It’s made to order. First, eliminate the aid system after creating circumstances of enormous suffering. Then, kill, starve, vanquish and displace those in need of that aid. Finally: give the pretence of humanity by ensuring some aid to those whose suffering you created in the first place.
As things stand, the system of aid distribution in the Gaza Strip is intended to cause suffering and destruction to recipients. Since May 26, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an opaquely structured entity with Israeli and US backing, has run the distribution of parcels from a mere four points, a grim joke given the four hundred or so outlets previously operated by the United Nations Palestinian relief agency. The entire process of seeking aid has been heavily rationed and militarised, with Israeli troops and private contractors exercising murderous force with impunity. Opening times are not set, rendering the journey to the distribution points even more precarious. When they do open, they do so for short spells.
Haaretz has run reports quoting soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces claiming to have orders to deliberately fire upon unarmed crowds on their perilous journey to the food sites. In a June 27 piece, the paper quotes a soldier describing the distribution sites as “a killing field.” Where he was stationed, “between one and five people were killed every day.” Those seeking aid were “treated like a hostile force – no crowd-control measures, no tear gas – just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars. Then, once the center opens, the shooting stops, and they can approach. Our form of communication is gunfire.”
The interviewed soldier could recall no instance of return fire. “There’s no enemy, no weapons.” IDF officers also told the paper that the GHF’s operations had provided a convenient distraction for continuing operations in Gaza, which had been turned into a “backyard”, notably during Israel’s war with Iran. In the words of a reservist, the Strip had “become a place with its own set of rules. The loss of human life means nothing. It’s not even an ‘unfortunate incident’, like they used to say.”
An IDF officer involved in overseeing security at one of the distribution centres was full of understatement. “Working with a civilian population when your only means of interaction is opening fire – that’s highly problematic, to say the least.” It was “neither ethically nor morally acceptable for people to have to reach, or fail to reach, a [humanitarian zone] under tank fire, snippers and mortar shells.”
Much the same story can be found with the security contractors, those enthusiastic killers following in the footsteps of predecessors who treat international humanitarian law as inconvenient if not altogether irrelevant. Countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq can attest to the blood–soiled record of private military contractors, with the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad city’s Nisour Square by Blackwater USA employees in September 2007 being but one spectacular example. While those employees faced trial and conviction in a US federal court in 2014 on an assortment of charges – among them murder, manslaughter and attempted manslaughter – such a fate is unlikely for any of those working for the GHF.
On July 4, the BBC published the observations of a former contractor on the trigger-happy conduct of his colleagues around the food centres. In one instance, a guard opened fire on women, children and elderly people “moving too slowly away from the site.” Another contractor, also on location, stood on the berm overlooking the exit to one of the GHF sites, firing 15 to 20 bursts of repetitive fire at the crowd. “A Palestinian man dropped on the ground motionless. And then, the other contractor who was standing there was like, ‘damn, I think you got one’. And then they laughed about it.”
The company had also failed to issue contractors any operating procedures or rules of engagement, except one: “if you feel threatened, shoot – shoot to kill and ask questions later.” No reference is made to the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. To journey to Gaza was to go to a land unencumbered by laws and rules. “Do what you want,” is the cultural norm of GHF operatives. And this stands to reason, given the reference of “team leaders” to Gazans seeking aid as “zombie hordes”.
The GHF, in time honoured fashion, have denied these allegations. Ditto the IDF, that great self-proclaimed stalwart of international law. It is therefore left to such contributors as Anas Baba, NPR’s producer in the Gaza Strip, to enlighten those who care to read and listen. As one of the few Palestinian journalists working for a US news outlet in the strip, his observations carry singular weight. In a recent report, Baba neatly summarised the manufactured brutality behind the seeking of aid in an enclave strangled and suffering gradual extinction. “I faced Israeli military fire, private US contractors pointing laser beams at my forehead, crowds with knives fighting for rations and masked thieves – to get food from a group supported by the US and Israel called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.”
If nothing else, it is high time that the GHF scrap any pretence of being humanitarian in its title and admit to its true role: an adjutant to Israel’s program of extirpating Gaza’s Palestinian population.
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Couldn’t help but notice that the misogynistic LNP rolled out their “token woman”, Sussan Ley, this morning in a disgusting attempt to blame Albanese and the Labor Party for the tragic arson attack that took place at the Adass Israel Synagogue of Melbourne! EVERYONE condemns that act of terrorism BUT Ley’s politically-motivated attempt to blame the ALP for this crime is BEYOND depraved.
Of course, NOBODY wants our Jewish community attacked in such a way, but neither Ley nor any other inhumane sociopaths in the LNP, have made ONE SINGLE COMMENT, not one word to criticise or openly condemn the probable reason behind this arson attack = the hideous, ongoing genocidal murder of unarmed, innocent non-Jewish men, women and innocent little children who are either being gunned down or slowly starved to death in Netanyahu’s KILLING FIELDS along the Gaza Strip or elsewhere in Israel! When are the LNP EVER going to wake up to the fact that even the UN have justifiably named the infamous, cold-blooded psychopath, Netanyahu, a despicable WAR CRIMINAL who is EVERY bit as heinous as Hitler or Mussolini?
Yes the arson attempt on the occupied Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponleait is a disgusting crime but the ongoing slaughter of innocent Palestinians by that insane, murderous war criminal, Netanyahu (who is being emboldened by the deluded support of that out-of-control megalomaniac, Trump) is BEYOND intolerable and has, in effect, provided terrorists with what THEY see as a “reasonable” cause to commit such anti-Semitic crimes.
How is it that young men in these forces can be so compliant with orders that are clearly criminal, shooting at unarmed crowds, and killing indiscriminately because it is decreed, or allowed?
When this is over, how will these men integrate back into normal lives as fathers and husbands? The epidemic of mental illness, suicide, and psychopathology that must follow for these many individuals means that the State of Israel will have a community of severely damaged individuals to control and care for, no matter what solution is found for the current crisis in Gaza
Reports coming from Washington indicate that Trump is keen to develop his initiative to relocate Palestinians to other countries in the region [on a voluntary basis of course].
In the meantime the demolition of Gaza will continue as part of a broader proposal that has included essentially razing the territory and turning it into a luxury waterfront development.
Netanyahu has applauded Trump’s “brilliant vision” and has nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I wonder, will these two crazy men run their ethnic cleansing plan by the UN and will those Palestinians leaving Gaza be given a cash bonus to start a new life and which countries will be bribed to take in the former residents of Palestine : will Australia be prevailed on to open up land, perhaps in the Kimberley, for a new Palestine ?
What a crazy world we live in !
The 2 milestone events, 9/11 in USA and 7th october in Israel, gave those concerned a reason to enact war, which, without the event, would not proceed.
We have seen the enquiry from US government, though with limited scope. We are promised a similar enquiry from the Israel government but I
m not holding my breath.s”.As Trump constantly reminds us, "Israel has no closer friend than USA".
Did anyone else spot the link?
They both featured "dancing Israeli
Boom,boom.
Meanwhile the White house seems to be the leading meeting point for Criminals, both civil and War. No risk of arrest for War criminals in USA, home of truth and justice.
Just heads of state hiding from their crimes.
The majority of whole world doesn’t trust Netanyahu’s Israel. The UNHRC’s Fransesca Albanese has slammed it and all the enabling corporations and their states.
Amnesty International issued a report 3rd July claiming a controversial Israeli- and US-backed system to distribute aid in Gaza uses starvation tactics against Palestinians to continue to commit genocide
What more is needed to reveal the evil tryst between Netanyahu’s Likud, IDF and political Zioists, and the polity of the USA, especially under T-Rump and his flunky thugs.
As long as Nutandyahoo and his nationalist RRRWNJ’s can keep twisting The Dumpster around his little finger then there is basically nothing will stop him wiping out Gaza and the Palestinians.
Many words to avoid an optimal solution, that allows local and external chaos to protect fellow corrupt RWNJ travellers local and international, from their own people?
One is speaking of Netanyahu, who is desperately trying to delay then avoid losing any election and immunity, accordingly if he was compelled by voters to face courts much would be solved.
He’s been kept out of trouble by October 7, Kahanist & RW extremist West Bank settlers, 2+ million Israeli-Russians, American born again settlers, white Christian nationalists behind Trump and Putin; elsewhere eruption of supposed anti-semitic synagogue tagging & arson promoted by RW MSM.
Much analysis seems to airbrush out inconvenient facts including pre history of Netanyahu’s far right etc. allies including Trump, Putin, Kushner, MBS, Qatargate/Hamas, Hungarian PM ‘mini Putin’ Orbán etc.; both Trump and Putin featured in Likud campaign several years ago.
The Times of Israel 2019 ‘Netanyahu touts friendship with Putin in new billboard Targeting Israeli-Russian voters, Likud hangs massive picture of PM alongside Russian president, with the slogan ‘Netanyahu: In a league of his own’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-another-league-netanyahu-touts-friendship-with-putin-in-new-billboard/
Billboards of both Putin and Trump, according GOP, Kremlin, Israel, LW & RW media allies, nothing to see here? Why are there no expectations of Netanyahu’s allies?
Netanyahu proposing Trump for a ‘Nobel Peace Prize”.
Nobody understands why Henry Kissinger ever was awarded such.
It is beyond satire.
” We know that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Nelson Mandela- 1997
The perfect Collingwood fan –
https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.4voVVc6wLOTHr46b6yh2VAHaLH?r=0&rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain&o=7&rm=3
The rest of my family would be horrified, they’re all Collingwood supporters.