In Occupied Palestine
Zionism in practice
Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Land
08:00, 16 August until 08:00, 17 August 2024
[Source of statistics: Palestinian Monitoring Group]
Gaza Strip
Attacks: There are no safe places for the militarily-dominated population in Gaza, who find themselves subjected to airstrikes and other missile attacks on buildings, homes and many essential facilities, as well as constant gunfire and invasions by Israeli forces. The Israeli Navycontinues to fire missiles, targeting facilities and buildings along the entire Gaza shoreline.
Victims: 69 more people killed in Gaza now bring the total number of deaths, since 7 October, to at least 40,074. With another 136wounded, that figure has risen to over 92,537. The daily average number of men, women and children killed in Gaza is at least 127, and that of those injured is now more than 294.
Extracts from Ali Kazak’s
Palestine today — Don’t say you didn’t know (akazak@bigpond.net.au):
Israel’s Use of Human Shields on the Battlefield Is a War Crime
The practice that Haaretz exposed Tuesday (Yaniv Kubovich and Michael Hauser Tov) of military units forcing civilian residents of Gaza to serve as human shields – searching tunnels and buildings before the forces enter, while wearing army uniforms and sometimes also protective vests to give them the appearance of IDF soldiers – is a war crime. Many of the prohibitions specified in the laws of war are the consequence of atrocities experienced in wars, especially World War II. The prohibition against using enemy civilians as human shields is one of them. The evidence that was revealed in the investigation paints a “brutal and barbaric” picture of using civilians as human shields. Palestinians are held for days as forced labourers in military units, who use them repeatedly, at the risk of their lives, before releasing them.
This egregious practice points to the dehumanisation of Gaza’s civilians in the eyes of the officers who permitted, and sometimes ordered, its use, in blatant disregard of the distinction in international law between combatants and civilians. The International Criminal Court is currently considering a request by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, for arrest warrants for the prime minister and the defense minister. One of the conditions for the ICC’s jurisdiction in this matter is that the Israeli justice system is unable or unwilling to investigate and prosecute Israeli war criminals. The practice that was exposed is a test case for this question. The Haaretz investigation found that senior officers were aware of the perverse use of Palestinian civilians as human shields.
A coalition has sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling on the US to impose an arms embargo immediately. On July 31, 2024, Al Jazeera’s Ismail al-Ghoul was reporting from the Shati refugee camp in Gaza. Israel had just assassinated Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau and a negotiator in the Gaza ceasefire talks, in Iran. Israel’s killing left many bracing for a regional war, and the reporter headed to Haniyeh’s former home along with cameraman Rami al-Rif to cover the developing story. As they reported, the Israeli military carried out a strike on a nearby house. Al-Ghoul and al-Rif were asked to leave the area; they complied. Wearing blue press vests, they got in a car that also clearly identified them as press. Israel launched a missile strike on the car, killing both men. Photos of the aftermath showed al-Ghoul’s headless body still wearing the blue press vest.
It was never much of a mystery who launched the missile, but a day after the gruesome murder, Israel took credit. The official account of the Israeli military boasted that they had “eliminated” al-Ghoul. Preposterously, the post claimed that al-Ghoul was a Hamas operative who “instructed other operatives on how to record operations and was actively involved in recording and publicising attacks against IDF troops,” a claim vehemently denied by Al-Jazeera. Throughout its 10-month war on Gaza, Israel has killed a staggering number of journalists. According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, 160 journalists and media workers have perished at the hands of Israel. This is the largest number of journalists killed during a war in recorded history. By comparison, 69 journalists were killed during World War II, and 63 journalists were killed during the Vietnam War.
Israel’s pattern of bombing schools and shelters in Gaza
American supplied Israel bombs killed at least 100 people as they stood while performing Fajr (dawn) prayers at the Al-Tabin School in the Daraj area of Gaza City on August 10th. This latest school massacre shredded many bodies to pieces, leaving them unrecognisable, resulting in civic defence workers collecting bundles of body parts. Media reports state that three Israeli rockets hit the school, killing, maiming and setting fire to the building where hundreds of displaced people were taking shelter from the war. It has been described as the deadliest massacre in the 10-month-old war and internationally widely condemned. This is the latest of numerous schools attacked in the last month, illustrating a clear pattern of killing and maiming of defenceless civilians in school shelters, among them many women and children and is the latest of UN identified 174 deliberate bombings on shelters over the last 10 months.
West Bank
Israeli Army attack – 3 wounded: Ramallah – 15:40, Israeli Occupation forces, firing live ammunition, stormed the town of Beit Rima, wounding three people: Ibrahim Adham Hassan Abu Hatab, Muhammad Khaldoun Amir Kanaan and Muhammad Rami Awad.
Israeli Army attack – 1 wounded: Qalqiliya – 11:40-14:20, Israeli forces, firing live ammunition, stormed Kafr Qaddum, wounding a villager:Mahmoud Hikmat.
Israeli settler attack – vandalism – agricultural sabotage: Nablus – 17:10, armed Occupation settlers opened fire on farmers, in order to prevent them from getting onto their land in the Khirbet Tana area, east of Beit Furik. The settlers also smashed windows of a number of the farmers’ motor vehicles.
Israeli Army settler – terrorism: Nablus – 19:45, an armed Eli settlement guard opened fire towards a number of children flying kites, on Qaryut village land.
