First Anniversary of the Israeli War on Gaza

Mustafa Barghouti — 2024-10-06T17:35:27Z

Tomorrow the 7th of October marks the end of a whole year of the Israeli war on Gaza that Israel expanded to include Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran. This regional war could have been easily avoided if the Israeli government had accepted a deal of a ceasefire with Gaza that would have included the release of all Israeli captives and the release of many Palestinian prisoners, and the end of the Israeli military attack on Gaza.

During the last year Israel conducted 3 war crimes in parallel against the Occupied Palestinian people:

The war crime of genocide,
the war crime of ethnic cleansing and
the war crime of collective punishment.

During the viscous military bombardment of Gaza the Israeli army threw no less than 84,000 tons of explosives which is more than 4 times the explosive power of each of the nuclear bombs that were used against Japan in the Second World War. That was equal to 32 kilograms of explosives for each man, woman and child in Gaza.

The results were devastating, so far 41,850 Palestinians were killed in addition to about 10,000 others that are still missing under the rubble.

70% of the Palestinians killed were children, women or elderly.

At least 16,756 Palestinian children were killed including 115 who were born and killed during the war. Some like the twin children of Muhamad Abu Elqumsan were killed with their mother by the Israeli bombardment 3 days after they were born.

Additionally about 96,910 Palestinians were injured of whom 12,000 will die if they are not transferred outside Gaza for treatment. Israel is not allowing that. Among the injured 4050 who had amputations including 1300 children who lost one or more of their limbs.

60,000 pregnant women could not give birth in safe and sanitary conditions, many lost their babies and the rate of maternal mortality skyrocketed.

The number of Palestinians killed and injured in Gaza last year is equal to 6.5% of the population of Gaza. Had this happened in the USA, proportionally the number would be 20 million Americans killed or injured in one year.

During the war of genocide the Israeli army committed 3568 massacres, destroying almost 80% of all houses and institutions, including all universities, 330 schools, 814 mosques, all the three churches, 162 health institutions, 34 out of the 36 hospitals, 131 ambulances, and all electricity, communications, water and sewage networks. Additionally, 67.7% of agricultural fields and farms were destroyed, and 700 wells were bombarded. All the 34 sport stadiums were destroyed.

In the course of its re occupation of Gaza the Israeli army erased to the ground most of Rafah city and district.

Among the Palestinians killed were 11,500 students, 750 teachers, 115 scientists and university professors.

Medical personnel were especially targeted by the Israeli army and 885 medical Doctors, nurses and other health professionals were killed.

During the whole year Israel did not allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza, this was the first war in modern times that was not covered by foreign military correspondents.

On the other hand, the Israeli army targeted purposefully local Palestinian journalists and their families. 175 Palestinian journalists were killed by Israeli bombardment and shooting and many journalists were arrested. 87 media institutions were also destroyed.

All the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza were subjected to repeated displacement. Some were displaced 10 times. At the moment more than 1.6 million are stuck in a little strip in Mawasy area which is no more than 22 squared kilometers and they still get bombarded.

In the course of the last year the Israeli army subjected hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to collective punishment including starvation. Palestinians in Gaza were deprived from food, clean water, shelters, sanitary facilities, medical care and medications. As a result, 1,737,524 people suffered from infections including 112,000 who caught infectious hepatitis, many had meningitis and hundreds of children have skin infections. One case of poliomyelitis was confirmed and 6 other cases are suspected. Poliomyelitis was eradicated in Gaza 30 years ago but surged again due to poor sanitary conditions and lack of clean water.

All the efforts to reach a ceasefire were undermined by the prime minister of Israel Netanyahu and his extreme government. The Israeli genocide of Gaza continues and on average 60-90 Palestinians are killed and more than 150 are injured daily by Israeli bombardment.

On the other hand the Israeli army and illegal settlers terrorist gangs conducted and continue to conduct many attacks on the Palestinian population of the West Bank.

Since October 7th last year 641 Palestinians, mostly civilians were killed by the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank including 163 children and 6250 were injured.

No less than 11,000 new Palestinian prisoners were arrested in the West Bank including more than 800 children. Thousands are kept in jails under the so called administrative detention which means they are arrested without any charges or due legal process. 5000 Palestinians in Gaza were also kidnapped and are kept in prisons or horrible concentration camps like Sde Timan prison.

Palestinian Prisoners are subjected to torture including starvation, beating, repeated humiliation and in some cases sexual harassment. The Israeli authorities admitted at least one case of rape of a Palestinian prisoner by Israeli soldiers.

57 prisoners died or were killed in the Israeli prisons in the West Bank during the last year. Hundreds of Gazans were killed and several witnesses reported witnessing field executions of Palestinian captives by Israeli soldiers.

In Lebanon the Israeli attacks killed 2036 Lebanese including 50 medics and injured 9653 since October 7th.

Israel would not have been able to continue this terrible war and the associated war crimes if it wasn't for the international failure and the support and encouragement of many Western governments who continue to supply Israel with weapons, explosives, unlimited financial aid and political support.

The biggest irony is the repeated declarations by many Western governments about Israel's right to defend itself without mentioning once the right of the oppressed occupied Palestinian people to defend themselves. Not accepting Palestinians as equal human beings to Israelis and other humans mean that Palestinians are actually facing not only war crimes, the longest ethnic cleansing and occupation, and the worst Apartheid in modern history but inhuman racism as well.

After a whole year of atrocities and horror it's time to stop the war and the war crimes against the Palestinian people and open the road to end occupation and achieve just peace.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti is the leader of the Palestinian National Initiative

Photo: Dominic Morissette

Alternatives International

First Anniversary of the Israeli War on Gaza