In Occupied Palestine
Zionism in practice
Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Land
08:00, 19 August until 08:00, 20 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: 34 more people killed in Gaza now bring the total number of deaths, since 7 October, to at least 40,173. With another 114wounded, that figure has risen to over 92,857. The daily average number of men, women and children killed in Gaza is at least 126, and that of those injured is now more than 292.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since a 7 October, 2023 attack by Hamas. The Israeli onslaught has resulted in over 40,170 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 92,740 injuries, according to local health authorities. The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.
European leaders are stoking the flames of a Middle East inferno
Their wilful blindness to Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, and their refusal to hold Netanyahu to account, could sharply escalate the conflict. In the 10 months since the latest war in Gaza erupted, European leaders have produced an astonishing deluge of statements, which reflect disturbing cognitive dissonance and outrageous bias. Like a broken record, they incessantly repeat the mantra that “Israel has the right to defend itself”. They parrot this when compelled to proffer any criticism of the Israeli excesses that have so far caused more than 40,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip.
Even when their spokespersons issue standard statements mentioning civilian casualties, the first sentence is usually: “Israel has the right to defend itself.” The message is unequivocal: Israel’s right comes first; everything else is secondary.
It is hard to believe that, over the last 10 months, Europe’s decision-makers have not been briefed by their aides about the legal realities of what has been happening in Gaza and the West Bank before and since 7 October. If they had received an honest briefing, they would know that there is no Israeli right to defend itself against violence deriving from its status as an occupying power in the West Bank and Gaza.
West Bank
Israeli Army attack: Jenin – 23:00, Israeli Occupation forces, firing live ammunition, stormed the town of Jab‘a.
Israeli Army attacks – 4 wounded – home invasions: Tubas – 02:25–06:15, Israeli forces stormed the city as well as the town of Tamoun, invading homes and wounding four residents. Two other people were taken prisoner while Israeli troops bulldozed streets in the town and destroyed infrastructure, including a power transformer as well as a vehicle.
Israeli Army attacks – 1 wounded – 3 taken prisoner: Nablus – 12:40–13:45, the Israeli Army wounded one woman, Ola Saeed Soufan, and took prisoner three other residents while storming the city, firing live ammunition.
Israeli Army attacks – refugee camps: Nablus – 04:15–08:00, Israeli troops, firing live ammunition, stormed the city as well as the Balata and Ein Beit al-Maa refugee camps.
Israeli Army attack: Salfit – 17:30–03:20, the Israeli military, firing live ammunition, stormed Haris village.
Israeli Army attacks – 3 wounded: Hebron – 19:10–23:30, Israeli soldiers stormed the al-Fawar refugee camp, shooting and wounding two youngsters: 13–year–old Kenan Jamil Brahmiyeh and Moataz Sabri Ghatasheh (aged 16). A third person, Muhammad Bassam Al-Bayed, was also wounded.
Israeli Army attacks – 1 youngster killed – 1 person wounded – 1 taken prisoner: Hebron – 20:00–01:05, Israeli Occupation forces, firing live ammunition, stormed the town of Dura, killing an 18-year-old resident, Mahmoud Ibrahim Al-Hroub, and wounding one other person: Khaled Nimr Al-Sayyid Ahmed. One resident was taken prisoner during the attack.
Home demolition: Jerusalem – dawn, the Israeli Occupation demolished a house, in the Wadi al-Jouz neighbourhood.
Home invasions: Tulkarem – 11:25-16:00, Israeli forces raided the village of Sidon and searched three homes.
Home invasions: Qalqiliya – 22:40–03:00, the Israeli Army raided the village of Kafr Abbush and invaded a number of homes.
Home invasion – settler arson attack: Hebron – 10:30, Israeli Occupation settlers set fire to a house, in the south of Bani Naim, and sprayed race-hate messages in Hebrew on the walls.
Home invasions: Hebron – 00:50–07:55, Israeli troops raided the town of Beit Kahil and searched a number of homes.
