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Forums - Politics Discussion - Israel-Hamas war, Gaza genocide

US weapons used by Israeli forces to kill ‘children without restraint’: Rights group

A children’s rights group has called on the US to stop sending weapons that the Israeli military uses to kill Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.

Defense for Children International Palestine said the killing in Jenin of two 15-year-old boys by Israeli snipers on Tuesday morning – one of whom was “returning home from school on his electric bicycle” – underscored the regular use of lethal force against Palestinian children by Israel’s military “in circumstances that may amount to extrajudicial or wilful killings”.

“The United States must stop sending weapons to the Israeli military that are used to kill Palestinian children without restraint, whether in Gaza or Jenin,” the organisation said in a statement.

https://x.com/DCIPalestine/status/1793303779514650799

Death toll from Israeli military raid on Jenin rises to 12

A Palestinian man has died from wounds sustained during Israel’s raid on the Jenin refugee camp, according to the Wafa news agency, increasing the death toll from the days-long military incursion so far to 12.

The latest victim, 30-year-old Mustafa Ibrahim Musa Jabarin, died at al-Razi Hospital in Jenin a short while ago, the facility’s director told Wafa.

Other victims include four children, a teacher and a doctor.


Smoke rises from a street as vehicles are driven around Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, on May 22

Half of all Israeli military brigades in Gaza deployed to Rafah battle: Monitors

Five of the 10 Israeli military brigades deployed in the Gaza Strip are now operating in Rafah, where Israel’s ground forces are pushing deep into the centre of the southern city, war monitors report.

According to the latest battlefield report by US-based defence think tanks, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP), Israeli forces operating in Rafah are advancing along the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometre (8.5-mile) strip of land between Egypt and Gaza.

According to the ISW/CTP report, Israeli warplanes have been hitting targets in eastern Rafah to “shape the terrain for follow-on ground operations”.

In a post on social media on Wednesday, Israel’s military said its air force had attacked approximately 130 targets across Gaza over the previous day.



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I don't think it is right to call it a genozide. If so,Israel is doing a very bad job. They could be far more effective, even with the world watching, compared to what they are doing now. And this is using figures Hamas provided, a group whos ethics I do not entirely trust not to lie for their gain.
But even with their numbers (recently the ratio of women, children and elderly has been lowered) the civilian-combatant-casualty ratio does not look bad at all, compared to other wars we had. If this is a genozide and unethical targeting of civillians, so was Korea, Vietnam, the war on ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

And how many Russian forces have to be killed for the international crys for a ceasfire? Russia started it, Ukraine is defending itself. The difference is only that the attacked Ukraine is perceived as weak, so they get support (from me too). The attacked Israel is perceived as strong in comparison to Gaza and Hamas. So they just have to take the attack?
No, Israel has the right to defend itself. And when they have a group of people who really are, by their own admission, genozidal towards them, they have to completely destroy that group of people, Hamas (not Palestine). A ceasfire would just give Hamas the opportunity to get strong again. They have to be destroyed.

Hamas started this war. As far as I am concerned the blood of the innocent Palestinians is on their hands, not on Israel. And that is my next point - Gaza (obviously) lost. And yet the war continues. This is not because of Israels cruelty. It is because of Hamas cruelty. A ceasfire is not the only way to stop this war. Hamas could surrender completely, instead of hiding behind their people they should serve, using them as human shields. Really simple, if you stop making war with Israel, you don't have one on your hands.

There were people around the world celebrating 07.10. None of these people wanted a ceasfire than. Now that "their side" is losing they cry about an end to the violence. Not saying these are always the very same people. But the huge protests in Sidney, London etc. were not held on 07.10. That did not warrent coming out in 10s of thousands of people to shout about an end to violence. Just when Israel responds, then it is a crime to protest against.
The international response is really fascinating to me. So many wars around the world with so many dead muslims, way more civilian casualties than Israel is responsible for right now, yet nobody gave a flying f*. But the moment the jews kill muslims it is a crime against humanity. Selective outrage like this is hypocritical as far as I can tell.



JuliusHackebeil said:

I don't think it is right to call it a genozide. If so,Israel is doing a very bad job. They could be far more effective, even with the world watching, compared to what they are doing now. And this is using figures Hamas provided, a group whos ethics I do not entirely trust not to lie for their gain.
But even with their numbers (recently the ratio of women, children and elderly has been lowered) the civilian-combatant-casualty ratio does not look bad at all, compared to other wars we had. If this is a genozide and unethical targeting of civillians, so was Korea, Vietnam, the war on ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

And how many Russian forces have to be killed for the international crys for a ceasfire? Russia started it, Ukraine is defending itself. The difference is only that the attacked Ukraine is perceived as weak, so they get support (from me too). The attacked Israel is perceived as strong in comparison to Gaza and Hamas. So they just have to take the attack?
No, Israel has the right to defend itself. And when they have a group of people who really are, by their own admission, genozidal towards them, they have to completely destroy that group of people, Hamas (not Palestine). A ceasfire would just give Hamas the opportunity to get strong again. They have to be destroyed.

