Written by Konstantinos Konstantinidis of Amphiκtyon
Gaza has been a thriving Greek city since time immemorial. From the various archaeological finds and ancient sources, the city is said to have been inhabited for more than three continuous millennia. [Based on my personal research, it dates back to the time of the migration of the Achaeans of Crete and Cyprus to the Near East in +- 33,000 to 31,000 years B.C. Its first historical mention is made by Pharaoh Tuthmosis III (of the 18th Pharaonic dynasty), that is, around 1500 B.C. which means that it was already a developed city inhabited by the Philistine Achaeans and the Palaestians (Palestinians) who came from the Aegean region. Several ancient writers mention the visit of Hercules to Gaza after Ethiopia and even instituted athletic competitions. The city is also mentioned in the tablets of Tell el Amarna which were the diplomatic and administrative archives of ancient Egypt. In the time of the Bible, when according to the Israelites, the god Yahweh decided to lead them to this region, Gaza was already, not only an important city but also the center of the so-called “Pentapolis of the Greek Philistines” ] In the 6th century it was occupied by the Arabs and since then Gaza lost its Greek heyday and its population progressively became Islamized. After the wars of 1948 and onwards, Gaza was the narrow strip of coast squeezed between Israel and Egypt. Its area is slightly larger than the island of Andros. There it lived with constant friction and conflicts with its neighbor Israel under poor economic conditions. Deprived of a port and airport and other facilities, it was served through Israel. Most Palestinians worked in Israel and returned to Gaza at night or lived on subsidies from the Emirates and the UN. The Palestinian Community was divided into Gaza and the West Bank. After the death of Yasser Arafat, they lived under separate authorities. After the Hamas attack and the execution of approximately 1,400 Israeli civilians on 7 Oct. 2023, Israel decided on the complete destruction of the Gaza Strip, which it carried out with particular cruelty in the annals of the conflicts, both with a military invasion into Gaza and with bombings until its complete destruction and razing with heavy losses of Palestinian civilians (over 55,000) the majority of whom were women and children. Today Gaza is uninhabited, a ghost town, a pile of ruins, without the necessities of life for humans, but only a habitat suitable for rodents, germs and cockroaches. Within the ruins, the Palestinian people are starving and living a life in Dante’s hell. At present I have no intention or right to judge the whole case, nor to condemn the leaders and perpetrators of this horrible situation that has lasted seventy-seven years(77). I only wish to raise the voice of humanity and reason. Enough of the criminal indifference of the International Community due to conflicting interests. a/ Stop this criminal war b/ Immediately release the hostages (alive and their bodies) and make a ceasefire and a Peace Agreement c/ Hamas’ resistance has been fatal for the Palestinian people and should have disappeared for the existence of a future for this martyred people d/ Stop the forces that reinforce the conflict (Turkey, Iran) and possibly others for their own benefit e/ The powerful of the earth together with the leaders of the Gulf should recognize and guarantee the security of the new Palestinian state with defined borders under a moderate administration always. f/ The international community and the wealthy Gulf states should finance the reconstruction of the Gaza region g/ There should be cooperation between Israel and the new Palestinian state when it is established. This will be a salvation for both Israel and the Palestinians, but also for all the countries that expect the new supply axis to operate through the Middle East to the Mediterranean and Europe. Greece must play a role for this once Hellenistic region where Hellenism flourished until recently It would be a “sacrifice” and a cultural crime of the 21st Century to sacrifice such an ancient historical people of the region on the altar of a temporary political conflict. Gaza is part of the ecological and cultural human environment and must not be lost. Because I also lived as a hungry and starving child during the terrible German Occupation (1941-1944), I completely sympathize with the hungry children of Palestine who are even killed by fire in order to get a portion of food. Mercy, Mercy and minimal Humanity citizens of the world!!! (29/7/25)
*Amphiktyon Major General (retd) Konstantinos Konstantinidis Author, Member of the Society of Greek Writers amphiktyon@gmail.com http://amphiktyon.blogspot.com/ http://amphiktyon.org Anyone wishing to be deleted should return this with the indication “deletion” “in accordance with article 14 of law 2672/98