Vantage | Why Gaza is struggling to be heard around the world

The most dramatic scenes are playing out in Gaza. People here are waking up to horror: destroyed neighbourhoods, buildings reduced to rubble, families killed, and children fighting for their lives. There is no electricity and no place to bury bodies. This is a humanitarian disaster, and it’s not the first, though it may end up being the worst that Gaza has seen. Hamas attacked Israel and went back to Gaza with Israeli hostages. Their assets are embedded in civilian infrastructure. In the past, they’ve been used to using the people of Gaza as human shields. And this time too, it’s the ordinary Gazans who are bearing the brunt. The Gaza Strip is home to 2.3 million people. It is one of the world’s most densely populated areas. Israel is currently pounding this strip. Hundreds of Hamas targets are being struck every day, and the result is being reflected in the rising death toll. More than 1,400 people have been killed. This includes 12 workers of the United Nations; nearly 340,000 people have been displaced, and these numbers are expected to rise. Plus, Gaza is now out of electricity. When the war started, Israel cut off the power supply to them. Gaza depends on Israel for food, water, and power supplies. It has only one power plant of its own. It was running until Wednesday, but now it has run out of fuel. So, there is a blackout. Ordinary Gazans are having to rely on private generators, and most don’t have the fuel to run these, for two decades now, Gaza has been under a blockade. So everything is scarce, including fuel. And now, with Israel imposing a total siege, all supplies have been cut off. Gaza has one border crossing into Egypt. That too was shut down on Tuesday. Currently, hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed. They are treating hundreds of victims. But they don’t know how long they can do this. Without power, many medical devices have stopped functioning. And those that are running could stop in hours. Several lives depend on these machines. So you get the picture—it doesn’t look good for Gaza. So innocent Palestinians are dying.But what is the international voice of the Palestinian cause doing about it? Let’s talk about the Palestinian Authority. Quick primer: The Palestinian Authority (PA) was set up in the mid-1990s. It was a product of the Oslo accords. What’s the Oslo Agreement? A deal between Israel and Palestine that was supposed to pave the way for an independent Palestinian state. It was signed 30 years ago, but it did not deliver. And now it has become irrelevant. Today, the PA controls parts of the West Bank; they once controlled Gaza too, but that changed in 2006. In 2006, elections were held, the last elections in Palestine, both in the West Bank and Gaza. The PA retained the West Bank, but Gaza went to Hamas. Soon they established their complete control. So now Hamas runs the Gaza Strip, they’re at odds with the Palestinian Authority. They’re political rivals. Both say they represent Palestine and fight for the Palestinian cause. But there’s a difference. The PA has more political legitimacy. The international community recognises it. In contrast, Hamas has few partners. Most countries have designated it as a terrorist organisation. In 2014, the two groups tried to join hands to form what they called a national accord government. But it did not hold. Then, in 2021, there was a plan to hold elections. Both sides agreed. But again, it never materialised. And it’s not like the PA has great credentials. They’ve been charged with massive corruption. They’ve been accused of capitulating to Israel. They’ve been slammed for authoritarianism. And for the general lack of support, On paper, the PA represents Palestinians, but on the ground, the people don’t agree. 63 percent of Palestinians see the PA as a burden, and with this conflict, its legitimacy is being questioned further. And this doesn’t augur well for the people of Palestine. They’re under attack. They’re losing aid and political support. And they don’t have a legit representative to engage with the world. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.