Palestine
Sea of Humanity Across the World Stands Up for Palestine
In the past week, demonstrations have taken place in countries across the world on a massive scale in support of the Palestinian people. With one voice a sea of humanity has spoken against the genocidal assaults of Israel backed by the United States, with the support of Britain, Canada, Australia and European countries all intent on maintaining their own hegemony over world affairs. No matter what crimes the Israeli zionost state commits, the officials circles in these countries apologize for them in the name of human rights, democracy and their so-called rules based international order. The entire world can see how they provide Israel with impunity for the crimes they commit and for their wars of destruction against those who refuse to submit to their aims of dominating the world.
Meanwhile,
the Israeli military informed Palestinians in Gaza that they
would be
identified as "a partner in a terrorist organization" if they
didn't
follow forced displacement orders and move south. The leaflets
distributed on October 21 were addressed to residents of Gaza
and read:
"Urgent
warning! To the residents of Gaza -- your presence north of Wadi
Gaza
is
putting your lives at risk. Anyone who chooses not to evacuate
from the
north of the Gaza Strip to the south of the Gaza Strip may be
identified as a partner in a terrorist organization."
The latest Israeli terrorist threat comes as official sources, their military and media repeat that Israel is on the eve of launching a murderous ground invasion of Gaza, while keeping water, food, fuel and electricity supplies completely cut off from the besieged strip no matter the consequences for the Palestinian people.
Due to international pressure, on October 21, Israel permitted
a
humanitarian convoy of 20 trucks to enter the Gaza Strip from
the
Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing with another 14 permitted on
the second day. It permitted no fuel to enter Gaza meaning that
hospitals and water supply
remain paralyzed. Gaza residents under siege depend on convoys
of 150
trucks per day just to survive. After 16 days of no water, food,
fuel
or electricity this is a cruel act which adds to the suffering
of the
Palestinian people and international condemnation of Israel and
the
United States and
countries such as Britain, Canada, France, Germany and others
who are
both silent about the crimes being committed, while making
statements
condoning them, and taking measures to criminalize dissent under
the
hoax that dissent supports terrorism.
Aid trucks go through the
Rafah Crossing from Egypt into Gaza, October 22, 2023.
The United States on October 18 vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have called for "humanitarian pauses" to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza. The failure by the Security Council to make its first public intervention on the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel followed the rejection of a Russian-backed draft on October 16.
The death toll in
the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing Israeli attacks
has climbed to 4,651, with 62 per cent of the fatalities being
children
and women, the Palestinian Health Ministry officials said on
October
22. According to the United Nations, as of October 20, one third
of all
dwellings in
Gaza City have been destroyed by Israeli bombings. About 1.4
million
Palestinians have been internally displaced in Gaza, with nearly
580,000 sheltering in 150 UNRWA-designated emergency shelters
(DES).
The average number of internally displaced persons per shelter
has
reached more than 2.5 times
their designated capacity.
At least 42 per cent (164,756) of all housing units in the Gaza Strip have been either destroyed or damaged, according to the Ministry of Housing in Gaza. The Gaza-based Endowments and Religious Affairs Ministry has announced that 26 mosques have been destroyed.
The UN's health partners report that they have detected cases of chicken pox, scabies and diarrhea, attributable to the poor sanitation conditions and consumption of water from unsafe sources. "The incidence of such diseases is expected to rise unless water and sanitation facilities are provided with electricity or fuel to resume operations," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.
The head of the UN Refugee and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, appealed for an end to Israel's relentless attacks on places such as schools, hospitals and the homes of his staff across Gaza.
In a statement released over the weekend, he reiterated that the protection of civilians must be upheld as "the non-negotiable legal obligations" at all times.
"Let me be clear: protecting civilians in times of conflict is not an aspiration or an ideal; it is an obligation and a commitment to our shared humanity," the statement read.
Lazzarini also called on Israel to refrain from attacks on civilian facilities "including schools, hospitals, places of worship, and civilians' homes, including those of UNRWA staff." He said that 29 of its staff had been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7.
Gazans displaced by Israel's
relentless bombing campaign are given shelter on the grounds of
an
UNWRA school in Khan Younis, October 23, 2023.
In the West Bank heavily-armed Israeli settlers continue to remove people from their homes. "At least 84 Palestinian households, comprising 545 people, over half of whom are children, have been displaced from 13 herding/Bedouin communities in Area C of the West Bank (since October 7) amid intensified settler violence and access restrictions," OCHA said.
This week, Israel added airstrikes to its list of crimes along with direct attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. An Israeli Security Forces' operation including airstrikes lasted 28 hours in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank. At least 13 Palestinians were reported killed, including five children. At least 82 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank alone in the past 16 days. This year already recorded more than 270 Palestinians killed in the West Bank, 20 per cent of them children, and over half of whom were refugees. UNRWA was forced to suspend services including schools, health and solid waste collection.
Israel again attacked Syrian airports in Damascus and Aleppo causing material damage to runways, putting them out of service, and taking the life of at least one airport worker, news agencies report. The prior attacks occured on October 12.
