For eight hours, Hala Arafat, 35, shouted out for help and sought to be rescued along with 14 of her relatives, including seven children, who were buried under the ruins in a bombing in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza’s Old City.

Her brother-in-law even filmed her cries, but the IDF prevented rescue services from reaching her, and drones attacked anyone who tried to help.

At night, when I saw these pictures, I was unable to sleep because of the shame. Of course, some will justify the attack with its “target” and objective, but whoever dares to look at the pictures of the damage caused to innocent people will undoubtedly feel the punch to the gut.

In contrast, most of the Israeli public doesn’t want to see or know. The main media outlets – except for Haaretz – are violating their journalistic responsibilities as they hide the state’s actions in Gaza from the public. I searched for Hala’s story on one of the channels and couldn’t find it. Life goes on as usual in Israel: The television screens switch from “Big Brother” to “The Masked Singer” while the Air Force carries out another war crime.

The entire Israeli media is going crazy over the massacre of the Druze in Syria – for good reason – but at exactly the same time, Israel is killing every day and every night masses of Palestinian civilians, women, children, young people and adults, with no one being brought to justice. Just an hour’s drive from Tel Aviv, hungry children are crying out for food – and we are watching another recipe in the winning kitchen.

“The most moral army in the world” is carrying out war crimes in the name of the Israeli government, and except for a small minority in the country, Israelis have no problem with it. In the name of the October 7 massacre and in the name of the hostages, we have gone blind. We’ve closed our ears and hearts, and we’ve become stiff-necked. As a discussion in the television studio about the “humanitarian” ghetto or “voluntary” expulsion carries on – we booked a flight abroad, a restaurant reservation or a theater ticket – or just plain laid down on the couch in front of another reality show.

I have no expectations from the right-wing, but where is the liberal camp? Where has it disappeared to? How can they sleep at night without hearing the cries of Hala Arafat? How long will the campaign of revenge, which includes sacrificing of the hostages and soldiers, continue? When will we say we’ve had enough? Israel has lost all restraint and every moral standard.

We, the Parents Circle – Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families for Peace, who have lost those dear to us, know that no revenge will bring them back. No security will be achieved by the killing, suffering and expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians – only more revenge, hatred and the loss of our humanity. The criminal acts of the Israeli government and the loss of morality is a price that will continue to be paid by us, our children and grandchildren for decades.

Rise up, my Israeli brothers and sisters. Turn off the television, hear the Hala Arafat’s voice and the voices of the hostages and soldiers, and reject the war.