When does observation become a humiliating spectacle?

Last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OCHA) led a virtual visit to Al Mawasi, Khan Younis, in Gaza for diplomats from twelve countries. Israel’s restrictions on entering Gaza has made it difficult for in person visits; hence the virtual tour so that diplomats could view how forcibly displaced Palestinians are living as a result of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. “Displaced people told the diplomats that they needed sustainable water services, especially during the hot summer days, and emphasised the need for cash-for-work opportunities to feed their families. Participants were also led through hundreds of tents crammed along the shoreline,” the OCHA report stated. No one has observed Gaza more than […]