Bloomberg reports that U.S. officials are heavily involved in shaping Israeli plans to launch a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. "Three senior Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the role and influence of the U.S. in this war against Hamas are deeper and more intense than any exerted by Washington in the past," Bloomberg reported on October 19. U.S. planners have thrown their full support behind Israel's campaign of genocide in Gaza as they reportedly share the same goal "of destroying Hamas's military infrastructure" under the hoax that U.S. oversight will "limit casualties among the 2 million civilians who live in Gaza."
On October 22, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced that it had beaten back Israel's first ground force attempt to enter Gaza. Al-Qassam Brigades were able to ambush an Israeli military unit east of Khan Younis after it crossed the temporary fence by several meters. "The fighters engaged with the infiltrating force, destroying two bulldozers and a tank, and forced the force to withdraw. They safely returned to their bases." Israeli officials acknowledged only that the incident happened and that four Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously.
This is considered the first direct clash between Palestinian fighters in Gaza and the Israeli military amassing at the border since the start of the war.
Also, an important statement was issued on October 21 by Sheikh Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary General of the Lebanese Resistance group Hezbollah. The statement reiterated Hezbollah's complete solidarity with the Palestinian Resistance organizations in Gaza.
"Hezbollah is committed to keeping pace and confronting as part of its vision to serve the victory of resistance, the liberation of Palestine and al-Quds, and what serves our nation," the statement said.
The full text of the statement follows as provided by Hezbollah to Arab and international media using its channel on Telegram.
Hezbollah Deputy to the Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem
The occupation is waging a systematic war of annihilation and destruction targeting civilians, including children, women, and the elderly in Gaza.
Hezbollah is committed to keeping pace and confronting as part of its vision to serve the victory of resistance, the liberation of Palestine and al-Quds, and what serves our nation.
Today, we are in the heart of the battle and achieving accomplishments. There are 3 Israeli brigades facing Hezbollah, while there are 5 brigades facing Gaza.
As events continue to unfold and necessitate our increased involvement, we will do so.
What we are doing in the south now is a stage that aligns with the confrontation. If the situation demands more, we will do more, and the enemy is perplexed.
If the enemy further intervenes, matters will expand, and we say to those who contact us that they must stop the aggression first to prevent the conflict from escalating.
We are not compelled to clarify our plan, and the enemy should suffice with the defeat they have suffered, or else they will face an even greater defeat with no hope for victory.
The Israeli ground incursion into Gaza will be a graveyard for the enemy, and there is nothing ahead of them but defeat, while there is nothing ahead of us but victory.
Protests are also taking place within Israel. Hundreds of people attended the protest that was held outside the Ministry of War on October 21. The protesters called for the return of the Israelis who are held by Hamas and also called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to resign, blaming him for the current situation.
Ofer Kassif , a member of the Knesset, was suspended by the Knesset "Ethics" Committee for 45 days and docked pay, for expressing "a connection between the content world of the Holocaust and current government policy in times of war." Kassif had condemned Israeli bombing and plans to invade Gaza as Israel's "final solution" to the Palestinian problem. Kassif's suspension was issued as a warning that members of the Knesset should express themselves with caution "at this time, in light of the public's sensitivity" and refrain from statements "that may harm the security of the state and the public during the fighting."
Kassif was unbowed. He said, "My political statements against the occupation and the war are not statements against Israel, because peace and justice serve Israel and its residents." "Even in these difficult times, I will not remain silent and will continue to fight for the public and the principles for which I was elected -- peace, equality and justice for all," he added.
We Are All Palestinians
The following statement was issued by Birzeit University Union of Professors and Employees, Occupied Palestine on October 11, 2023:
2023 will be recorded historically as the year that Palestinians stood boldly in the face of colonial fascism and screamed in defense of their homes, humanity, and lives. Palestinians as a people have endured over a century of settler colonial violence. We have thrived as a people and shall continue to do so. We do not need to speak of our right to resist, for it is not a right but a way of being and survival for Palestinians.
Zionism,
the settler state, and the
entire colonial system that is a product of this fascist
ideology can
no longer falsely hide beneath the cloak of humanism. In
Palestine, in
2023, we do not demand our right to narrate. Our ability to
narrate was
never out of our hands, and resistance in all of
its manifestations and forms does not need the pre-approval of
static
international law codes. The oppressed do not need to claim
authority
over their own oppression; the ongoing events of history -- our
history
-- are what allow us this authority. We consider it our duty not
to
expose the
bloody barbarism of zionism; their actions as a fascist state
and a
ruthless army are more than sufficient to undertake this task.
It is
our duty to record this moment not as its victims but as the
people who
will remember, record, survive, and resist it.
Our history will tell the story of these acts not only as a record of colonial brutality but also as a record of our boldfaced determination to live and resist it. We remain attached to our land and to our humanity as Palestinian Arabs -- no need to prove our humanity to those who have lost theirs.
