My sister-in-law Wafa wrote to me from Canada to say that for the last 172 days, each day in Gaza is more barbaric than October 7.

I can't agree with her more! Nearly three years before October 7, Hamas has repeatedly warned Israel not to evict Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah’s neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, attack worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, abuse Palestinian political prisoners, or bomb civilian targets in Gaza. Israel ignored the warning and bombed a 15-story residential building in Gaza, which is home to dozens of families and tens of local and international media offices.

The Israeli narrative about what truly happened on October 7 is exaggerated. Most people on that day were killed by the trigger-happy IOF. If in doubt, check out the Israeli daily Haaretz! For the last six months, the world is still waiting for Israel to produce any evidence of its clams about the "40 beheaded babies" and the "100s of rapped women." I doubt it would happen because it never happened.

Every day in Gaza is more barbaric and more brutal than October 7. The fact is the violence did not start on Oct. 7. It all started in 1948 and continues until the day Palestinians successfully break the 17-year inhumane and illegal siege around Gaza and it has not stopped since.

Since October 7, the IOF killed anything that moves in Gaza, including women, children, elderly, and babies in their incubators, and even animals. The IOF bombed schools, hospitals, and ambulances and they did not spare churches and mosques either.

Gilad Erdan, the Israeli Clown at the UN said, "People have the right to enjoy music and not to be killed by the 'jihadi,' 'adding', 'Our prisoners are precious." Okay, what about the Palestinians they killed by the Apache and by tanks while they are going to sleep or waiting for the aid truck? Were the babies who were left to die in the incubators Hamas fighter? That Israeli Clown does not want you to know about the Palestinian suffering, period.

Israel argued, "Each prisoner has a story more painful than the other." I agree! Let's also not forget that Palestinian prisoners are not a branch cut off the tree. They too have lives, dreams, parents, wives, children, and siblings waiting to be reunited with them. Some even lost their parents or children without saying goodbye or pay the proper respect to them.

Most of them have not attended their children's graduation or even weddings or the birth of the first grandchild. Palestinian political prisoners are human too. They have the right to know their charges and trial date and the right for legal defense and family visitation, not to be ignored and languish in concentration camps until they die.

Israeli is making it harder and impossible to have prisoner swap deal. Crime Minister Netanyahu is more concerned about saving his political career than saving the lives of the Israeli hostages.

He is making it harder and impossible to have prisoner swap deal. At this juncture, the only victory either side can score is to save innocent lives from both sides.

With the help of the US, Israel managed to kill and injure over 100,000 during the last 193 days in Gaza and the West Bank. Some of the victims are still buried under the rubble. Among the victims: 9000+ women and 12,200 children, not to mention the nearly 75,000 injured.

Palestinian people deserve to live freely and to sleep peacefully at night and not to be under the threat and the sound of bombs 24 hours a day. After the start of Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, almost immediately, the leaders of every Western nation condemned Hamas for breaking the illegal siege around Gaza but for the last six months, those cowardly leaders show lack of concern towards Palestinians' daily suffering and are practically acting as deaf, blind, and mute about the Israeli war crimes since the beginning of Al-Aqsa flood operation.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and retired USA veteran who lives in Westerville, Ohio. He could be reached at: [email protected]