Probity even applies to war. Epic Mahabharata sheds light on the humane angle to be followed in war. The book mentions not to attack an unarmed surrendering nemesis. But interestingly, the same laws have been violated numerous times in Mahabharata itself. On the day when the Kurukshetra war ended, the exhausted members of the Pandava army were slaughtered by 'Aswathamavu' and his gang at night. War is unpredictable and war is equally cruel at all times.

According to the law adopted by the Geneva Conventions in 1949, attacking or bombing hospitals is a war crime. Likewise, volunteer groups such as the Red Cross who come to care for the wounded in war and journalists who come as part of news gatherings should not be attacked. On another note, Soldiers who have committed violence against women have been tried and convicted in various countries.

Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza was destroyed by a missile attack on Tuesday evening. According to reports, a total of 500 people died and 300 were injured in the ghastly bombing. Most of the casualties were children. At first, reports labelled Israel as the antagonist for conducting the horrific crime on innocent people with the hospital bombing. But Israel later denied this and blamed Hamas for the blast. The truth about the bombing will be shrouded for a long time and at some inconsequential stages in life, the reality will be opened to the world, with not many people even reminiscing about the blast.

There are many videos circulating on social media showing the hospital attack in Gaza and the atrocities committed by Israel and Hamas. The authenticity of the videos still remains questionable. There is also a social media lie factory running to whitewash the horrendous atrocities committed in the war. Such propaganda will make things trivial and give a hazy shade to the ghastly realities in Gaza. Every detail coming from the war remains ambiguous and no media is trustworthy enough for the people. On another note, the chasm existing between the two countries will be further widened because of the vile narrative and factoids promoted on social media.

As of now, the war remains unpredictable. In this situation, care must be taken on both sides to ensure that children, women and the sick do not become victims of war. Likewise, the UN should intervene to provide a safe exit for the people mired in the conflict zone in Gaza.

With repeated Israel air raids and Hamas’s retaliation, the once beautiful city of Gaza has blown into shreds. Thousands of lives have been lost on both sides in the war. Rescue workers say they are hearing cries from among the concrete rubble in Gaza. However, the Israeli air strikes are proving a hindrance for them to help the trapped civilians from the rubble.

Longer the war, more desperate cries will echo from Gaza; more decapitation of babies will follow; more women will experience inexplicable cruelties. Both countries should understand the need for world peace and should act pragmatically for the world, keeping away their flawed vanity.