Hamas started this war. As far as I am concerned the blood of the innocent Palestinians is on their hands, not on Israel. And that is my next point - Gaza (obviously) lost. And yet the war continues. This is not because of Israels cruelty. It is because of Hamas cruelty. A ceasfire is not the only way to stop this war. Hamas could surrender completely, instead of hiding behind their people they should serve, using them as human shields. Really simple, if you stop making war with Israel, you don't have one on your hands.

There were people around the world celebrating 07.10. None of these people wanted a ceasfire than. Now that "their side" is losing they cry about an end to the violence. Not saying these are always the very same people. But the huge protests in Sidney, London etc. were not held on 07.10. That did not warrent coming out in 10s of thousands of people to shout about an end to violence. Just when Israel responds, then it is a crime to protest against.
The international response is really fascinating to me. So many wars around the world with so many dead muslims, way more civilian casualties than Israel is responsible for right now, yet nobody gave a flying f*. But the moment the jews kill muslims it is a crime against humanity. Selective outrage like this is hypocritical as far as I can tell.

If Israel is providing numbers of how many combatants they killed why can't they tell us how many civilians had to die in the process? 

Non of this started on the 7th of October, and if it did, why is the West Bank displacement and settlements are going ahead and allowed to happen for decades? 

You can't accuse SvennoJ of selective outrage, he's educated on many conflicts on which muslims killed muslims including the war on Yemen (with American weapons that were liberally despite knowing to whom they're going to), and has been fiercely outspoken about many of them, like many others in independent media outlets (that are frequently cited here and have no problems calling this war for what it is; a genocide). 

Just because of a bunch of fucks managed to trigger you in Sydney or London, it doesn't mean we lose sight of what's right and wrong. My views on the unopposed spread of the hateful Islamic ideologies in the west is probably well-known around these forums, it doesn't mean I am ok watching Palestinians slaughtered by ultra far right religious maniacs who have made their goals and intents very clear to everyone and everybody.

Not only these maniacs are slaughtering innocents, but they're interfering with our elections too in broad daylight. They have already chosen which candidate to back in the upcoming elections. How does the Israeli government continue to have any supporters in the west despite all of this is beyond me! 



JuliusHackebeil said:

But even with their numbers (recently the ratio of women, children and elderly has been lowered) the civilian-combatant-casualty ratio does not look bad at all, compared to other wars we had. If this is a genozide and unethical targeting of civillians, so was Korea, Vietnam, the war on ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

Yes, yes, yes and yes? It's not hard to see we're all animals and if we want the world to be a better place, we ought to reflect inward before pointing fingers... 



LurkerJ said:
JuliusHackebeil said:

I don't think it is right to call it a genozide. If so,Israel is doing a very bad job. They could be far more effective, even with the world watching, compared to what they are doing now. And this is using figures Hamas provided, a group whos ethics I do not entirely trust not to lie for their gain.
But even with their numbers (recently the ratio of women, children and elderly has been lowered) the civilian-combatant-casualty ratio does not look bad at all, compared to other wars we had. If this is a genozide and unethical targeting of civillians, so was Korea, Vietnam, the war on ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

And how many Russian forces have to be killed for the international crys for a ceasfire? Russia started it, Ukraine is defending itself. The difference is only that the attacked Ukraine is perceived as weak, so they get support (from me too). The attacked Israel is perceived as strong in comparison to Gaza and Hamas. So they just have to take the attack?
No, Israel has the right to defend itself. And when they have a group of people who really are, by their own admission, genozidal towards them, they have to completely destroy that group of people, Hamas (not Palestine). A ceasfire would just give Hamas the opportunity to get strong again. They have to be destroyed.

Hamas started this war. As far as I am concerned the blood of the innocent Palestinians is on their hands, not on Israel. And that is my next point - Gaza (obviously) lost. And yet the war continues. This is not because of Israels cruelty. It is because of Hamas cruelty. A ceasfire is not the only way to stop this war. Hamas could surrender completely, instead of hiding behind their people they should serve, using them as human shields. Really simple, if you stop making war with Israel, you don't have one on your hands.

