When we speak of war, we usually imagine two armies facing each other, two opposing forces clashing on the battlefield. This is what happens in Ukraine, where the Russian and Ukrainian armies fight openly in a devastating but recognizable conflict. In Gaza, however, the reality is very different.
On one side stands the IDF, a regular army with advanced technology and unmatched military power in the region. On the other side, there is no real army, but rather Hamas fighters hidden in tunnels, far from direct confrontation. This imbalance means that those who fall under airstrikes and military operations are not combatants, but overwhelmingly civilians: families, women, children, and the elderly.
The images speak for themselves: entire neighborhoods erased, schools and hospitals struck, homes reduced to rubble. Daily life has collapsed, with no water, no electricity, and scarce essential goods. This is not a war in the classical sense, but a humanitarian tragedy of unprecedented scale that deserves to be recognized for what it truly is.
Europe and the international community cannot close their eyes to a reality in which there are not two armies in the field, but rather one army and a defenseless civilian population. To call it a “war” risks confusing the picture and justifying what is happening. Speaking with clarity is an act of justice for the victims and a moral duty for anyone who still believes in the dignity of human life.
