Gaza’s only power plant was shut down on Wednesday after it ran out of fuel as the situation in the besieged enclave is becoming increasingly desperate for civilians after days of relentless Israeli airstrikes.
At least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and 5,339 have been wounded since Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel. According to Israeli officials, the bodies of 1,500 Hamas militants have been found inside Israel, but the death toll is not confirmed. Violence has also spiked in the West Bank, where at least 29 Palestinians have been killed since Saturday.
On the Israeli side, at least 1,200 people have been killed, and 3,007 have been wounded. It’s estimated that Hamas captured about 150 people in Israel that have been brought into Gaza in an apparent attempt to gain leverage for negotiations.
Gaza has been under Israeli blockade since 2007, but was put under a “complete siege” this week, meaning no food, fuel, medicine, or water, can enter the territory. The only way out for Gazans, the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, has been closed after airstrikes hit. Israel has threatened to bomb aid trucks entering from Egypt.
Gaza hospitals are overwhelmed with people injured from airstrikes and will soon run out of fuel for their generators. A Gaza-based Doctors Without Borders official said the enclave’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, only has enough fuel for three more days.
Ghassan Abu Sitta, a reconstructive surgeon at al-Shifa, told AP the hospital was also running out of other vital supplies. “We’re already beyond the capacity of the system to cope,” he said. He added that the health system in Gaza “has the rest of the week before it collapses, not just because of the diesel. All supplies are running short.”
Israel has mobilized 300,000 reservists and is expected to launch a ground invasion of Gaza, one of the most densely populated places on earth that’s home to over 2 million people, half being children. According to Middle East Eye, about a third of the 1,100 people killed in Gaza so far were children, but the true toll is unclear.
The US is strongly backing Israel’s onslaught and according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, is not setting any red lines, giving Israel free rein to kill civilians. “I’m not here to draw red lines or issue warnings or give lectures to anybody,” Sullivan said.
“Gaza has been under Israeli blockade since 2007″Media has been posting stories about this. /s
Yes,they should end the blockade so that they can receive more weapons.
“Yes, they should end the blockade so that they can receive more weapons”
yea, blockading food and water – obviously to block weapons. aren’t you a sharp lil’ knife in the drawer.
Another masterful display of restraint from “the most moral army in the world”
The US routinely kills civilians in all these same ways. Mostly they are Muslim, when the US kills this way, as in Iraq and Afghanistan and Libya and Syria and Yemen.
Hamas had to know that the IDF would cut fuel and power to Gaza after Hamas attacked. I have no idea what Hamas is expecting to gain from this war, but having 2 million people without power and many thousands dying as a result is part of the price Hamas is willing to pay.
Desperate people do desperate things.
And Hamas may also calculate that there’s a limit to the collective punishment the world will permit Israel to impose on Gaza — a horrendous and shameful limit, but a limit nonetheless.
Another way to look at it is that Hamas isn’t willing to pay the price of accepting continuing the Israeli siege of its giant concentration camp.
“Another way to look at it is that Hamas isn’t willing to pay the price of accepting continuing the Israeli siege” So Hamas takes action that will raise “the price”. That does not seem like a good plan to me.
“The US is strongly backing Israel’s onslaught and…is not setting any red lines, giving Israel free rein to kill civilians.”
1/ That is 98% true. And it is important to grasp that the US does back Israel’s civilian-deadly siege 98% and not 100% – and why the US provides 98% and not 100% backing:
If you read the linked article, you will see that the US has also mouthed the general UN principle of ‘self-defenses’ that avoid civilians, framing it as ‘that’s what rules-based-order nations vs. the terrorist Hamas do;’
and stated that Biden discussed this topic with Netanyahu.
2/ The implied claim that Israel is observing this principle is, of course, glaringly false. Without even considering the bombing civilian casualties, cutting off Gaza from food, fuel, medicine and water obviously and disproportionately targets civilians – criminally violating international law re the treatment of civilians in war.
3/ Upshot. Mouthing the principle of minimizing civilian casualties in war:
a/ Authorizes Israel to continue its deadly siege – so the real message is, ‘We haveta’ say international law – but you can ignore it – in reality, no red lines;
b/ covers the US to the world and Congress – so that it can claim it ‘upheld the rule of law’ and ‘told this to Israel’ – even as world bodies protest; and even as civilian Palestinian casualties mount, while the White House demands increased military spending for Israel; and
c/ ‘stands with Israel’ propagandistically by – vs. demanding that Israel stop indiscriminately targeting Gazans – instead lying that Israel’s siege is in any way sparing civilians…half of them children, jesus freakin’ christ.
Hamas does the atrocities,starts a war,and you blame Israel.Jesus forkin Christ
“you blame Isra-”
1/ “Blame Israel”? Lie. Show where the post blames Israel. You can’t.
2/ If I’d wanted to “blame Israel,” I’da quoted Netanyahu – who majorities of Israelis – including supporters – already blame for the attack:
“Netanyahu has…come under criticism for his strategy of propping up Hamas to divide Gaza from Palestinian leadership in the West Bank. ‘Those who want to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state should support the strengthening of Hamas and the transfer of money to Hamas,’ Netanyahu said…in 2019. ‘This is part of our strategy, to differentiate between the Palestinians in Gaza and the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).'”
“Poll: Majority of Israelis Blame Government for Hamas Attack” (Antiwar 10/12/23)
People righteously speaking up:
US Jewish Group Calls on Congress to Halt Gaza Carnage
October 12, 2023
Save
As Biden pledges military assistance to Israel and anti-Palestine rhetoric intensifies on Capitol Hill, Jewish Voice for Peace is calling on Americans to pressure lawmakers to help end the air strikes on Gaza.
The group provided supporters with call scripts to contact their U.S. House members and senators, asking them to tell their representatives in Congress to oppose “any attempts to send further weapons to the Israeli government and military as it wreaks havoc on the Gaza Strip.”
JVP noted that a forthcoming resolution proposed by Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), which would affirm the U.S. stands “with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas,” would ultimately “dehumanize Palestinians and fuel violence.”
The group’s call to action came as anti-Palestinian rhetoric on Capitol Hill intensified, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) calling for Israel to “level” the blockaded enclave of Gaza, which is home to more than 2 million people, approximately half of whom are children.
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/10/12/us-jewish-group-calls-on-congress-to-halt-gaza-carnage/
“The US is strongly backing Israel’s onslaught and according to National Security Advisor…Sullivan, is not setting any red lines.”
It’s not just a matter of “backing Israel’s onslaught” – backing Israeli’s military attack on Gazan civilians is one half of a criminal Israel-US ethnic cleansing plan:
Leave Gaza. Now. Forever. Or die.
from moonofalabama 10/11/23:
“U.S. Plans To Ethnically Cleanse Gaza
This is, presumably, the U.S.-Israeli plan for the Palestinian people in Gaza:
“Harry Sisson @harryjsisson – 1:44 UTC · Oct 11, 2023
Amazing: President Biden is working on a plan with other countries that would allow civilians to safely leave Gaza and cross the border into Egypt. This is great news. President Biden is making sure that innocent people don’t die due to the actions of Hamas. That’s leadership.
“No, it is not leadership. It is ethnic cleansing, a war crime disguised as humanitarian gesture. It is ethnic cleansing of people who’s land has been stolen by Zionist settlers. These people would have no right of return to the homes and land they once owned. People who have been put into an open air prison, who have no access to electricity, water and food and are currently under intense attacks.”
cont.
No one will take the Gazans.
…daah….yeh! like jakey sez, “No one will take the Gazans” cuz…
…cuz jakey sez!!!………daaaah….
Try to make some sense . Abbie.