There were people around the world celebrating 07.10. None of these people wanted a ceasfire than. Now that "their side" is losing they cry about an end to the violence. Not saying these are always the very same people. But the huge protests in Sidney, London etc. were not held on 07.10. That did not warrent coming out in 10s of thousands of people to shout about an end to violence. Just when Israel responds, then it is a crime to protest against.
The international response is really fascinating to me. So many wars around the world with so many dead muslims, way more civilian casualties than Israel is responsible for right now, yet nobody gave a flying f*. But the moment the jews kill muslims it is a crime against humanity. Selective outrage like this is hypocritical as far as I can tell.

You can't accuse SvennoJ of selective outrage, he's educated on many conflicts on which muslims killed muslims including the war on Yemen (with American weapons that were liberally despite knowing to whom they're going to), and has been fiercely outspoken about many of them, like many others in independent media outlets (that are frequently cited here and have no problems calling this war for what it is; a genocide).

Just a quick reply, no time right now: I did not accuse SvennoJ of anything. I don't know him very well and have only seen him in here as a level headed, sympathetic guy. We disagree on this war, but I cannot call him out about anything, since I don't know him. I was writing about the international response and that is what I ment with selective outrage and hypocracy. Not any one single person on this forum. But the tens of thousands of people suddenly now caring after countless other war deaths in different conflicts.

Sorry if what I wrote came across as an attack to Svennoj - was not meant that way at all.

I will reply fully later.



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JuliusHackebeil said:

I don't think it is right to call it a genozide. If so,Israel is doing a very bad job. They could be far more effective, even with the world watching, compared to what they are doing now. And this is using figures Hamas provided, a group whos ethics I do not entirely trust not to lie for their gain.
But even with their numbers (recently the ratio of women, children and elderly has been lowered) the civilian-combatant-casualty ratio does not look bad at all, compared to other wars we had. If this is a genozide and unethical targeting of civillians, so was Korea, Vietnam, the war on ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

And how many Russian forces have to be killed for the international crys for a ceasfire? Russia started it, Ukraine is defending itself. The difference is only that the attacked Ukraine is perceived as weak, so they get support (from me too). The attacked Israel is perceived as strong in comparison to Gaza and Hamas. So they just have to take the attack?
No, Israel has the right to defend itself. And when they have a group of people who really are, by their own admission, genozidal towards them, they have to completely destroy that group of people, Hamas (not Palestine). A ceasfire would just give Hamas the opportunity to get strong again. They have to be destroyed.

Hamas started this war. As far as I am concerned the blood of the innocent Palestinians is on their hands, not on Israel. And that is my next point - Gaza (obviously) lost. And yet the war continues. This is not because of Israels cruelty. It is because of Hamas cruelty. A ceasfire is not the only way to stop this war. Hamas could surrender completely, instead of hiding behind their people they should serve, using them as human shields. Really simple, if you stop making war with Israel, you don't have one on your hands.

There were people around the world celebrating 07.10. None of these people wanted a ceasfire than. Now that "their side" is losing they cry about an end to the violence. Not saying these are always the very same people. But the huge protests in Sidney, London etc. were not held on 07.10. That did not warrent coming out in 10s of thousands of people to shout about an end to violence. Just when Israel responds, then it is a crime to protest against.
The international response is really fascinating to me. So many wars around the world with so many dead muslims, way more civilian casualties than Israel is responsible for right now, yet nobody gave a flying f*. But the moment the jews kill muslims it is a crime against humanity. Selective outrage like this is hypocritical as far as I can tell.

Let me break down all the propaganda you're referring to in your post.


According to the Geneva conventions, the term genocide applies.

https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.1_Convention%20on%20the%20Prevention%20and%20Punishment%20of%20the%20Crime%20of%20Genocide.pdf

Mainly for

Article II

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

( a ) Killing members of the group;
( b ) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
( c ) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

These 3 points are undeniable.

Lavender AI targets whole families. It doesn't matter what the alleged affiliation with Hamas is, civil workers that simply had a government job get targeted. Acedemics get targeted, journalists get targeted, civil police get targeted. Every day more houses get bombed.

Continued repeated displacement, no safe areas, no health access, no food, no water, no electricity, all imposed by Israel. All causing serious mental harm to all Palestinians in Gaza.

After 7 months there is little left of Gaza, most schools and hospitals destroyed, most infrastructure destroyed, farmland, fishing boats, tree groves, water, most of Gaza has been made unliveable. Next to that the civilian population is being starved by a total blockade upheld by Israel, with Israel thwarting every attempt to bring more aid in, even tipping of Settlers where to attack and block aid convoys.

Also cultural sites, mosques, acheological sites, museums, civil centers, archives, parliament buildings, all destroyed and looted by Israel. That shows intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. Israel is trying to erase the Palestinian identity.

