Daily Times

Undoubtedly, the massacre and catastrophe brought in the besieged Gaza Strip by Israel after the Hamas 7 Oct attack shocked many across the globe. Considerable loss of civilians along with children and massive destruction of infrastructure have led many people individually and countries collectively to raise their voices for helpless Palestinians. However, despite such savagery of Israel, the US and its Western allies have still been avoiding condemning Israel’s atrocities in besieged Gaza. Though their economic interests have overlapped with Israel’s gruesome atrocities. They have closed their eyes to seeing the savaging attacks of Israel on the helpless civilians of besieged Gaza, but they are using every facility and resource to maintain peace for the voyage through the Red Sea and Suez Canal route for Shipping. The US has formed a US-led force that will patrol the Red Sea shipping route and protect the shipping from increasing attacks from Houthi rebels of Yemen.

Despite boasting the democratic countries and republics, the US and some Western allies have been deliberately avoiding seeing Israel’s painful attacks on Palestinians in besieged Gaza. However, UN officials are repeatedly calling for a ceasefire, saying that the situation in the besieged Gaza is indescribable. One official has even said that the besieged Gaza territory has become the graveyard of Gazan children. Such flagrant war crimes committed by Israel have not been yet seen by the US.

The US and some Western allies have been deliberately avoiding seeing Israel’s painful attacks on Palestinians.

Despite repeated raised points of view by the strategy analysts that the war in besieged Gaza can spill over if not truce is not observed, the US is still not ready to call for a ceasefire and It has been vetoing the resolutions in the UN again and again. Moreover, by emphasizing on the mantra of ‘right of self-defense’ the Biden administration has been indirectly encouraging Tel Aviv for further escalation.

Now when war’s repercussions have spilled over the countries, the pent-up rage has been exploding from Yemeni Houthis, and the US is actively guarding its economic interests by forming the seaguard forces. Though such attacks by Houthis or others cannot be supported and justified, yet they could be inevitable by them on such inhuman atrocities of Israel.

To shun disruption in the supply chain and defend from imminent loss the US has formed a force that can maintain peaceful shipping from the Red Sea. A professor at King’s college London cautioned that it might cost $300,000 – 400,000 extra in terms of fuel costs if ship or vessel will come from Asia going to Europe and avoiding the Red Sea shipping route. Moreover, he also said that it might be a six-day longer journey for the average ship.

Considering such disruption and economic loss, the big democracy’s preachers can form the forces for the safety of shipping but it is very pathetic that they cannot ask for a ceasefire on such a big toll of loss of civilian lives including children in the bombardment. Do democracy’s principles only ask for protecting the economy or market commodity? In a democracy, there is no protection for civilians and innocent children?

After all, vetoing the resolutions of ceasefire in the UN and, simultaneously, forming the forces for protecting shipping, these steps of the US, being a superpower, will not be remembered in good words in the history’s pages. In one place, people were helpless and starved; they were attacked repeatedly with the help and funds of the US. On the other place the US was forming forces for protecting the commodities and substances. These contrasting acts conspicuously show that economic interests are more important than human lives for a big democratic country.

The writer is a freelance columnist.