According to a report by the organization “Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project,” the number of deaths in global conflicts in 2024 exceeded 233,000. These casualties resulted from the following wars that have plagued humanity:
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Israel’s attack on Lebanon, Turkey’s invasion and its proxy forces’ assault on the autonomous administration in northern and eastern Syria, The civil wars in Myanmar, Sudan, Somalia, and Congo, Conflicts in West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria).
NATO’s expansion to Russia’s borders, perceived by the Russian government as a threat to its national security, ignited this devastating war, leading to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, Russia could have relied on global anti-war and anti-fascist movements to prevent Ukraine’s accession to NATO but chose to launch an aggressive war instead. Western sources report that the Russia-Ukraine war, with 67,000 casualties in 2024 alone, was the deadliest confrontation of the year.
The most harrowing war of the past year was the genocide carried out by the Israeli military in Gaza, where the victims were predominantly civilians. Supported by tens of billions of dollars in military and financial aid from the U.S., Germany, and the U.K., the Israeli army caused nearly 50,000 deaths in Gaza in 2024. Two-thirds of the victims were women and children deliberately targeted by the Israeli military. Survivors have often lost spouses, parents, or children. The only thing keeping them going is their resistance against the occupying forces.
Heroic women, such as nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers, have served the people amidst Israel’s relentless bombing, severe restrictions on access to clean water, food, medicine, and shelter, bringing them close to death. Courageous journalists and reporters have also exposed Israel’s crimes in Gaza, often stepping in to fill the void left by colleagues deliberately targeted by Israeli forces. Meanwhile, mainstream bourgeois media, owned by billionaires, have censored the genocide in Gaza, distorting and justifying Israel’s atrocities under the guise of a war against Hamas. Western imperialist governments label any group or individual opposing Israel’s genocide as anti-Semitic and suppress their activism.
Another imposed war worth mentioning is Turkey’s and its proxies’, the “Syrian National Army,” assault on the Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, and other ethnicities in the democratic self-administration of northern and eastern Syria. The Turkish military’s ongoing airstrikes have targeted vital infrastructure, including power plants, water resources, hospitals, and schools in the region. Meanwhile, Turkish-backed militias have occupied parts of Syrian Kurdistan, including the Afrin canton. Currently, clashes are ongoing around the city of Kobani and the Tishreen Dam, with the Democratic Syrian Forces successfully repelling Turkey’s heavy ground and air assaults on these areas.
Regarding war and its ensuing bloodshed, many predictions for 2025 are pessimistic, suggesting even more conflicts initiated by enemies of humanity. However, given the deepening structural crisis of capitalism and widespread popular anger in regions like Iran, revolutionary changes are possible. If such scenarios materialize, greater resistance against war-mongers could emerge, offering hope that the coming year will not be as dark as the last.
