{"id":1299324,"date":"2023-10-28T13:30:51","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T13:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dissidentvoice.org\/?p=145281"},"modified":"2023-10-28T13:30:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T13:30:51","slug":"gaza-its-not-a-war-its-genocide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2023\/10\/28\/gaza-its-not-a-war-its-genocide\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza: Its Not a War; Its Genocide"},"content":{"rendered":"
It is carnage in Gaza.<\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/i>Over 5,700 Palestinian civilians are currently <\/span><\/span><\/span>estimated<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> to have been murdered by the relentless Israeli assault, 2,055 are children. More than 15,000 people have been injured, including <\/span><\/span><\/span>5,364<\/span><\/span> children. In the West Bank around 100 have been killed and at least 1,650 injured. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Israeli bombardment has so far destroyed or damaged 169,184 residential buildings, 206 educational facilities, and 29 health care centres — including the al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which, despite denials and finger pointing, <\/span><\/span><\/span>evidence<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> strongly suggests was hit by an Israeli air raid on 17 October, killing 471 people.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The population of Gaza is 2.3 million (1.7 million live in refugee camps), almost half are children; not only are they being bombed, they are being starved. As a result of the Israeli blockade, Oxfam <\/span><\/span><\/span>r<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>eport<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> that, <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>Just 2% of food that would normally have been delivered has entered Gaza,<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/span>as a result <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>A staggering 2.2 million people are now in urgent need of food<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>, and water.<\/span><\/span><\/span> \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>Clean water has now virtually run out. It<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s estimated that only three litres of clean water is now available per person\u2026.Children are experiencing severe trauma\u2026their drinking water is polluted or rationed and soon families may not be able to feed them. How much more are Gazans expected to endure?<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The charity accuses Israel of using <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>starvation as a weapon of war against Gaza civilians<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>. Oxfam<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>s regional Middle East director, said: <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>The situation is nothing short of horrific <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2013 <\/span><\/span>where is humanity? Millions of civilians are being collectively punished in full view of the world.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Is this what Israel wanted?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Were they waiting for a terrorist event like 7 October in Israel, the rightwing fanatics, waiting for Hamas to loose control, to give in to the endless Israeli provocations, and go nuts, so that they could justify annihilating Palestinians? \u2018Probably\u2019 is the slightly cynical but most likely correct answer, \u2018perhaps\u2019, the more cautious reply, \u2018no, don\u2019t be absurd\u2019, the politically correct but naive retort. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As <\/span><\/span><\/span>Amira Hass,<\/span><\/span> veteran <\/span><\/span><\/span>Haaretz<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span> correspondent for the Occupied Palestinian Territories <\/span><\/span><\/span>explains<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u>, the plan among the far right in Israel since 2017 (and no doubt before), has been to force Palestinians to either, a) live as third class citizens within Israel, b) giving up all hope of self-determination, emigrate \u2013 \u201cexpulsion by consent\u201d, or c) if you (Palestinians) refuse to capitulate and continue to resist, \u201cthe Israeli Defence Force will know what to do with you.\u201d And this is what they (the IDF) are now doing; and the world is bearing witness, but acting not. It is truly shocking and appalling. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This ferocious bombardment of Gaza and the siege, has little or nothing to do with Israel wanting to eradicate Hamas – which they cannot achieve anyway; it is not simply \u2018revenge\u2019 either for the shocking attack on 7 October by Hamas, although no doubt many Israeli\u2019s want revenge, it is genocide. Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians and the US and Co., are allowing it to take place.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The response of Western governments (US, UK and EU most notably), to the bombing and the complete siege of Gaza has been disgraceful. With the odd exception, politicians (including Kier Starmer, leader of UK Labour party, and potentially the next Prime-Minister ) have justified Israels indefensible actions. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n To there utter shame the US vetoed a recent <\/span><\/span><\/span>vote<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> by the UN Security Council for a \u201chumanitarian pause\u201d to the shelling of Gaza. The UK, devoid of principles, abstained. Both President Biden and Prime-Minister Sunak then independently set sail for Tel Aviv to offer unconditional support for Israel. Support for what? Support to slaughter Palestinians and destroy Gaza, support to create a humanitarian catastrophe, support to drive hundreds of thousands of Palestinians out of their homes, south to the Sinai, where a refugee crisis is inevitable.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What exactly do they think they are \u2018supporting\u2019 – other than \u2018Israels right to defend itself\u2019? Of course it has that right \u2013 as do Palestinians, but Israel is not defending itself, it is carrying out mass murder against a civilian population. And far from supporting such action, the US should withdraw its \u2018support\u2019, insist on an unconditional ceasefire and allow the humanitarian work to begin in earnest. Other western governments could and should also apply pressure, but only the US can force Israel to stop the madness.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is a dark day indeed for these governments, these so-called \u2018leaders\u2019 — Biden, Sunak, Macron, Ursula<\/span><\/span><\/span> von der Leyen<\/span><\/span><\/span> — President of the European Commission etc. Not only are they enabling Israel, they and their cohort fill the newspapers and airwaves with lies, distortions, platitudes and evasions, whilst simultaneously trying to close down any criticism of Israel.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In France, pro-Palestinian protests were <\/span><\/span><\/span>banned<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u>; environmental activists were <\/span><\/span><\/span>detained<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/u> in the Netherlands after demonstrating (outside the ICC) with a poster stating that Benjamin Netanyahu had committed <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>war crimes<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201d <\/span><\/span>and presided over an <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>