Home invasion: Hebron – 01:35–07:55, the Israeli military raided the town of Yatta and searched a house.
Israeli Army destruction and population–control: Jerusalem – 06:00, Israeli Occupation forces demolished a sports club, shop and vehicle-repair garage, in the Wadi al-Jouz neighbourhood.
Israeli police and settlers’ mosque violation: Jerusalem – 08:00, settler militants, escorted by Israeli police, invaded the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and molested worshippers.
Israeli Army destruction and population–control: Jerusalem – 09:10, Israeli forces demolished a four-storey building being constructed in the town of al-Ram, in order to make way for a new settlement road.
Israeli Army population–control: Tulkarem – 14:20, the Israeli Army closed Jbara Bridge, preventing people from either entering or leaving the city.
Israeli Army population–control: Qalqiliya – 15:55, Israeli Occupation forces closed, for a time, the main road between Qalqiliya and Nablus.
Occupation settler terrorism: Tubas – 10:55, Israeli settlers terrorised a resident, Nabil Mustafa Daraghmeh, in the Umm al-Jimal area ofthe North Jordan Valley, and ordered him to leave there.
Occupation settler arson and agricultural sabotage: Salfit – midnight, Israeli Occupation settlers invaded the Khallet Hamad area, in al-Zawiya, and set fire to a farm building as well as a livestock shelter.
Occupation settler violence: Hebron – 09:50, Israeli settlers, in Bani Nai’m, assaulted one man: Muhammad Rashid Manasra Khallet Yaqin.
Raid – abduction: Ramallah – 13:50–17:00, Israeli Occupation forces raided the village of al-Mughayir and abducted a 17-year-old youth:Saleh Mahmoud Abu Aliya. One other resident was also taken prisoner.
Raid: Ramallah – 20:25, Israeli forces raided and patrolled the village of Aboud.
Raid: Ramallah – 22:25–23:50, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled Deir Dibwan.
Raid – armed robbery: Jenin – 12:35, Israeli troops raided the village of Barta’a al-Sharqiya, taking prisoner a resident and robbing him of cash equivalent the value of over $US16,000.
Raid: Jenin – 23:00–04:55, the Israeli military raided and patrolled the town of Jab’a.
Raid – agricultural sabotage: Tulkarem – 16:15, Israeli soldiers raided the Ertah suburb and bulldozed olive trees, as well as invading an agricultural building.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Qalqiliya – 16:05–03:00, Israeli Occupation forces raided the village of Baqat al-Hatab, taking prisoner one person.
Raid: Qalqiliya – 19:25, Israeli forces raided and patrolled the city.
Raid: Qalqiliya – midnight-03:00, the Israeli Army raided the village of Ras Atiya.
Raid – stun grenades fired: Nablus – 10:00, Israeli troops, firing stun grenades, raided and patrolled the village of Madama.
Raid – stun grenades fired: Nablus – 19:30–02:15, the Israeli Army, firing stun grenades, raided the town of Sebastia.
Raid: Salfit – 09:45, Israeli troops raided and patrolled the village of Yasuf.
Raid: Salfit – 10:45, the Israeli military invaded the village of Iskaka and raided a house under construction.
Raid: Salfit – 14:00, Israeli soldiers raided Deir Ballut and invaded a house under construction.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Bethlehem – 12:45-16:00, Israeli Occupation forces raided the village of Husan, taking prisoner one person.
Raid – 2 taken prisoner: Bethlehem – 04:45, Israeli forces raided the city as well as the town of al-Khadr, taking prisoner two people.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Hebron – 03:00, the Israeli Army raided the town of Bani Naim, taking prisoner one person.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Hebron – 05:25, Israeli troops raided the al-Arroub refugee camp, taking prisoner one person.
Raid – 1 taken prisoner: Hebron – dawn, the Israeli military raided the town of Halhul, taking prisoner one person.