( d ) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group

This one is an (un)intentional side affect from the war on healthcare and not allowing any neonatal care supplies in Gaza. Women simply don't stop being pregnant when a war starts, many infants don't survive due to malnurishment and lack of healthcare, brought on Gaza by Israel.



But even with their numbers (recently the ratio of women, children and elderly has been lowered) the civilian-combatant-casualty ratio does not look bad at all, compared to other wars we had. If this is a genozide and unethical targeting of civillians, so was Korea, Vietnam, the war on ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

Genocide is not defined by the number killed. But yes, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq were also all horrible wars with many civilian deaths. Which is also a big reason why the US is so adamant to prevent the ICC and ICJ from intervening here. The US has terrible skeletons in their closets and has caused many millions of deaths in the Middle East. Most deaths occur in the fallout of the war btw, direct combat deaths are about 1/5th of the total deaths after the wa. https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/

The difference with those other wars is though, that civilians could evacuate out of the way. In Gaza everyone is trapped, herded from one end to the other end. The civilian death toll is outrageous for the short time this 'war' has been going. Russia has been destroying Ukraine for over 2 years now, with over 10,500 civilian deaths and 25,000 to 30,000 Ukraine soldiers. The ratio in Gaza is the opposite.

And whether it's 8,000 confirmed or 14,000 estimated children killed (so far), how can you say the ratio does not look bad at all.



And how many Russian forces have to be killed for the international crys for a ceasfire? Russia started it, Ukraine is defending itself. The difference is only that the attacked Ukraine is perceived as weak, so they get support (from me too). The attacked Israel is perceived as strong in comparison to Gaza and Hamas. So they just have to take the attack?

Israel is not under attack, Ukraine is. Israel has full right to prosecute and go after the terrorists of the Oct 7 attacks. What they're doing in Gaza (and the west bank) is not self-defense however.

Gaza is under attack (has been for decades), so don't they have the right to self-defense? Do Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank just have to take the ongoing occupation, apartheid, attacks by Settlers, raids by the IDF, illegal detention and so on?

No, Israel has the right to defend itself. And when they have a group of people who really are, by their own admission, genozidal towards them, they have to completely destroy that group of people, Hamas (not Palestine). A ceasfire would just give Hamas the opportunity to get strong again. They have to be destroyed.

You can not destroy Hamas by military means. It didn't work for ISIS, not going to work for Hamas. All Israel is doing is giving Hamas more support, more recruits, more people turning to Hamas as a last defense. Hamas was created as response to the genocidal intent of the Likud party which coined the phrase from the sea to the river there shall only be Israeli sovereignty.

Hamas rose up 10 years later and took the phrase from Likud and turned it around, from the river to the sea Palestine shall be free. Netanyahu supported Hamas (right up to Oct 7) to prevent Gaza and the West Bank from uniting. Hamas revised its charter in 2017 to promote a 2 state solution and make clear their fight was against the Zionist government, not all Jews. The genocidal intent from the original charter has been abandoned.

Meanwhile Israel only got more radical and has often clearly stated intent to destroy Gaza and ethnically cleanse the area. Ben G'Vir is dead set on restoring settlements in Gaza while approving taking a record amount of more land from the West Bank. All against previous UNSC declarations.


An end to the war with a new government for Gaza and the West Bank will weaken Hamas. Keep up the occupation, apartheid, dehumanization, etc etc, and Hamas will grow. Hamas is growing now in the West Bank as response to the daily raids, illegal detentions and destruction of property and infrastructure.



Hamas started this war. As far as I am concerned the blood of the innocent Palestinians is on their hands, not on Israel. And that is my next point - Gaza (obviously) lost. And yet the war continues. This is not because of Israels cruelty. It is because of Hamas cruelty. A ceasfire is not the only way to stop this war. Hamas could surrender completely, instead of hiding behind their people they should serve, using them as human shields. Really simple, if you stop making war with Israel, you don't have one on your hands.

The war has been going on for 75 years. The oct 7 attacks were a result of what happened since the March of return in 2018-2019.
https://www.msf.org/great-march-return-depth

There was no peace on Oct 6.
https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2023/11/24/countdown-to-genocide/
Oct 7 was a reaction to the continued and escalating violence from Israel.

The war continues because of Netanyahu. He doesn't want a 2-state solution, apartheid is no longer sustainable and 'Greater Israel' would currently not become a fully Jewish state with roughly as many Muslims and Jews in the area. He wants the Palestinians to leave to move the 'numbers' in favor of those of Jewish religion, not to have to share the area with Muslims. Eventually it will have to become a multi cultural combined country where Jews and Muslims can live in peace together. Yet for that to happen, many decades of indoctrination will have to be undone.

That can only happen in times of peace. Yet for peace to happen, religious settlers need to be reigned in, the West Bank needs to be left alone and the daily harassment, discrimination and illegal detention of Palestinians needs to end. 700,000 (and growing) illegal settlers is what keeps the long standing conflict going.

There were people around the world celebrating 07.10. None of these people wanted a ceasfire than. Now that "their side" is losing they cry about an end to the violence. Not saying these are always the very same people. But the huge protests in Sidney, London etc. were not held on 07.10. That did not warrent coming out in 10s of thousands of people to shout about an end to violence. Just when Israel responds, then it is a crime to protest against.

Oct 7 attacks where universally condemned. But sure you always have insensitive idiots that celebrate atrocities. You see them on all sides. Heck IDF soldiers boast about their war crimes on Telegram and get applauded for it. No they are not the same people as those calling for ceasefire.

The huge protests came after it became clear Israel was going far beyond 'self-defense'. Right from the start Gaza was completely cut off of water, electricity, fuel, collective punishment. Then mass bombing with mass casualties followed. Then the protests started.

It didn't help Israel that they kept getting caught in lies (for example the 40 beheaded babies and claims of orchestrated rape campaigns) didn't allow independent investigators in, nor press.


The international response is really fascinating to me. So many wars around the world with so many dead muslims, way more civilian casualties than Israel is responsible for right now, yet nobody gave a flying f*. But the moment the jews kill muslims it is a crime against humanity. Selective outrage like this is hypocritical as far as I can tell.

The power of social media in action. And a lot of the outrage comes from being directly responsible for this genocide. Not in my name is a common slogan. The US is not vetoing the UN on resolutions against the other wars. The US is not actively funding these other wars. And these other wars only benefit from the attack on international law by Israel and the USA.

People has seen past the veil of Hasbara. They didn't give a crap before, but now thanks to social media got involved in what's going on. And so discovered the lies they have been fed by mainstream media for many years. That the conflict did not start on Oct 7, that there is apartheid is a democratic nation fully supported by the West.

There was plenty outrage over Afghanistan and Iraq as well, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay (still not closed), White phospur in Fallujah, depleted Uranium ammounition and so on. Yet the USA has always used its veto to clear itself from any criticism. Plus with influence over the media, eventually people gave up. That might still happen here as well, and what the US has been trying to get to. Telling Israel to tone it down, keep going, but generate less news please.

Yes it's hypocritical that people lose interest when it's not daily in the news. Yet maybe, getting one conflict resolved will pave the way for more attention to other wars and atrocities. And it's not because Jews are killing Muslims, it's Israel making Gaza unliveable, bombing entire families with no where to go, that's driving the protests.

You might call it selective outrage, yet the protests are bringing a lot of people with all different 'outrage' together. Patterns of oppression are being put together and for example people are discovering how police brutality in the US ties into US police training with the IDF. A lot of the misery in the Middle East directly ties into the geopolitics being played by Israel and the USA.

It's all connected. Israel exports oppression all over the world. Oppression techniques tested in Gaza and the West Bank. Oct 7 was not only horrible in itself, it also showed a weakness in Israel's 'supremacy' in how to keep populations under control.

So whether it's selective or not, imo it's right on target.



Westbank:

Thousands mourn Palestinians killed in Israeli raids on Jenin


Μourners carry bodies wrapped in flags during a group funeral of people killed in a raid by Israeli forces in Jenin

‘Every time they come to Jenin, it is destroyed. We live in misery’

Residents of the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank are assessing the damage caused by the two-day Israeli army raid, which killed 12 people, including four children.

Black canvas sheets littered the narrow alleyways of the impoverished camp, torn down after providing cover from Israeli drones. Damaged parts from Israeli armoured vehicles were laid out on a main street, adorned with the flag of the Islamic Jihad armed group, AFP reported.

The news agency’s journalists saw dozens of recently damaged buildings in the camp. Some of them have been wrecked while others are less severely damaged. On the roof of one of the damaged buildings, a teenager pointed out where an Israeli sniper had been positioned hours earlier.

Fayza Abu Qutna, 60, said she is tired of Israeli raids on the camp, where she has lived for decades. “Every time they come to Jenin, it is destroyed,” she told AFP. “We live in sadness. We live in misery.”

Palestinian children check a destroyed building in the aftermath of the Israeli raid on Jenin

Eighteen arrested in new occupied West Bank raids

Israeli forces have arrested 18 people across the occupied West Bank since last night, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, bringing the total number of arrests since October 7 to 8,840.

Most of the latest arrests took place in Bethlehem governorate, while others were in Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron and Jericho governorates.


Palestinian children check a destroyed building in the aftermath of the Israeli raid on Jenin

Israeli troops prevent medics from transporting injured person

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society posted footage from surveillance cameras allegedly showing Israeli troops preventing the transport of a wounded person in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin to a hospital.

The video shows paramedics lifting the wounded man onto a stretcher before leaving the room with their hands raised.



Gaza:

Fighting, bombardment continues in Beit Hanoon

One of the key developments on the ground is a new Israeli military incursion in Beit Hanoon in northern Gaza. This city was turned into rubble in the early phase of the war. But now the Israeli military is there again, fighting against remaining Hamas battalions. The city has come under bombardment that has destroyed more neighbourhoods.

At the same time, more attacks have been carried out in Rafah in the far south of the territory. A group of Palestinians was hit by a drone missile in Rafah’s central market, causing a number of casualties.


Israeli attacks on hospitals part of ‘campaign to eradicate Palestinian society’

Dr Mads Gilbert, an emergency physician, spoke to Al Jazeera about the continued attacks on medical facilities by Israeli forces in Gaza following the ongoing sieges on al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals.

He said there is no proof to back up the claims made by the Israeli military that the hospitals are used by Palestinian fighters.

“My experience from more than 20 years in Gaza is that the Palestinians don’t use civilian structures as what [Israel are] claiming, as some sort of hideouts for the armed resistance,” he said.

The Israeli attacks on hospitals, mosques, education facilities and bakeries are part of a “campaign to eradicate the Palestinian society and any sign of Palestinian structures in the civilian life”, he said.

“This is the politics of eradicating the Indigenous people to take their lands.”

He appealed to the governments of Spain, Ireland and Norway, who stated they would recognise an independent Palestinian state on Wednesday, to “step up the political pressure and practical sanctions against Israel” to halt the healthcare crisis in Gaza.

Palestinian killed in attack on central Gaza farmland

Rescuers have recovered the body of a Palestinian killed by an Israeli air attack in az-Zawayda area of central Gaza.

Footage posted by the Palestine Red Crescent Society shows medics covering the body of the victim, lying in an agricultural area, in a white shroud and transporting it to a hospital.

Israeli attacks since October 7 have regularly targeted Gaza’s farmland, decimating around half of the enclave’s tree crops even as the population faces a severe food shortage, according to satellite analysis by Kent State University’s He Yin.


Amid fuel shortages, Gaza residents relying more on donkey carts for transportation

With fuel shortages driving up the cost of transportation, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are increasingly struggling to get around – even for critical trips to the hospital.

“One litre of diesel now costs $16,” [$60 per gallon] Juda Safi, a displaced Palestinian who uses his pick-up truck to make a living, told Al Jazeera. “It’s utter injustice. If I charge a passenger $1 to $3, we end up fighting, but it’s beyond my control. I hardly end up covering the cost of fuel or earning something to feed my family.”

For those who cannot afford such fares, a donkey cart is the only alternative, say residents, who are increasingly using them to carry goods or travel.



Maggot infestations and wounds that never heal for Gaza’s malnourished

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/5/22/maggot-infestations-and-wounds-that-never-heal-for-gazas-malnourished

Dr Mohammed Harara, 28, had barely begun working as a general practitioner when he was thrust to the front lines of a warzone, forced to become a jack-of-all-trades.

In the nearly eight months since Israel launched its offensive on Gaza, Harara has seen more than he thought he ever would. Like the maggot-infested wounds of the maimed that he has had to stand by and helplessly look at.

Lacking medication and even basic hygiene materials, Harara and his colleagues are not able to clean – or keep clean – festering wounds. Also complicating their struggles are the patients’ severely compromised physical conditions, which are slow to heal and can make such an infestation lethal.

“Slowly, these unhygienic conditions caused the body to go into sepsis and people were dying,” he told Al Jazeera.

Gaza death toll rises

The number of people killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the start of the war has risen to at least 35,800, with 91 fatalities recorded in the past 24-hour reporting period, according to the latest figures by the Health Ministry in the besieged and bombarded territory.

Another 80,011 people have been wounded in the Israeli attacks since October 7, the ministry said, while thousands more are missing under the rubble and presumed killed.

Gaza National Security Forces assistant commander killed in Israeli strike: Interior Ministry

The Interior Ministry in Gaza says in a statement published on its official Telegram channel that Major General Diaa ad-Din ash-Shurafa was killed “as a result of an assassination carried out by Israeli occupation aircraft”.

The statement says he was on a tour of as-Saraya area of central Gaza City in the northern Strip this morning when he was killed, and that four other officers were injured in the attack.

The National Security Forces operate in the occupied West Bank, where it is under the command of the Palestinian Authority, and the Gaza Strip, where it reports to the Hamas-led government. Its function is to support governmental security forces.

Qassam Brigades says Israeli commander captured on October 7

Hamas’s armed wing announced in a video message that it captured Asaf Hamami, commander of the Israeli army’s Southern Brigade in the Gaza Strip, during its attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to Israeli media, Hamami was thought to have been killed on October 7 fighting in the Nirim kibbutz.

Al-Aqsa Hospital to cease operations due to lack of fuel: Gaza Health Ministry

Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza will soon stop its operations “because of [Israel’s] practices and the United Nations’ procrastination regarding the necessary fuel for the generators to work at the hospital”, Khalil al-Degran, Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson says at a news conference.

He said the hospital received 3,000 litres (800 gallons) of fuel on Wednesday, when it needs 5,000 litres (1,320 gallons) to operate, adding that there are currently 1,300 sick and wounded patients in the hospital.

“Their medical treatment will stop because of the lack of fuel,” he continued. “We have launched so many appeals during recent days to urgently have fuel in the hospital, but no concerned parties have responded.”

Black smoke rises as Israeli soldiers fight in western Rafah

Israeli forces have killed at least 38 Palestinians in air and artillery strikes across the Gaza Strip and have engaged in close combat with Hamas fighters in the city of Rafah. Israeli tanks advanced in Rafah’s southeast, edged towards the city’s western district of Yibna and continued to operate in three eastern suburbs, residents said.

“The occupation [Israeli forces] is trying to move farther to the west. They are on the edge of Yibna, which is densely populated. They didn’t invade it yet,” one resident said, asking not to be named. “We hear explosions, and we see black smoke coming up from the areas where the army has invaded. It was another very difficult night.”

MSF sounds alarm on situation at al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, says al-Awda Hospital “is being forced to close”.

“This follows a terrifying 4-day siege – the latest in a series of systematic attacks on health care by Israeli forces. Staff & patients were forced to leave one of the only hospitals still functioning in the north of Gaza,” it said on X.

Al-Awda Hospital came under siege by Israeli forces on Sunday and since then has come under direct attack by the Israeli army several times.


‘Health catastrophe’ imminent if fuel not supplied to Al-Aqsa Hospita

The Al-Aqsa Hospital just issued a press release providing an update on the dire situation at the central Gaza health facility.

  • The administration of Al-Aqsa Hospital warns of an imminent health catastrophe if fuel is not supplied to the hospital within the next few hours.
  • We express our deep astonishment and disapproval at the policy of procrastination that Al-Aqsa Hospital is being subjected to.
  • For many hours, we have been in contact with the relevant authorities and the World Health Organization, which is the body responsible for supplying fuel to the hospital. But there has been no response to our request to supply fuel immediately and urgently.
  • We appeal to the international community to supply 50,000 litres of fuel to the hospital in the coming hours before the health disaster strikes hundreds of sick and wounded people. Any procrastination in supplying fuel means a death sentence for these sick and wounded people.






Lebanon:

Israel says 30 rockets launched from Lebanon

The Israeli military says most of the rockets were intercepted, and others fell in open areas in northern Israel with no casualties reported. It said fighter jets attacked the launcher with which the rockets were fired.

Israel claims Lebanon drone strike that killed Hezbollah member

Israel’s military has published a video of a drone strike it says it carried out near Lebanon’s southern city of Nabatieh that killed a Hezbollah member. It claimed the group’s member, Muhammad Nasser, played a significant role in developing specialised weapons.

Earlier, as we reported, Hezbollah confirmed that Nasser was killed in an Israeli attack in the Nabatieh area.


Hezbollah says it targeted an Israeli brigade with dozens of missiles

Hezbollah said its fighters fired dozens of rockets fighters at the Beit Hillel base in northern Israel.

Earlier, Hezbollah announced that one of its members, Muhammad Nasser, was killed in an Israeli drone attack. Israeli forces struck a vehicle in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Dajjal, near Nabatieh, where Nasser was from.


Lebanese schoolchildren narrowly escape Israel’s deadly strike on Hezbollah fighter

We have been reporting on the Israeli drone strike that killed a Hezbollah member in southern Lebanon and wounded three people. AFP is now reporting that the wounded were three Lebanese schoolchildren with the minibus they were travelling on narrowly escaping the attack.

The strike blew out the windscreen of the bus, wounding three pupils who were hospitalised with cuts from flying glass.

“At first, we didn’t understand what was happening, and there was panic among the children,” bus driver Ahmad Qubaisi, 57, said. “Suddenly, a strike hit the car in front of us” near the town of Nabatiyeh, about 13km [8 miles] from the Israeli border. “The bus’s windshield shattered… I backed up, and that’s when the second strike hit the car.”


A Lebanese driver clears the glass of the smashed windshield of a school minibus that was passing a car of a Hezbollah fighter, which was targeted by an Israeli drone strike, on May 23


Hezbollah says it destroys Israeli tank

The Lebanese group says in a statement that it has observed, ambushed and destroyed an Israeli army Merkava tank in the Shtoula Forest.

It said it observed the tank firing on villages in southern Lebanon before attacking it with a guided anti-tank missile, leaving its crew “dead and wounded”.

Earlier, an Israeli army drone strike killed Muhammad Nasser, a Hezbollah commander, in the Nabtieh area in southern Lebanon. Israel confirmed it carried out the attack, and Hezbollah confirmed the death of the commander. ‏


Israeli PM Netanyahu boasts of ‘surprising plan’ for Hezbollah

While shouldering heavy criticism over Israel’s Gaza escalation, defiant leader Benjamin Netanyahu says there are also military plans in the works for southern Lebanon.

“We are constantly operating on the northern front. So far, we have killed hundreds of Hezbollah members, and we are still continuing to this day,” said Netanyahu.

“We have a clear, detailed, important and even surprising plan. But I will not share this plan with the enemy, which is prepared to achieve two things: The first is to restore safety to the north, and the second is to return the population to their homes safely. And we are determined to achieve both things together.”

Tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border have fled daily fighting since October 7, after Hezbollah began launching attacks into northern Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza.



Israel:

Israel vows to continue war ahead of ICJ ruling

Israel’s government says nothing will stop it from continuing its war on Gaza ahead of an ICJ ruling expected on Friday.

“No power on Earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza,” government spokesman Avi Hyman told reporters when asked whether Israel would comply with a possible ICJ ruling against it.

Earlier, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that senior Israeli officials are growing concerned about the verdict. Last week, the ICJ heard arguments from South Africa calling for the body to order an end to Israel’s operations in Rafah.

The officials fear a stern ruling from the ICJ could open Israel up to international sanctions, according to Haaretz.


Gallant: ‘We are strengthening our effort against Rafah’

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said the Israeli army is stepping up operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where a ground offensive has been under way since May 6.

“This action will go on and on, more forces from the ground, more forces from the air, and we will reach our goals,” Gallant said while touring the Gaza coast to inspect the capabilities of the Israeli navy.

Israeli settlers attack flour truck near Nablus

Wafa news agency reports, citing local sources, that a truck loaded with flour near the town of Beira, south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, was attacked by a mob of illegal Israeli settlers.

The sources said, according to Wafa, that a mob intercepted the truck and sabotaged part of the shipment. Israeli extremists have been attacking trucks, some containing aid bound for the Gaza Strip and some simply commercial trucks, for several weeks.

It is not clear at this time whether the truck that was just attacked was hauling humanitarian aid.

Israel to increase mandate of negotiating team: Report

In a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet, Netanyahu and other ministers have decided to expand the mandate of Israel’s negotiating team, the Israeli news outlet Walla reports, quoting a senior Israeli official.

However, the official noted that reaching a breakthrough in the negotiations to secure the release of captives held in Gaza is still not certain, the news outlet added.

This month, Hamas said it had accepted mediators’ proposals for a three-phase ceasefire that included the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a return of displaced Palestinians to their homes and an exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners.

In response, the Israeli cabinet said it was sending a delegation to continue talks in Cairo but also signalled it was moving ahead with attacks on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Since then, Israeli forces have seized the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which links Gaza to Egypt. The gate, which had served as a major artery for life-saving aid and an entry and exit point for humanitarian workers, has been closed since May 7.

Israel did that last time until Hamas accepted the deal, then Israel quickly scrambled back... (Followed by blaming Egypt for promising too much) It's just more stalling. As long as Netanyahu is in power he will not allow a (lasting) ceasefire.

Benny Gantz backs inquiry into how Hamas attack happened

Benny Gantz, a minister in the Israeli war cabinet, has spoken out in favour of a commission of inquiry to examine how the Hamas attack on October 7 could have happened.

“It is not enough for us to take responsibility for what happened. We must learn the lessons and act so that it never happens again,” he said in a video message on X. “In order for us to do this, the time has come to establish a state commission of inquiry. I intend to soon submit a proposal for a resolution to establish it.”

The comments are another sign of escalating divisions within the war cabinet led by Prime Minister  Netanyahu, who says Israel must focus on winning the war and only then investigate its failures.

Gantz threatened to resign from the Israeli government at the weekend if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t present a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip by June 8.