Home invasion and armed robbery: Tulkarem – 04:15, Israeli Occupation forces raided the city and invaded a home, robbing the owner, Waad Muhammad Fares Mahmoud, of a mobile phone as well as cash.
Home invasion: Nablus – 11:45–14:30, Israeli forces raided the town of Beita and invaded a house.
Home invasion: Nablus – 03:05–05:45, the Israeli Army raided Burqa village and searched a home.
Israeli Army population–control: Ramallah – 11:30, Israeli Occupation forces closed an agricultural road, between Turmusaya and the village of al-Mughayir.
Israeli Army – abduction: Nablus – 11:55, Israeli forces in charge of a military checkpoint abducted a 17-year-old youth: Ahmed Muhammad Jumaan Marjan.
Israeli Army – youngster beaten-up: Salfit – 20:50, Israeli troops beat-up and hospitalised a 17-year-old youth: Wahib Mahyoub Muslih al-Dik.
Israeli Army population–control: Hebron – 14:15, the Israeli Army closed the eastern entrance to the town of Dura.
Occupation settler violence: Tubas – 11:50, Israeli Occupation settlers assaulted a number people, in the Umm al-Jimal area of the North Jordan Valley.
Occupation settler land-grab: Salfit – 12:55–14:30, Occupation settlers built a rough settlement road on agricultural land, between the villages of Yasuf and Iskaka.
Occupation settler land-grab: Jericho – 11:05, Israeli settlers excavated land in the al-Ma’arjat area, west of Jericho, in preparation for establishment of a settlement outpost.
Occupation settler land-grab: Bethlehem – 11:10, Israeli Occupation settlers installed mobile homes and tent–dwellings for a new settlement outpost on privately-owned al-Jaba’a village land.
Occupation settler land-grab: Hebron – Israeli settlers took over, for settlement, an area of Sha’b al-Batam village land.
Raid – rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades fired: Jerusalem – 01:20–03:55, Israeli Occupation forces, firing rubber-coated bulletsand stun grenades, raided the village of al-Jib.
Raid: Ramallah – 14:05-16:15, Israeli forces raided and patrolled the village of Burqa.
Raid – 2 youngsters injured: Ramallah – 17:30, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the village of Deir Sudan, running a vehicle over, and injuring, two 17-year-old youths: Ali Abdel Nasser Ahmed and Youssef Ali Ahmed.
Raid: Ramallah – 21:15–23:00, Israeli troops raided and patrolled Silwad.
Raids: Ramallah – 00:10–02:00, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the villages of Deir Ammar and Jammala.
Raids: Jenin – 19:10–21:55, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the villages of al-Jalama, Arranah and Deir Ghazaleh.
Raid: Jenin – 22:35–03:50, Israeli Occupation forces, firing stun grenades, raided Ya’bad.
Raids: Tulkarem – 08:00–12:50, Israeli forces raided and patrolled Anabta as well as the village of Ramin.
Raids: Tulkarem – 14:25-16:00, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the villages of Kafr Sur and al-Ras.
Raids: Tulkarem – 21:55–00:55, Israeli troops raided and patrolled the city as well as the village of Izbit Shufa.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 12:20, the Israeli military raided and patrolled Azzun.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 14:00-16:00, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the village of Nabi Elias.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 15:00-17:55, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the Hotel village.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 17:35–22:45, Israeli forces raided and patrolled the village of Hajjah.
Raid: Nablus – 11:35-13:40, Israeli settlers raided Duma village.
Raid: Nablus – 11:45-14:30, the Israeli Army raided the Karem Ni’ma area of Beita.
Raid: Nablus – 17:35, Israeli troops raided and patrolled Burqa village.
Raid: Nablus – 18:05–00:25, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the village of Deir Sharaf.
Raid: Nablus – 23:50–00:45, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the village of Orif.
Raids: Nablus – 01:10–03:20, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled Beita as well as the village of Odala.
Raid: Nablus – 05:00, Israeli forces raided the city.
Raid – 2 taken prisoner in refugee camp: Nablus – 05:00, the Israeli Army raided the Balata refugee camp, taking prisoner two people.
Raid – beating-up and head injuries: Salfit – 23:55, Israeli troops raided Deir Ballut, severely beating-up one person, Daniel Farid Saleh Mustafa, inflicting head injuries.
Raid – 6 taken prisoner: Salfit – 18:30-21:00, the Israeli military raided Kafr al-Dik, taking prisoner six people.
Raid: Jericho – 12:00–14:10, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the city.
Raid: Bethlehem – 10:45, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled the village of al-Minya.
Raid: Bethlehem – 17:20, Israeli forces raided and patrolled the town of Tuqu.
Raid: Bethlehem – 18:25–02:30, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the town of al-Khadr.
Raid – rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades fired: Bethlehem – 19:50-21:00, Israeli troops, firing rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades, raided the village of Husan.
Raid: Bethlehem – 00:30, the Israeli military raided and patrolled Janata.
Raid: Hebron – 12:25-14:00, Israeli soldiers raided and patrolled the town of Yatta.
Raid: Hebron – 16:50, Israeli Occupation forces raided and patrolled Bani Naim.
Raid: Hebron – 17:00, Israeli forces raided and patrolled the town of Carmel.
Raid: Hebron – 18:45, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled the town of Dura.
Raid: Hebron – 19:25-21:20, Israeli troops, firing stun grenades, raided the town of Sa’ir.
Raids: Hebron – 22:00, the Israeli military raided and patrolled al-Samou and al-Dhahiriya.