It might, nevertheless, be useful to remind ourselves and others of the crimes that have been and are being committed in Palestine -- crimes that began with the violent and forceful introduction of zionism onto the land and people of Palestine. This list is long and cannot be summarized in any simple form, but for those who have chosen to stand with the oppressed in solidarity with our struggle, we ask that you keep these points in mind when speaking about the idea of freedom and liberation -- heads and souls raised high, as always, by the duty we have towards the blood of our martyrs and the righteousness of our cause. In compiling this list, we realize that phrases like "war crimes," "genocide," "apartheid," "criminality," and "inhumanity" seem unfit and atrociously insufficient to describe what the state of Israel has and continues to do:
- An occupying colonial power cannot claim the right to self-defense against the people under its brutal occupation. There is no moral equivalence between the colonizer and the colonized – however much the media attempts to claim otherwise;
- As is their modus operandi, the israeli military, in their war against Gaza, has directly targeted our people through the belligerent bombing of homes, hospitals, orphanages, playgrounds, schools, universities, mosques, churches, and public spaces, deliberately killing any and all Palestinians they can, even targeting the dead in cemeteries. Cutting off and targeting water lines, electricity engines, emergency services, and other crucial services and civilian facilities are the actions of a genocidal power made even more audacious under the irony of zionist claims of their "purity of arms": this purity clearly only refers to the notion that their weapons are ready for use against all Palestinians all the time;
- The utter criminality of zionist media coverage (adopted globally) persists in blaming the oppressed for the crimes of the oppressor. The great irony in the zionist claim of victimhood is revealed in the genocide being committed by its military, fulfilling their aims of emptying Palestine of Palestinians. While always tragic, these crimes are part and parcel of zionism and not new, for even now, massacres and displacement of Palestinian refugees continue as the world stands by only to bear witness;
- The blatant and boldfaced genocidal racism of israeli political discourse: the pornographic call to death of Arabs by settler zionist politicians across the political lines is fascism and cannot be described as anything but support for further genocidal violence and settler colonial fascism that has defined the history of this ideology;
- The violent construction of the prison of Gaza is the criminal imposition of what is now a sixteen-year sentence of solitary confinement for an entire population in the form of the blockade and siege of Gaza;
- The criminalization of resistance, including the self-criminalization of the right to resist, where all blood that is shed is blamed on the oppressed and all crimes of settler colonial invasion and dispossession are ignored entirely;
- The unfathomable crime of silence and complicity perpetuated by the entire world -- including Arab and Muslim regimes under the oppressive power of american impositions -- are openly supportive of genocide or mute witness to the crimes of settlers;
- The most blatant american complicity in the genocidal massacre of an entire people. Zionist and american colonials, with Arab regimes' complicity, have perpetuated crimes against the Palestinian people that define fascism in the 21st century;
- The ongoing historic crime of the complete denial of the Palestinian nation's political right to exist, resist, return, and self-determination. We Palestinians have a right to our freedom. It is not a right enshrined in the precarious words of law codes but our human dignity to fight for freedom. Palestinian resistance has been criminalized since the beginning of the settler colonial invasion of Palestine. Now that our resistance has used guerrilla war tactics, we have now become the oppressors?!
What is the israeli army fighting to achieve? Unable to counter the resistance fighters, the aircraft bombed besieged Gaza, targeting nothing and everything at once! Are they trying in vain to continue the genocidal war that began upon the arrival of zionists to our land? Trying to complete the erasure of 1948?
Given all we know and all we have seen, we must act and choose justice and humanity and fight the oppression of colonial degradation. We are all Palestinians now, and we must all act immediately against the real criminals and scream in the face of this monster and his barbaric acts. Zionism is a genocidal settler project in Palestine that is built on false mythology and sustains itself on perpetual and endless violence against the native people in Palestine -- it should be seen and dealt with as such. Talk of freedom -- political, academic, or social -- falls on deaf ears unless or until the true criminals are called such and dealt with as such.
We in occupied Palestine -- and all Palestinians -- have no illusions in the poetic dreams of the triumph of the pen over the sword because the sword has cut too deeply into our flesh at the hands of an enemy who has been granted by the hypocritical international community and the destiny of imperial history to claim a monopoly on both the sword (that which acts to kill) and the pen (that which narrates the acts of killing). As intellectuals and academics working in occupied Palestine, we have to use our words, however futile they may feel in such critical times.
We also have faith in the bold souls of our people, our resistance and the triumph of freedom, and in our inalienable rights. We recognize and proclaim that at this critical and urgent historical juncture, we shall overcome -- justice shall overcome. We are not your passive victims; we have been murdered, maimed, and displaced by a setter state driven by an ideology of insane hatred and bloody violence, but we will not be silenced. Our resistance shows us the path forward, and we remain steadfast, and we shall triumph.
October 11,
2023
Birzeit University Union of Professors and
Employees, Occupied Palestine
(Transcribed from JPG image; capitalization and formatting as per original.)
This article was published in
Volume 53
Number 15 - October 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53151.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca