October 13 - Israel/Palestine update

“Genocidal” campaign underway in Gaza

Here’s a brief update on what’s happening in Israel/Palestine.

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The news coming out of Gaza is simply horrific. Yesterday Reuters reported that 447 children and 248 women were among the 1,417 killed so far by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip — the number by now is probably higher. This is hardly surprising. The images coming out of Gaza depicting entire neighbourhoods razed to the ground clearly show that Israeli is engaging in the indiscriminate murder of civilians, in a territory where half the population are children — state terrorism, plain and simple.

According to the Israeli military, 6,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza over the past six days, nearly matching the number of bombs the US used in Afghanistan in one year.

Buildings of all kinds are being targeted by the Israeli military — not only residential homes but also schools and hospitals. Indeed, the World Health Organization has documented 34 attacks on healthcare services in Gaza since last Saturday that have resulted in the death of 11 health workers, 16 injuries, and damages to 19 health facilities and 20 ambulances.

In a particularly gruesome twist, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also confirmed the use of white phosphorus in military operations in Gaza. White phosphorus is a wax-like, toxic substance that burns at more than 800 degrees Celsius (nearly 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit) — high enough to melt metal.