Latest news with #IsraeliArmy
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Contributor: Dehumanizing and starving Gazans has been a strategy all along
An Israeli soldier would position his leg against the wall in the narrow corridor to our school, then order us: 'Pass under my leg, or no school.' That was a recurring event for us children during the early 1990s in our Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, the "beach camp." Read more: Famine's toll on the children of Gaza: The world shouldn't look away It took us some growing up to understand it as systematic humiliation, an experience that would define most of our encounters with the Israeli army. That left many of us feeling helpless and outraged, as it seemed an attack on our humanity. This is why when former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant called us 'khayot adam' (human animals) after Hamas' bloody attack on Oct. 7, 2023, it was not a surprise. Yet, this time, there was an eerie feeling that Gallant was thinking beyond the typical Israeli dehumanization of us. Read more: What does it feel like to be dehumanized? Just ask any Palestinian 'It was a prelude to dismantling what was left of us as a people,' Yousri al-Ghoul, a novelist from Gaza, told me over Whatsapp, in one of many ongoing conversations I maintain with contacts, friends and family in Gaza. Throughout history, dehumanization preceded and justified atrocities. The Nazis before the Shoah, and the Hutu against the Tutsi before the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Before Israel's 1948 inception, the Zionist movement in Palestine negated our national consciousness, calling us merely 'Arabs,' suggesting an absence of a unique identity. And by viewing us much as colonial powers viewed their subjects, we were perceived as inferior and less worthy of statehood. Many Israelis today see Palestinians as Palestinians — a people with an identity — but still hang on, at least unconsciously, to the notion of superior Israeli Jews. This hierarchical thinking has normalized the occupation, so that Palestinian resistance against it is perceived as aggression against the natural order. Decades of undermining our agency has evolved to a monstrous level, destroying what was left of our physical existence. Seemingly, it's now not enough to besiege, indiscriminately bomb, displace and starve us. We're now asked to die for food. 'We were lured into death traps labeled as humanitarian aid,' says Ahmed, a history teacher in Gaza, referring to the new system of food distribution under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. 'Even our bodies, the last pasture of dignity, are reduced to breathing corpses,' he added. 'Corpses' is the word the commissioner-general of the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, Philippe Lazzarini, used to describe Gazans. Quoting a colleague in Gaza, he said they 'are neither dead nor alive, they are walking corpses.' This is a metaphor my uncle, a professor of English literature, has used to describe Gazans under Israeli siege since 2007. He quoted T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' to paint an image of a Gaza engulfed with despair and spiritual aridity. To Ahmed, 'corpses are not people, so no compunction killing them.' Indeed, the Gaza war is the bloodiest in recent memory. Palestinian numbers point to 59,000, including 18,000 children, killed by the Israeli military as of July. A study by the University of London estimates the death toll to be 100,000. More than 85% of those who remain alive are displaced, squeezed into only 20% of the narrow strip of land. Many of them are facing famine, while the rest are months into sustained malnutrition. A dire situation has weakened many Gazans' sense of self. No longer do they care if they live or die, many have told me. Over a thousand aid-seekers were killed as they tried to reach Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites, but people still went knowing they may not come back. 'The U.S. contractors manning the aid treat our desperation as savagery, and the IDF shoots us like rats,' Ahmed angrily said, referring to Israel Defense Forces. And the hungrier and more deprived people become, the less 'like us' they appear. Al-Ghoul, the novelist, lamented how the 'hunger games' turned some people against each other, driven by basic survival instincts. He added: 'Don't talk to me about civility when my children are fading to skin and bone.' Meanwhile, Gaza writer Mahmoud Assaf told me that as the war fractures Gaza's society, 'personal survival tops everything. Very few people are now concerned with culture, education or morality, things that Palestinians typically took pride of.' Assaf was offered money to sell his cherished library to be burned as fuel in the absence of basic petroleum-based products or wood. 'I actually considered the offer to feed my children,' he said. 'You lose your soul hopping hungry from a displacement tent to another while herded by Israeli drones and tanks. You feel you don't deserve to live,' he added. But in the ocean of despair, there are those who find salvation in faith to reclaim some of their humanity. My mother, 65, is losing the strength to walk because of malnutrition, as I watch helplessly from the U.K. But she tells everyone to keep faith, because through faith 'she feels complete as a human being.' A comforting outlook for many Palestinians, in a world they feel has abandoned them. 'The world says the Holocaust happened because they didn't know about it. But the Gaza bloodshed is live-streamed,' my friend Murad told me. He added, 'What can I do to prove my humanity to be worthy of saving?' 'Shall I show them my blond blue-eyed daughter so they can relate to us? How about our malnourished cats?' Our conversation was after an Israeli airstrike killed Murad's sister and her family in Al-Shuja'iyya, a neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. We spoke as he searched for water to wash up following hours digging out his sister's family from the rubble. Murad's niece, 5, died from malnutrition a week ago. And like all Gazans, he's deprived of grieving his loved ones. 'No time to grieve,' he said, because one has to shut down such natural human instincts to physically survive. And in doing so, one loses part of their soul, the sense of self as a human being. To close the circle of dehumanization, they deny our right to feel pain. Emad Moussa is a Palestinian British researcher and writer specializing in the political psychology of inter-group and conflict dynamics. If it's in the news right now, the L.A. Times' Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
Jordan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Israeli settlers attack West Bank Christian village
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank overnight, torching cars and spray-painting threatening graffiti, a witness and the Palestinian Authority said Monday. Jeries Azar, a Taybeh resident and journalist for Palestine TV, told AFP his house and car were targeted in the pre-dawn assault. "I looked outside and saw my car on fire, and they were throwing something at the vehicle and in the direction of the house," Azar said. The Palestinian Authority issued a statement blaming "Israeli colonial settlers" for the attack on Taybeh. Azar said he was terrified and put himself in the shoes of the Dawabsheh family, a couple who burned to death with their baby after settlers attacked their West Bank village of Duma in 2015. "My greatest fear was for my two-year-old son. After we escaped, he cried nonstop for an hour", Azar said, adding that the Israeli army had surveyed the area after the attack. Israeli occupation authorities said in a joint statement that a unit was dispatched to Taybeh and reported "two burned Palestinian vehicles and graffiti". The statement said that no suspects were apprehended but that Israeli police have launched an investigation. A photo shared by a Palestinian government agency on social media showed graffiti on a Taybeh wall that read: "Al Mughayyir, you will regret", referring to a nearby village that was also attacked by settlers earlier this year. The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry condemned the attack, calling it "settler terrorism". Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, also condemned the action, writing on X: "These extremist settlers may claim that God gave them the land. But they are nothing but criminals abhorrent to any faith". Taybeh and its surroundings have experienced several bouts of settler violence in recent months, including an arson attack at an ancient Byzantine church. The village -- home to about 1,300 mostly Christian Palestinians, many holding US dual citizenship -- is known for its brewery, the oldest in the Palestinian territories. Settlers have attacked neighbouring communities in recent months, resulting in three deaths, damage to Palestinian water wells and the displacement of at least one rural herding community. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The territory is home to about three million Palestinians and around 700,000 Israeli settlers, including about 200,000 in east Jerusalem. Last week, 71 members of Israel's 120-seat parliament, or Knesset, passed a motion calling on the government to annex the West Bank.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Israeli settlers attack West Bank Christian village
JERUSALEM, July 28 — Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank overnight, torching cars and spray-painting threatening graffiti, a witness and the Palestinian Authority said today. Jeries Azar, a Taybeh resident and journalist for Palestine TV, told AFP his house and car were targeted in the pre-dawn assault. 'I looked outside and saw my car on fire, and they were throwing something at the vehicle and in the direction of the house,' Azar said. The Palestinian Authority issued a statement blaming 'Israeli colonial settlers' for the attack on Taybeh. Azar said he was terrified and put himself in the shoes of the Dawabsheh family, a couple who burned to death with their baby after settlers attacked their West Bank village of Duma in 2015. 'My greatest fear was for my two-year-old son. After we escaped, he cried nonstop for an hour', Azar said, adding that the Israeli army had surveyed the area after the attack. Israeli police and the military said in a joint statement that a unit was dispatched to Taybeh and reported 'two burned Palestinian vehicles and graffiti'. The statement said that no suspects were apprehended but that Israeli police have launched an investigation. A photo shared by a Palestinian government agency on social media showed graffiti on a Taybeh wall that read: 'Al-Mughayyir, you will regret', referring to a nearby village that was also attacked by settlers earlier this year. The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry condemned the attack, calling it 'settler terrorism'. Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, also condemned the action, writing on X: 'These extremist settlers may claim that God gave them the land. But they are nothing but criminals abhorrent to any faith'. Taybeh and its surroundings have experienced several bouts of settler violence in recent months, including an arson attack at an ancient Byzantine church. The village—home to about 1,300 mostly Christian Palestinians, many holding US dual citizenship—is known for its brewery, the oldest in the Palestinian territories. Settlers have attacked neighbouring communities in recent months, resulting in three deaths, damage to Palestinian water wells and the displacement of at least one rural herding community. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The territory is home to about three million Palestinians and around 700,000 Israeli settlers, including about 200,000 in east Jerusalem. Last week, 71 members of Israel's 120-seat parliament, or Knesset, passed a motion calling on the government to annex the West Bank. — AFP
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Israel says intercepted missile fired from Yemen
The Houthis were targeting ships linked to Israel, demanding an end to the war in Gaza. (EPA Images pic) JERUSALEM : The Israeli army said Tuesday it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, a day after Israel carried out air strikes on its Houthi rebel-held port of Hodeida. 'Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF,' the Israeli military reported on Telegram. Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen have come under repeated Israeli strikes since the Iran-backed rebels began launching missile and drone attacks on Israel, declaring they act in solidarity with Palestinians over the Gaza war. Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said Monday's strikes hit 'targets of the Houthi terror regime at the port of Hodeida' and aimed to prevent any attempt to restore infrastructure previously hit. 'Yemen's fate will be the same as Tehran's,' Katz said. A Houthi security official, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP that 'the bombing destroyed the port's dock, which had been rebuilt following previous strikes.' The Houthis recently resumed deadly attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, targeting ships they accuse of having links to Israel, to force Israel to end the Gaza war.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
In Gaza, water kills too
In Gaza, we see death in every aspect of life. Death has become an inseparable companion, lingering in the streets, the skies, and even in our homes. It is no longer a shock – it is a grim daily reality which we have been forced to adapt to. There are many ways to die in Gaza, although one does not have the luxury to choose. You may be killed in a bombing, or be struck by a sniper's bullet as you try to collect food to stave off hunger, or starvation itself may claim your life. The Health Ministry says 116 people have died because of malnutrition, many of them babies and children. In Gaza, the simplest, most basic necessity can also be lethal. Water is one of them. Every aspect of it can be dangerous: providing it, seeking it, drinking it, swimming in it. Since the start of the genocide, the Israeli army has relentlessly targeted Gaza's water infrastructure. More than 85 percent of Gaza's water and sanitation structures are inoperable – including pipelines, wells, and treatment facilities. Israel has blocked the entry of water-related materials to the Strip, making repairs difficult. It has also targeted the warehouse of the water utility authority, destroying equipment and spare parts. Worst of all, workers trying to make repairs or operate water infrastructure have been directly targeted and killed. Working in the water sector has now become a deadly job. Most recently, on July 21, the Israeli occupation forces attacked a desalination plant in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing five people at the site. This was one of the few functioning water stations in the city. The destruction of the water infrastructure in Gaza has forced us to go out in search of water on a daily basis. There are some war entrepreneurs who charge exorbitant amounts of money for delivering water to homes; the vast majority of people cannot afford such services. So Palestinians are forced to walk long distances and wait in long queues, plastic jugs in hand, to fetch a daily ration of water. The wait under the scorching sun is not just exhausting, but it can also turn deadly. On July 13, 11 Palestinians – seven of them children – were killed and dozens more injured when an Israeli missile struck civilians as they queued to get water from water trucks in Nuseirat refugee camp, not far from my own home. Sometimes, water trucks are not available, so people are forced to drink water that is unfit for human consumption from local wells. It is contaminated with bacteria, chemicals and other contaminants and can trigger outbreaks of waterborne diseases. I myself felt victim to one. Months ago, after drinking from a local well, I contracted hepatitis A. My skin and the whites of my eyes turned a haunting shade of yellow. Waves of nausea left me unable to eat, and a persistent fever made every breath feel difficult. But the worst was the searing pain in my abdomen – a constant, twisting ache as if my insides were being wrung out by invisible hands. For weeks, I was bedridden, my body weak, my mind consumed with fear. A visit to a clinic brought me no relief – just a prescription for a painkiller and a 'salamtek' (get well). I had to fight the infection on my own. I survived, but others are not so lucky. Hepatitis, like other infectious waterborne diseases running amok in Gaza, kills. Amid the unbearable summer heat, one would think that at least the water of the sea could bring Palestinians some relief, but that too is deadly. In recent weeks, the Israeli military has declared Gaza's entire coastline a prohibited zone, effectively banning Palestinians from swimming, fishing, or even approaching the water. Anyone who gets near the sea is shot at. Even before the ban, the Israeli army was attacking Palestinians who would try to get into the sea to fish and alleviate their families' hunger. As of December 2024, some 200 fishermen had been killed, according to the UN; many more have died since then. While we are banned from the only place that used to bring us relief from the heat, just a few kilometres north, Israelis freely enjoy the same Mediterranean waves, sunbathing and swimming in peace. They also enjoy long showers and the privilege of running water. They use the luxurious 247 litres (65 gallons) per day per person. According to the World Health Organization, a person needs 100 litres (26 gallons) of water per day to cover their basic needs. People in Gaza now get between two and nine litres (0.5 – 2.3 gallons) per day. The struggle for water is just one of the many battles Palestinians in Gaza fight daily. There is no food to feed one's starving family, no electricity to power fans, and no medicine to treat the diseases that plague us. Every aspect of life here is a test of endurance. There is, quite literally, nothing to ease the weight of these brutal circumstances – no relief, no respite, not even the smallest comfort. I still can't comprehend how, in the 21st century, a world of more than 7 billion people, where global leaders talk about prosperity, dignity and rule of law, we are still deprived of the most basic human necessities. In December 2024, Human Rights Watch openly declared that Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to a 'genocide,' and it based this conclusion on establishing Israel's 'water deprivation as a deliberate act'. It pointed out that 'thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have died as a result of malnutrition, dehydration, and disease as of August 2024'. It has been a year since then. Countless people have died because of Israel's weaponisation of water – numbers that are not included in the official death toll because the health authorities simply lack the capacity to track them. The truth is out in the open. It is broadcast on international media. It is visible on social media. And yet, the world remains idle, refusing to take action and stop Israel. To this world, I want to say: Your silence echoes louder than the bombs that fall on us every day. You must act now, or go down in history with your complicity in the slaughter and starvation of the Palestinian people. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
