GAZA casualties, live statistics
Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, has been killed by a strike in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the group said, only hours after Israel claimed it had killed a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut. Hamas blamed Israel for Haniyeh’s death, which one official described as a “grave escalation”. It said he was targeted at his residence in Tehran, after participating in the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president. The dual assassinations are heavy blows to Hamas and Hezbollah, but also raise the stakes for Iran, which backs both groups. They will fuel growing fears that the war in Gaza could escalate into a broader regional conflict.
Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, posted on X shortly after the country’s top security council met to discuss responses that his country would defend its territorial integrity and honour, and make the “terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly action”. The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, said the US was “doing things to take the temperature down” but would come to Israel’s defence if it was attacked.
The Israeli military declined to comment on Haniyeh’s death. Israel vowed to kill all Hamas leaders after the 7 October attacks and its intelligence services have a history of carrying out covert killings inside Iran, mostly targeting scientists from the country’s nuclear programme.
Haniyeh’s killing was “a grave escalation that will not achieve its goals”, the Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters. Hamas has survived past assassinations of its top leaders, including Haniyeh’s mentor Ahmed Yassin in 2004, and Haniyeh did not command operations on the ground in Gaza, after leaving for exile in 2019. Hamas fighters inside Gaza are led by Yahya Sinwar, thought to be the mastermind of the 7 October attacks in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were taken hostage.
US officials have for months been leading a global diplomatic effort to prevent the war in Gaza escalating into a broader and even more dangerous regional conflict. Austin, who is visiting the Philippines, said that even after the assassinations he believed a wider conflagration in the Middle East would be avoided. “I don’t think war is inevitable. I maintain that. I think there’s always room and opportunities for diplomacy,” he told reporters onboard a navy ship.
Recently the Biden administration had pushed hard for at least a temporary ceasefire and hostage-release deal in Gaza, where Israel’s war since 7 October has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 90,000, health authorities in Gaza say.
The CIA director, Bill Burns, was in Rome on Sunday for a round of talks with officials from Israel, Qatar and Egypt, negotiations likely have been thrown into disarray by the overnight attacks. Iranian state television said Haniyeh’s death would delay a ceasefire in Gaza by several months and prompt a retaliation from Iran-backed militant groups in the region, the New York Times reported.
Haniyeh’s death came hours after Israel claimed it killed Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukur, in an airstrike on a south Beirut suburb launched in retaliation for a rocket attack that killed 12 children at the weekend. Hezbollah confirmed on Wednesday that Shukur was in the apartment building hit by Israel, but said it was still waiting for news about his fate.
“Civil defense teams have been working diligently, but slowly, to remove the rubble due to the state of the destroyed layers,” the group said in a statement. “We are still waiting for the result.” Lebanon’s foreign minister said the strike in Beirut was a shock, after assurances from Israel’s allies that the country was planning a “limited response” that “would not produce a war”.
“That’s what we’re afraid of, and hopefully this will not produce a war,” Abdallah Bou Habib told the Guardian. “We did not expect to be hit in Beirut. We thought these were red lines that the Israelis would respect.” On Wednesday morning, Russia and Turkey condemned Haniyeh’s assassination, with Moscow describing it as a “completely unacceptable political killing”, the Tass news agency reported.
Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s political office and has played a key role in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, said the attack was a “dangerous escalation” that together with attacks on civilians in Gaza was leading the region toward chaos.
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, condemned Haniyeh’s assassination, calling it a “cowardly act and dangerous development”. Streets in Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is based, were empty after Palestinian national and Islamic factions called for a general strike and mass demonstrations.
Haniyeh had repeatedly urged Palestinians to be “steadfast” after Israel killed his mentor and members of his family; his own death is likely to elicit a similar response from other Hamas leaders. In April, when an airstrike killed three of his sons and four grandchildren he insisted in an interview with Al Jazeera that his personal loss would not pressure Hamas to shift its position in negotiations.
Inside Israel, the military said it was assessing the situation, but the home defence policy – which calls on citizens to prepare for potential attacks – had not been changed. The country’s northern airspace was completely closed apart from emergency flights, local media reported.
