There is a sickening madness to the way this world operates, a twisted reality that leaves us here in Gaza questioning the very conscience of the global community.
A few days ago, the entire world held its breath. Every mainstream media outlet, every breaking news ticker, and every social media feed was utterly consumed by the incident with the plane. They dissected every angle, brought in panels of experts, and flooded the screens with endless, breathless coverage. But as the dust settled, the truth became painfully clear: it was all a play. A grand, theatrical spectacle wrapped in exaggerated panic, capturing the world’s attention while completely ignoring the real tragedies happening on the ground.
And while the world was busy watching this manufactured drama, our real blood was spilling.
On that exact same day, Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a civilian bus right here in Gaza. Six souls were taken. Six human beings — people with families, memories, and a fundamental right to live — were slaughtered on the road. We didn’t need international experts to tell us what happened; we lived it. We have the evidence. We have the videos recorded straight from the ground, capturing the raw, undeniable horror of the massacre. We know the stories and the faces behind those lost lives, not just the numbers.
Yet, when we looked to the world for outrage, we found only a deafening, deliberate silence. Not a single mainstream media channel interrupted its broadcast to show what happened to that bus. Not a single global leader rushed to the podium to condemn the act. The very same networks that spent hours obsessing over a theatrical stunt couldn’t spare a single minute for six murdered Palestinians.
It is utterly disgusting. It makes you realize how truly crazy this world is. How is it that our blood is so cheap? How is it that undeniable video evidence of a massacre is completely ignored, while a fabricated crisis becomes the only thing the globe can talk about?
As a Palestinian, watching this hypocrisy play out day after day is a different kind of torture. We are not just fighting to survive the bullets; we are fighting a global machine that refuses to see our humanity. We are screaming into a void, holding up the undeniable proof of our suffering, only to watch the world change the channel to the next convenient distraction.
The world is not blind; it is choosing to look away. And that choice — that deliberate, calculated silence in the face of our reality — is the most heartbreaking tragedy of all.
Note: Ahmad Rizik is a contributor for Manufacture Dissent and the founder of the Gaza Great Minds Foundation, which opened its tent schools in May 2024, right at the height of the genocide. After Israel bombed nearly all the schools in gaza, these tent schools became the sole source of education for some students. GGM is among the very few in Gaza that charge no tuition at all and run entirely on donations. Most months, they don’t reach their funding goals, which means that teachers, including Ahmad, often go without pay. Supporting him—either through donations or by becoming a paid subscriber—truly makes a difference for his family. Without his dedication and love for the children of Gaza, these kids wouldn’t have any educational opportunities. Let's help him educate the children of Gaza by supporting Ahmad.
Thank you Ahmad for writing this extremely well articulated piece. Please continue to bring the news. All eyes on Gaza!
Yes, screaming into the viod. Many of us know how that feels. What's going on in Gaza is a prime example the cruelty and depravity that is astonishing, while the powerful of the world watch silently protecting their own interests and careers, obscient to conscienceless killers like Netanyahu, Trump and thousands of other powerful men destroying the planet.