By: Syuhelmaidi Syukur, Chairman of the Harika Foundation,\nPostgraduate Student at the SEBI Institute<\/p>\n
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA \u2013 The Gaza conflict once again raises\nfundamental questions that continue to recur throughout the history of\nglobal conflicts: does peace simply mean the cessation of hostilities,\nor is it something more \u2013 namely, the restoration of human dignity,\njustice, and a future for generations living amidst the ruins?<\/p>\n
The escalation of violence in Gaza is not merely a regional tragedy.\nIt has become a global geopolitical issue involving major powers,\ninternational organisations, and regional actors with their respective\ninterests. However, amidst the flurry of diplomacy and security\nstrategies, one thing is often overlooked: the voices of the people\nliving in the conflict itself.<\/p>\n
Gaza today is not only a battlefield, but also a space of collective\ntrauma, a humanitarian crisis, and a battleground of narratives about\njustice, security, and identity.<\/p>\n
Humanitarian Statistics: The Scale of the Gaza Tragedy<\/p>\n
The latest humanitarian data reveals the immense scale of the\ntragedy. As of early 2026, approximately 71,657 Gazan civilians have\nbeen reported killed, including 18,592 children and 12,400 women, while\nmore than 180,000 people have been injured.<\/p>\n
In addition, approximately 2 million people are displaced, most of\nwhom have experienced repeated displacement, and more than 11,000 people\nremain missing. Physical damage is also extensive. Approximately 191,000\nbuildings have been damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n
More than 90 percent of homes have been affected, and the majority of\nschools are no longer functioning. The health system is on the verge of\ncollapse due to a lack of medicine, electricity, and medical\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, more than 500 incidents of attacks on health facilities\nhave been recorded by international organisations.<\/p>\n
The food crisis is exacerbating the situation. Humanitarian reports\nindicate that the entire population of Gaza is experiencing acute food\ninsecurity, with some people facing extreme hunger.<\/p>\n
These statistics confirm that the Gaza conflict is not just a\nmilitary war, but a structural humanitarian crisis with long-term\nconsequences.<\/p>\n
The Story Behind the Statistics<\/p>\n
However, statistics only tell part of the story. In various parts of\nGaza, many families live in emergency tents or damaged buildings after\ntheir homes were destroyed. Repeated displacement has become a common\nexperience, making the concept of \u201chome\u201d lose its meaning of\nstability.<\/p>\n
Parents are trying to maintain hope for their children, while basic\nneeds such as clean water, food, and healthcare are becoming sources of\ndaily anxiety. Tragic incidents during the distribution of food aid,\nwhich resulted in civilian deaths, show how basic needs can turn into\ndangerous situations.<\/p>\n
According to our volunteers in the refugee camps, thousands of\nfamilies live in crowded conditions with limited sanitation, while\naccess to education is increasingly disrupted. This experience creates\ndeep collective trauma.<\/p>\n
Civil Society in the Midst of Conflict<\/p>\n
Amidst the limitations of formal political space, Palestinian civil\nsociety plays an important role. Local NGOs provide humanitarian\nservices, advocate for human rights, and implement community-based\npeace-building programmes.<\/p>\n
This role shows that, behind the military conflict, there are quiet\nefforts to build peace from the ground up. Cross-community dialogue,\npeace education, and social solidarity are forms of non-violent\nresistance that rarely receive attention.<\/p>\n
However, civil society also faces serious challenges: limited\nfunding, restrictions on mobility, and the politicisation of civil\nspace. Without adequate support, the voices of grassroots communities\nrisk being marginalised in the global peace architecture.<\/p>\n
The Invisible Wounds: Gaza\u2019s Trauma<\/p>\n
One of the dimensions often overlooked in geopolitical discourse is\npsychological trauma. The Gaza conflict has created collective trauma\nthat affects social identity, mental health, and people\u2019s perceptions of\nthe future.<\/p>\n
Children growing up in conditions of repeated war are at risk of\ninheriting conflict memories that shape the identity of future\ngenerations. This generational trauma can reinforce the cycle of\nviolence if it is not addressed seriously.<\/p>\n
However, amidst the trauma, the people of Gaza also demonstrate\nextraordinary social resilience. Community solidarity, family networks,\nand religious practices are mechanisms of healing that help people\nsurvive.<\/p>\n
This shows that peace requires not only physical reconstruction, but\nalso psychological and social recovery.<\/p>\n
The Perspective of Maqasid Peace: Peace as a Benefit<\/p>\n
This is where Islamic perspectives offer an important contribution\nthrough the concept of maqasid al-shariah. Maqasid emphasises the\nprotection of life, reason, lineage, religion and property as the\nfoundation of human well-being.<\/p>\n
In the context of Gaza, this approach places peace as an effort to\nprotect human life in its entirety. Peace is not only measured by\npolitical stability, but also by the restoration of trauma, social\nreconstruction, and structural justice.<\/p>\n
The concept of sulh in Islam emphasises reconciliation through\ndialogue and the restoration of social relations. Meanwhile, the\nprinciple of wasatiyyah offers moderation as a way out of extreme\npolarisation. This approach also opens up space for spiritually-based\ntrauma healing, which has proven to be a source of resilience for the\npeople of Gaza.<\/p>\n
The Spirit of the Indonesian Constitution: Rejecting Colonialism in\nthe World<\/p>\n
For the Indonesian nation, the issue of Gaza has strong historical\nand moral resonance.<\/p>\n
The Preamble to the 1945 Constitution clearly states that\nindependence is the right of all nations and colonialism in the world\nmust be abolished because it is incompatible with humanity and\njustice.<\/p>\n
This spirit of the constitution is not just rhetoric, but a\nreflection of Indonesia\u2019s historical experience as a nation that once\nlived under colonialism. Therefore, Indonesia\u2019s support for\nindependence, justice, and global peace is both a constitutional and\nmoral mandate.<\/p>\n
In the context of Gaza, this spirit reminds us that peace must not\nignore justice. The abolition of colonialism, the protection of\u2026<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gaza-peace-and-the-voices-often-forgotten-1771996932", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }