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By Mihar Dias January 2025
Malaysia, under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has pledged to rebuild Gaza, beginning with a school, hospital, and mosque. https://newswav.com/A2501_ElDDZm?s=A_G0S5NT8&language=en
This humanitarian effort, in collaboration with Japan and private donors, reflects Malaysia’s strong support for Palestine. https://newswav.com/A2501_ElDDZm?s=A_G0S5NT8&language=en
Yet, the fundamental question remains: Why isn’t Israel paying for the destruction it caused?
Since October 2023, over 46,000 Gazans have been killed, millions displaced, and entire neighborhoods erased. The estimated cost of reconstruction exceeds US$1 trillion. https://newswav.com/A2501_ElDDZm?s=A_G0S5NT8&language=en
Despite this, Israel faces no financial repercussions, while the burden falls on the very communities it bombed and their allies.
History has shown that aggressors can be held accountable. Post-WWII, Germany paid reparations. After the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq compensated Kuwait. The U.S. rebuilt parts of Japan after Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Why, then, is Israel exempt?
The recent ceasefire offers only a temporary pause. Gaza remains an open-air prison, its economy shattered. While Hamas and Israel negotiate, no one discusses reparations for the innocent lives lost or the cities reduced to rubble.
If Israel truly seeks peace, it must rebuild what it destroyed. Yet, as history has shown, Israel’s actions are rarely met with meaningful consequences. Instead, nations like Malaysia, despite their limited resources, step in to shoulder the humanitarian responsibility.
Malaysia’s initiative is commendable, but the international community must demand more.
A just world cannot allow a nation to bomb indiscriminately and leave others to clean up its mess. Israel should not get away with destruction without restitution. Countries that continue to shield Israel diplomatically and financially should be asked: Will you stand for justice, or will you enable further destruction?
As Malaysia lays the first bricks in Gaza’s reconstruction, let this effort not just be an act of charity, but a call to action.
If peace is the goal, Israel must take responsibility—not just by ending its assault, but by paying for the devastation it caused.
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