tobago’s acknowledgement of and support for the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
On May 2, 2024, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago formally recognized the State of Palestine. This decision, approved by the Cabinet after a recommendation from the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, was intended to promote lasting peace and strengthen the international consensus on Palestinian statehood.
Trinidad and Tobago had a longstanding tradition of supporting the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and consistently upheld the two-state solution as the only viable path to ending the cycle of violence. This foreign policy stance was rooted in the country’s respect for international law and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The country’s support for Palestine had been evident through its endorsement of key United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, including Resolution 67/19, which granted Palestine Non-Member Observer State status. Additionally, Trinidad and Tobago had consistently backed annual UNGA resolutions affirming the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as the rights of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.
Following the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023, Trinidad and Tobago reinforced its position by supporting resolutions adopted at the UNGA’s Emergency Special Sessions on October 27 and December 10, 2023, which focused on the protection of civilians and the upholding of legal and humanitarian obligations in the region.
2. Spain
“In Palestine, for almost a year now we’ve been witnessing an unconscionable spiral of death and devastation which is now, unfortunately, spreading to Lebanon. This is an escalation of the conflict, which is woefully grave in nature”
On May 28, Spain formally recognized Palestine as a state, which Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a “historic move towards justice and the only route to achieve peace.” This recognition marked a significant shift in Spain’s foreign policy and demonstrated its commitment to supporting Palestinian statehood. Following this decision, Spain welcomed the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, for the first time, further reinforcing its stance and reiterating its support for Palestine’s quest for self-determination and peace in the region.
3. Ireland
“What the people of Palestine ask of us is not outrageous or extravagant. If anything, it is modest. The wish to be recognised as a State like any other, to control their own affairs and to speak for themselves on the international stage. Today, Ireland recognises that wish.”
The Irish government announced its recognition of Palestine as a sovereign and independent state and confirmed that it would establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah. As part of this decision, Ireland will appoint an ambassador and open a full embassy in Ramallah. Taoiseach Simon Harris emphasized that the move was aimed at “keeping hope alive” for the Palestinian people and supporting their aspirations for statehood and peace.
4. Norway
“The Palestinian people have a fundamental, independent right to self-determination.”
Norwegian officials have consistently shown strong support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and have been vocal in calling for a ceasefire following the recent outbreak of war. Alongside Spain and Ireland, Norway has also recognized Palestine as a state. Previously, Norway condemned the Israeli occupation before the International Court of Justice, refrained from exporting weapons to Israel, and imposed sanctions on certain “extremist” settlers in protest of their actions in the occupied territories.
5. Barbados
“We strongly deplore the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which is the result of the disproportionate use of force by Israel. There’s no justification for it and that is why treaties exist governing the rules of engagement for war.”
In June, Ambassadors Riyad Mansour of Palestine and François Jackman of Barbados signed a joint declaration to establish diplomatic relations between their countries at the Permanent Mission of Barbados to the United Nations in New York.
The agreement was based on international law and emphasized global peace and security, equality among states, and respect for national sovereignty, regional stability, independence, and international treaties. According to Wafa news agency, the two representatives also signed a memorandum notifying UN Secretary-General António Guterres of the joint declaration and requested its distribution to other diplomatic missions.
6. Colombia
“That richest 1 percent of humanity, the powerful global oligarchy, is the one that allows bombs to be dropped on the women, elderly, and children of Gaza, Lebanon, or Sudan. The power of a country in the world is no longer exercised by the type of economic or political system it has or its ideology, but power is wielded according to how much capacity one has to destroy humankind.”
Colombia cut diplomatic ties with Israel and imposed an arms embargo, marking a significant shift in its foreign policy. As the largest coal exporter to Israel, Colombia announced it would halt all coal supplies to the country. On June 8, President Gustavo Petro stated that Colombia would suspend coal exports until the violence in Gaza ceased.
In 2023, Colombian coal made up over 60 percent of Israel’s coal imports, which power around 22 percent of the country’s electricity grid. This grid supports Israel’s illegal settlements, arms factories, and infrastructure used by the military in its operations against Palestinians in Gaza. Colombia’s decision is seen as a powerful demonstration of how to exert material pressure on Israel in response to the ongoing war.
7. South Africa
“The violence the Palestinian people are being subjected to is a grim continuation of more than half a century of apartheid. We South Africans know what apartheid looks like. We lived through it. We suffered and died under it. We will not remain silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated against others.”
South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. This legal action sought to hold Israel accountable for its actions and addressed the broader international concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
This war has not only targeted civilians—it has obliterated them, leaving families shattered, their loved ones buried under concrete and twisted steel. Gaza’s infrastructure has been decimated. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to little more than dust and ash, and with every airstrike, more of the enclave’s fragile fabric is torn apart. Homes, schools, hospitals—places that should be sanctuaries of safety and learning—have become death traps. The streets of Gaza now echo with the silence of what was once a vibrant community. The world has witnessed the destruction of not just buildings but of lives, futures, and a sense of normalcy that may never return.
Health workers, those selfless individuals who have vowed to save lives even in the darkest of circumstances, have themselves been caught in the crossfire. Ambulances have become targets, medical facilities have been shelled, and doctors have been killed as they rushed to save the lives of the injured and dying. The destruction is so extensive that it has stripped Gaza of its ability to care for its wounded and sick. Humanitarian corridors, meant to provide a sliver of hope in the midst of despair, have been consistently violated. This is not warfare; it is a calculated massacre that seeks to sever the lifeline of an entire population.
The sheer scale of devastation speaks to the ferocity and indiscriminate nature of the onslaught. Whole families have been wiped out in a single explosion. Generations have been lost under the rubble of what was once a home. The air is thick with grief and rage, the skies are darkened by smoke and despair, and the very earth beneath Gaza seems to tremble under the weight of the violence inflicted upon it. For those who survive, the trauma is unrelenting. Children, their eyes wide with fear and confusion, will carry these horrors with them forever. They are the broken remnants of a future that should have been bright and full of promise.
This war is not just an assault on the people of Gaza; it is an assault on humanity itself. The international community has largely stood by, issuing statements of condemnation, but these words have been empty, devoid of the urgency and action needed to halt this genocide.
There is no justification for such cruelty. The cries of the victims echo across the world, yet fall on deaf ears. This war has revealed the extent to which the powerful can act with impunity while the powerless are left to pick up the pieces of a shattered existence. But the people of Gaza are not just victims—they are survivors, clinging to life with a resilience that defies the relentless violence raining down upon them.
The time for action is long overdue. The international community must move beyond rhetoric and impose tangible consequences on those responsible. Every moment of inaction perpetuates the suffering, every delay in justice prolongs the agony. The world must acknowledge the scale of this genocide and act decisively to stop it.
This is not merely about Gaza; it is about the fundamental principles of justice, human rights, and the sanctity of life. To look away is to be complicit in the erasure of an entire people. The cries of Gaza demand more than our sympathy—they demand our outrage, our action, and our unwavering commitment to ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated.
Until then, the bloodshed will continue, the graves will multiply, and the hope for peace will remain a distant dream, suffocated under the weight of destruction and despair. For the sake of humanity, we must end this war before the light of Gaza is extinguished forever.
