TEHRAN - The horrifying images making their way out of Gaza over the past two weeks are sure to fill up anyone’s heart with nerve-wracking agony and unbearable sorrow.

Over 5,000 innocent civilians have tragically lost their lives in the latest waves of Israeli strikes against Gaza. Shockingly, more than half of these casualties are children, and an additional 14,000 individuals have been injured.

Videos circulating online can give us a small glimpse of the humanitarian crisis that's currently unfolding in Gaza. With the territory under a full siege by the Israeli regime, and hospitals, schools, bakeries, mosques and churches constantly getting targeted, the people of Gaza find themselves in a desperate race against time to survive. Within the densely populated area, over 1.5 million individuals have been displaced and are under everlasting threats from the regime to abandon their homes, much like their ancestors were forced to do in 1948.

While public support for Palestinians is growing worldwide, it is disheartening to see that world leaders, particularly those in the Western world, remain steadfast in supporting the regime's genocidal actions against Gazans. The leaders of the United States, Britain, France, and Germany have visited the occupied territories in recent days to voice their unequivocal support for a regime that many have come to recognize as a rump state designed to ensure Western imperialistic interests in West Asia. These Western countries have stepped up their weapons lifeline to Israel despite mounting criticism by their people. The regime will use the array of new Western weapons to lob thousands of more bombs at Palestinians, in a bid to make up for its egregious October 7 failure against Hamas fighters.

In recent years, people across West Asia have taken to the streets to voice their solidarity with Palestine. However, the citizens of Iran have gone a step further by expressing their willingness to confront the Israeli regime within Gaza itself.

A powerful campaign, titled "Your Opponent Is Me" was launched in response to Israel's relentless assault on Palestinians shortly after the regime began its attacks. Iranians, who previously helped defeat the Daesh terror group in Iraq and Syria have once again taken it upon themselves to help get rid of the latest child-killing machine in the region that has been put into operation by the Israeli regime and its Western patrons. The people of Iran are not strangers to heavy bombardments; they had to fight off an 8-year war imposed upon them by the U.S.-backed Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, and know how it is to feel like it’s only you standing against the rest of the world. So far more than 6.2 million people have joined the campaign which aims to help “the oppressed Palestinian nation restore their dignity” as stated on the Website.

Saturday night I took a short walk from my office to reach a crowd of thousands of protesters gathered in Tehran’s Palestine Square. It was one of the several demonstrations people have staged in the Iranian capital and across the rest of the country in recent days to voice support for Palestinians. I took my time listening to people’s chants and tried to observe their faces closely. Some shouted “Death to Israel” with grim and angry expressions on their faces and some could be seen shedding heart-wrenching tears while holding up placards of slaughtered Palestinian children.

I got the chance to speak to one of the female participants who looked to be in her 40s. “Everything that’s been happening in Gaza reminds me of the battle of Karbala,” she said, adding, “People have no food or water. Children are dying and the leaders in the region care more about filling up their pockets than to save these poor souls. I can only wish that they don’t end up with the same fate of our beloved Imam Hussein.”

I got to speak with a few more demonstrators. One of them was a 19-year-old student who has recently entered university. I asked him if he had joined the popular campaign to fight Israel. “I joined it the day it was launched. It is very difficult for me to watch what’s happening in Gaza while staying here and enjoying security. I want to do my share for humanity like the previous generations of Iranians did.” As he spoke, a radiant light beamed from his eyes, but there was no sign of fear or terror in his expression. Rather, he exuded a sense of profound contentment, having discovered a means to contribute actively to ending the ongoing atrocities committed against Humanity in Palestine.

Despite Western media outlets being in full swing to spread anti-Palestinian sentiments, they have largely failed to whip the public into a pro-Israel fervor. Especially here in Iran, where people live their everyday lives trying to live up to the legacy of thousands of martyrs who gave up everything for humanity and justice.

By Mona Hojat Ansari