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Sniping, Shredding, Incinerating: Israel’s War on Children in Gaza
By Adham Abu Selmiya
( Middle East Monitor ) – “I’ve seen more incinerated children than I’ve ever seen in my entire life combined. I’ve seen more shredded children in just the first week,” shared Dr Mark Perlmutter, a Jewish-American doctor, in a harrowing testimony that reminds us of the true nature of Israel’s war on Gaza. His interview on CBS, which went viral this week, provided a shocking account of the suffering endured by Gaza’s children due to the Israeli aggression. Dr Perlmutter, an orthopaedic surgeon, has been on over 40 mission trips in 30 years, including disasters like earthquakes and Ground Zero. However, nothing prepared him for the civilian carnage he witnessed in Gaza. He recounted seeing children with severe injuries, including sniper wounds and described the dire medical and humanitarian crisis, with hospitals in Gaza largely destroyed and children facing extreme trauma without adequate care. In this piece, we try to dive deeper into the reality of Israel’s war on children in Palestine.
Eyewitness accounts and testimonies
Dr Perlmutter’s testimony is echoed by numerous other medical professionals who have witnessed the harrowing conditions in Gaza. In a Politico article, Dr Perlmutter and Dr Feroze Sidhwa recount their experiences at Gaza European Hospital. The dire situation they describe includes a nine-year-old girl named Juri, who arrived in septic shock with horrific injuries from an explosion. Despite their extensive experience in disaster zones, the doctors were unprepared for the overwhelming number of maimed children, the unbearable stench of death and decay and the sheer scale of human suffering.
Dr Perlmutter also provided a chilling account of children being targeted by snipers. “I have children that were shot twice,” he said. When asked if children in Gaza were being shot by snipers, he responded definitively: “Definitively. I have two children that I have photographs of that were shot so perfectly in the chest I couldn’t put my stethoscope over their heart more accurately and directly on the side of the head in the same child. No toddler gets shot twice by mistake by the world’s best sniper and they’re dead centre shots.”
He adds that the hospital, operating at 359 per cent of its capacity, was filled with 15,000 displaced people, and patients were housed in every conceivable space. The doctors treated children with severe injuries, often without adequate supplies. Their account paints a grim picture of Gaza as “the world’s most dangerous place to be a child,” a sentiment reinforced by the constant drone of Israeli aircraft and the relentless bombings.
Moreover, heart-wrenching testimonies from other doctors who volunteered in Gaza further highlight the catastrophic impact on children. An American medic recounted treating explosive injuries and burns, wounds rarely seen in the US. A trauma nurse from Oregon spoke of the heartbreak of seeing children with glitter on their fingernails and discoloured hair, symbols of their lost innocence. She described the frustration and despair of working in an ICU where no wounded patients survived.
These testimonies are just a few among countless others that reveal the unimaginable horrors faced by Gaza’s children. As Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan noted, many children are missing, trapped under rubble or buried in mass graves, adding another layer to the tragedy. The collective stories from these medical professionals underscore the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the Israeli military is deliberately targeting the youngest and most vulnerable. The testimonials are endless and heartbreaking, and Dr Perlmutter’s account is just a drop in the sea of suffering endured by Gaza’s children.
The devastating impact on Gaza’s children: Statistics and reports
The harrowing testimonies of doctors are supported by grim statistics that highlight the severe impact of the conflict on Gaza’s children. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, as of 22 July, 2024, 16,251 children have been killed, and 70 per cent of the total casualties are women and children, a stark indication of deliberate targeting. This is a significant increase compared to the previous wars, demonstrating the escalating Israeli brutality.
On the other side, the West Bank is far from being a safe haven for children. United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund reports a 250 per cent increase in Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since 7 October, with 143 children killed and over 440 injured by live ammunition. Meanwhile, nearly 100 per cent of Gaza’s children are now afflicted with diseases, including skin infections, viral hepatitis and other epidemic diseases, due to the catastrophic living conditions. The World Health Organization has expressed deep concern about potential epidemic outbreaks, such as polio, discovered in the sewage water. These statistics underscore the immense suffering and dire humanitarian crisis faced by Gaza’s youngest.
