Ethnic Cleansing – Part Three
On October 7th, 2023, Hamas conducted its biggest terrorist attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages in a brutal, horrific assault. In turn, the government of Israel bombed and invaded the Gaza Strip. The press calls this conflict the Israel-Hamas War. We will examine the Israel-Hamas War strategy, the support from the United States, the civilian punishment, genocide, humanitarian aid, and the future.
Israel-Hamas War Strategy
● The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that Hamas and the Israeli hostages are deep underground in a massive network of tunnels.
● The US military officials recommended an approach to the Israel-Hamas War which would minimize the damage on Gaza’s civilian population. This course consists of targeted air strikes and special operations troops to attack quickly based on intelligence. [41]
● Secretary Austin also said, “The center of gravity is the civilian population, and if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat.” [42]
● Instead of following Austin’s advice, the government of Israel and the IDF chose to drop over 29,000 bombs in less than three months [43] on an area the size of Las Vegas. However, these bombs had little effect on the tunnels; instead, they destroyed homes, hospitals, schools, and other infrastructure.
● A few members of the IDF created a channel called “72 Virgins Uncensored”. It contained hundreds of pictures and videos of the IDF killing Palestinians and blowing up homes and buildings. In one video, a Palestinian man was run over by a car repeatedly. Many videos contain all kinds of horrible dehumanizing language the Palestinians. [44]
Israel-Hamas War – U.S. Support
The Untied State has provided significant support in a wide range of areas mainly directed toward the government of Israel. This support includes the following:
● Providing weapons and bombs for the war against Hamas. President Biden went around Congress to send emergency military aid, including 14,000 tank rounds, in late 2023. [45]
● Vetoing three U.N. resolutions for having a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. [46]
● Pausing funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a crucial supplier of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
● Positioning ships in the area keeping Israel’s neighbors out of the war and attacking the Houthis who are defending the Palestinians by disrupting shipments to Israel and others.
● Air-dropping some humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Israel-Hamas War Results
According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, as of February 23, 2024, these are the results of the Israel-Hamas War in the Gaza Strip:
● 38,066 have been killed (including approximate deaths under the rubble).
● 34,570 of those were civilians.
● 8,620 and 14,350 of those were women and children respectively.
● 71,220 people have been injured.
● 2,000,000 people have been displaced.
● 99,600 homes have been completely destroyed.
● 241,400 homes have been partially destroyed.
● 130 journalists have been killed. [47]
Civilian Punishment
Civilian punishment takes on two different forms: indiscriminate killing and collective punishment. A few examples of these are listed below:
● Temporary, invisible “kill zones” have been setup where the IDF is doing ground operations. When anyone (primarily adult males) unknowingly enters these zones — even if they are unarmed — they are shot and killed by the IDF. [48]
● The IDF actually shot and killed three of their own Israeli hostages who were shirtless and carrying a white flag. [49]
● The IDF shot and killed two Christian women right outside of a church. [50]
● The IDF dropped imprecise “dumb” bombs. According to a CNN report, at one point, nearly half of the bombs dropped in Gaza were not guided. [51]
● The government of Israel cut off the power and water the government of Israel supplies to Gaza. [52]
Genocide
● The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Genocide Convention) defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” [53]
● South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice with the charge of Genocide. [54]
● The Interim ruling states that genocide is “plausible”. [55]
Humanitarian Aid
● UNRWA is an organization that supplies vital aid to the Palestinian people. Prior to the war in Gaza, it sent 500 truckloads per day. During the war, those shipments may go as low as 10 truckloads per day and on a good day up to 200 truckloads. [56]
● In January of 2024, the government of Israel accused 12 employees of UNRWA of being part of the Hamas’s attacks on October 7 with no evidence. Consequently, UNRWA instantly fired nine of them, and the Western countries — including the U.S. — paused funding to this organization accordingly. [57]
● The government of Israel is hindering humanitarian supplies into Gaza including food, medical supplies, and fuel. As a result, the Palestinian population is starving, requiring amputations without anesthesia, and have little-to-no operating hospitals. [58]
● On February 29, 2024, Israeli soldiers fired upon the people of Gaza trying to get aid from trucks inside the Gaza Strip. Approximately 112 Palestinians were killed. [59]
● On March 14, 2024, at least 29 people were killed in two separate attacks. One IDF attack was on an aid distribution center, killing 8. The other attack was on a crowd waiting for aid trucks killing 21. [60]
● On March 22, 2024. President Biden signed a law that states the U.S. would not fund the UNRWA for a year. It would also limit funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if they initiate or support an investigation of International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israelis for crimes against Palestinians. [61]
● In early April of 2024, seven humanitarian aid workers for World Central Kitchen were killed in three well marked vehicles in multiple strikes. [62]
The Future of Gaza
● A number of Israeli officials expressed that countries should accept Gazan refugees.
● Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to leave letting Israelis “make the desert bloom”. [63]
● National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gviral called, “to encourage the migration of Gaza residents” as a “solution” to the humanitarian crises. [64]
● In 2024, the Arabs nations offered a peace deal with the government of Israel. It included normalized relations with Israel, a cease-fire, and the release of the hostages. In exchange, the government of Israel were asked to commit to an irreversible path toward a Palestinian State. Surprisingly, the government of Israel rejected the offer. [65]
Opinion and Analysis – Israel-Hamas War
Many people claim that Hamas started the Israel-Hamas War on October 7th 2023. The challenge with that paradigm is the government of Israel and the Palestinians were never at peace. The occupation, blockade, and colonization never stops. We don’t hear about the ongoing settler violence against the Palestinians; and the IDF bulldozing Palestinians homes, invading homes, and making random arrests. The daily drip of these injustices appears to be minor transgressions compared to the more concentrated attack on October 7th.
Undoubtedly, the government of Israel’s war strategy in the Israel-Hamas War won’t eliminate Hamas. The mass destruction, the loss of life, and the inhumane conditions will surely create more members of this terrorist organization. Also, as long as the occupation or a blockade exists, the Palestinians will resist. As a result, Hamas or an organization similar to Hamas will certainly rise up on another day.
Obviously, the goals of this war seem to be more than eliminating Hamas and releasing the hostages. Since, the government of Israel destroyed the Gaza Strip making it relatively uninhabitable, the Palestinians must live in horrible conditions in the foreseeable future. This situation might encourage many Palestinians to give up and leave. In fact, the government of Israel has discussed reoccupying and building settlements in Gaza in the future.
In this way, the Israel-Hamas War feels similar to the Nakba because the government of Israel can at this point bulldoze the rubble and wipe out the Palestinian homes, towns, and cities forever without a trace.
The United States is complicit in the government of Israel’s actions by providing extensive military support and diplomatic cover for them.
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References – Israel-Hamas War
Israel-Hamas War Strategy
41) Bertrand, Natasha. Liebermann, MJ Lee (October 24, 2023) US Military Advisers Invoke Lessons of Iraq in Urging Israelis to Avoid All-Out Ground Assault in Gaza. cnn.com
42) Cooper, Helene. Schmitt, Eric (December 18, 2023) Austin Returns to Israel with a Tougher Message and Lessons Learned. nytimes.com
43) Malsin, Jared. Shah, Saeed (December 30, 2023) The Ruined Landscape of Gaza After Nearly Three Months of Bombing. wsj.com
44) (February 6, 2024) IDF Says It Ran Unauthorized ’72 Virgins- Uncensored’ Telegram Channel. jpost.com
Israel-Hamas War – U.S. Support
45) Mellen, Ruby. Chen, Szu (October 30, 2023) See How Israel’s Siege Has Plunged Gaza into Darkness and Isolation. washingtonpost.com
46) (December 29, 2023) Biden Administration Approves Military Weapons Sale to Israel Bypassing Congress. cbsnews.com
47) (February 20, 2024) U.S. Vetoes Security Council Cease Fire Resolution. nytimes.com
Israel-Hamas War Results
Civilian Punishment
49) Kubovich, Yaniv (March 31, 2024) Israel Created “Kill Zones” in Gaza. Anyone who Crosses into them Is Shot. Haaretz.com
50) Goldenberg, Tia (December 18, 2023) An Israeli Reckons With Killing of Hostages, Critics Worry About Routine Excessive Force Against Civilians. time.com
51) Sudilovsky, Judith (December 18, 2023) Two Christian Women Killed by IDF Sniper Fire, Says Latin Patriarchate jpost.com
52) Bertrand, Natasha. Bo Lillis, Katie (December 14, 2023) Nearly Half of the Israeli Munitions Dropped on Gaza are Imprecise ‘Dumb Bombs’, US Intelligence Assessment Finds. cnn.com
Genocide
53) Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide un.org
54) Imray, Gerald (February 13, 2024) South Africa asks UN Court to Urgently Examine Israel’s Targeting of Rafah in Ongoing Genocide Case. apnews.com
55) Al-Kassab, Fatima (January 26, 2024) A Top UN Court says Gaza Genocide is ‘Plausible’ but Does Not Order Cease-Fire. npr.org
Humanitarian Aid
56) Parvaz, D. Baba, Anas (February 21, 2024) How Much Humanitarian Aid is Getting into Gaza? The Exact Answer Can be Hard to Know. npr.org
57) Sinmaz, Emine (February 9, 2024) UNRWA Staff accused by Israel sacked without Evidence, Chief Admits. theguardian.com
58) Ebrahim, Nadeen (February 11, 2024) Why Only a Trickle of Aid is Getting into Gaza. cnn.com
59) (February 29, 2024) Scores Killed Trying to Get Food From an Aid Convoy During a Chaotic Scene in Gaza npr.org
60) al-Mughrabi, Nidal (March 14, 2024) Israeli Strikes Kills at Least 29 Gazans. Say Palestinian Officials. Reuters.com
61) Thakker, Prem (March 22, 2024) U.S. Doubles Down on Defunding UNRWA – Despite Flimsy Allegations. theintercept.com
62) Rasgon, Adam Boxerman, Aaron (April 2, 2024) What We Know About the Israeli Strike That Killed 7 Aid Workers in Gaza. nytimes.com
Future Plans
63) Mackenzie, James (December 31, 2023) Israeli Minister Repeats Call for Palestinians to Leave Gaza. reuters.com
64) Dawson, Bethany (January 4, 2024) EU and UK Slam Israeli Ministers’ Call for ‘Voluntary Emigration’ from Gaza Strip. politico.eu
65) Said, Summer. Stancati, Margherita. Norman, Laurence (January 22, 2024) Arab Peace Proposal for Gaza Takes Shape as Top Biden Adviser Lands in Region. wsj.com