clear

Genocidal intent

On 9 October, 2 days after launching its bombing campaign on Gaza, referring to Palestinians as ‘human animals’, Israel declared a complete siege on the Strip, saying no food, water, medication or other essentials would be allowed in or out of the enclave. As a result, electricity supplies have dwindled and hospitals in Gaza have repeatedly reported operating using mobile phone lights. Sewage is now flooding displacement camps, as there is no fuel to operate pumping stations.

With no food entering the Strip, and Israel blocking access to agricultural land, food prices have soared and Palestinians - who now have no access to banks or an income - have struggled to feed themselves and a famine has now taken effect in Gaza.

Some 86% of the enclave is currently covered by Israeli issued evacuation orders. According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people (or nine in ten people) across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced (some, up to 10 times or more). While more than 80% of buildings have been destroyed.

At least a quarter of Palestinians wounded in Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip have suffered ‘life-changing injuries’, with many requiring amputations and other ‘huge’ rehabilitation needs, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

The number of unaccompanied and separated children in Gaza has likely increased to 3-5% of the overall displaced population according to an assessment by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in August. IRC indicated that, since October, 41% of families in Gaza were caring for children who were not their own.

In addition to the destruction of the Strip, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported in August that Israeli occupation forces in Gaza have been using Palestinian civilians as human shields, sending them into buildings in handcuffs and with cameras attached to them to see if the buildings are booby trapped.

In April, 19 UN experts and rapporteurs said in a joint statement that Israel’s destruction in Gaza, which has affected more than 80% of educational facilities - and all its universities - confirms the occupation state is intent on comprehensively destroying the Palestinian education system, in what has become known as ‘educational genocide.’

While Israel carried out its bombing campaign, far-right Israeli ministers and members of the Knesset attended a conference calling for renewed settlement in Gaza. Signs at the event included those reading: 'Only transfer [the displacement of Palestinians] will bring peace.'

Property in Gaza has also been advertised by Israelis, with settler groups calling for the full reoccupation of Gaza and the expulsion of its Palestinian residents.

On 2 September, in an address to the media Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a map of Israel that erased the occupied West Bank, marking it as Israeli territory.

Israel has been using 2000lb ‘bunker busting’ bombs to strike Gaza, leaving large craters across the enclave. In June it was estimated that the occupation state dropped six times more bombs on Gaza than the US used in its nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima in 1945. Gaza is 60% smaller than Hiroshima.

Concept, research and text: Sara Khalil

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