Incitement and statements from Israeli officials
The alarming reality of the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in Gaza is underscored by inflammatory rhetoric from Israeli leaders. Rabbi Eliyahu Mali, in a widely circulated video, called for the killing of Gaza’s women and children, claiming it aligns with Jewish religious law. He justified these actions with the chilling logic that if they are not killed, they will grow up to kill Israelis. In the video, he stated: “In our holy war, and in our case in Gaza, according to the Torah (you shall not let any soul live), the logic is very clear: if you do not kill them, they will kill you.” Furthermore, he claimed: “The terrorists of today are the children of the previous war whom we allowed to live, and the women are the ones who produce the terrorists.”
This extremist ideology is mirrored in the statements of high-ranking officials. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant referred to Palestinians as “human animals” and ordered a complete siege on Gaza, stating there would be “no electricity, no food, no fuel”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed genocidal sentiments, invoking the biblical story of Amalek and calling for the eradication of Gaza. He chillingly remarked that the civilian deaths in Gaza are “collateral damage” and emphasised the need for cultural changes in Gaza similar to those imposed on Japan and Germany after World War II. Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu even suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, asserting that there were “no uninvolved civilians” in the territory. Such statements, along with numerous others from Israeli officials, reveal a clear and terrifying intention to wipe out the Palestinian people, especially the children, in a bid to eliminate any future resistance.
Social engineering and long-term impact
The actions of the Israeli occupation in Gaza appear to be a deliberate attempt at social engineering, aiming to debilitate the future generation of Palestinians. As evidenced by the incendiary remarks of figures like Rabbi Eliyahu Mali, the intent is clear: to render this generation of children incapable of carrying the mantle of resistance or continuing the Palestinian struggle.
This is achieved through widespread killing, injuries, disabilities, detentions and the spread of long-lasting diseases. The brutal reality is that children in Gaza are now suffering from a host of chronic conditions, including renal failure, skin diseases, and respiratory ailments, all exacerbated by the dire living conditions and lack of medical care. The Israeli enemy understands that children are the human reservoir of resistance and recognises the unwavering support of the Palestinian people for the resistance movement. By systematically targeting and decimating this vital demographic, Israel aims to eliminate any potential future threat. This devastating strategy not only seeks to demoralise but also to physically incapacitate the very foundation of Palestinian society.
The future of Gaza’s children
From day one, Israel’s war on Gaza has unequivocally been a war on children. The harrowing testimonies of Dr Perlmutter and other medical professionals reveal an unprecedented targeting of children, painting a chilling picture that this is not an outlier but the everyday reality in Gaza. The numbers tell a stark story: thousands of children were killed and maimed, with countless more suffering from chronic diseases in the wake of relentless bombardment and siege. This deliberate targeting is further validated by the incendiary rhetoric from Israeli leaders, who openly advocate for the eradication of Gaza’s future generation.
This disaster is unlike anything the world has seen before, yet the international community remains silent, failing to act decisively to stop Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and its children. However, history has shown that such brutal tactics will not succeed in breaking the Palestinian spirit or their pursuit of freedom. The resilience and determination of the Palestinian people to end the occupation and return to their land remain unshaken. It is imperative for the world to wake up and take action, ensuring that the voices of Gaza’s children are not silenced and that their future is one of hope, dignity and peace.
https://www.juancole.com/2024/07/shredding-incinerating-children.html
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The Brutalization of Israel Is Well Underway. If we do not act, collapse is only a matter of time
Dogs of war / New acronym in Gaza: WCNSF – Wounded Child No Surviving Family
The Legitimization of Evil Will Remain with Israelis Long After the War in Gaza Ends
Seth Anziska on Dominant Orthodoxies
Ralph Nader: The Mutually Reinforcing US and Israeli Empires
Automated Murder – Israel’s ‘AI’ in Gaza
Israel wants to slay the monster next door, but with this lethal bombardment, it is feeding it
The west’s complete contempt for the lives of Palestinians will not be forgotten
After the truth-shower 