Gaza Archives - Page 121 of 159

Ruined Lives: 22,500 Injured in Gaza Permanent

CrossFireArabia
September 12, 2024

At least one quarter or 22 500 of those injured in Gaza by 23 July are estimated to have life-changing injuries that require rehabilitation services now and for years to come, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of the types of injuries resulting from the ongoing conflict in Gaza: Estimating Trauma Rehabilitation Needs in Gaza using Injury Data from Emergency Medical Teams.

The analysis found that severe limb injuries, estimated to be between 13 455 to 17 550, are the main driver of the need for rehabilitation. Many of those injured have more than one injury. According to the report, between 3105 and 4050 limb amputations have also occurred. Large surges in spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and major burn injuries all contribute to the overall number of life-changing injuries, which includes many thousands of women and children.

#WHO analysis highlights vast unmet rehabilitation needs in #Gaza. #UAE_BARQ_EN pic.twitter.com/CrK8HsFiax
— UAE BARQ (@UAE_BARQ_EN) September 12, 2024

“The huge surge in rehabilitation needs occurs in parallel with the ongoing decimation of the health system,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory. “Patients can’t get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted and specialized care for complex injuries is not available, placing patients’ lives at risk. Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to address the enormous rehabilitation needs.”

Currently, only 17 of 36 hospitals remain partially functional in Gaza, while primary health care and community-level services are frequently suspended or rendered inaccessible due to insecurity, attacks, and repeated evacuation orders. Gaza’s only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation center, located in Nasser Medical Complex and supported by WHO, became non-functional in December 2023 due to lack of supplies and specialized health workers being forced to leave in search of safety, and was later left damaged following a raid in February 2024. Tragically, much of the rehabilitation workforce in Gaza is now displaced. Reports indicate 39 physiotherapists have been killed as of 10 May. In-patient rehabilitation and prosthetic services are no longer available and the number of people with injuries requiring assistive products far exceeds the equipment available within Gaza. Partners report that stocks of essential assistive products such as wheelchairs and crutches have run out and it is difficult to replenish supplies due to the restricted flow of aid into Gaza.

The analysis focuses solely on new injuries sustained since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. However, tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza were already living with pre-existing chronic conditions and impairments before this, putting them at significant risk due to the lack of appropriate services.

The estimates in the analysis will be used by WHO and partners to plan for a surge in rehabilitation-related services and contribute to long-term health planning and policymaking.

Amidst the ongoing hostilities, it is critical to ensure access to all essential health services, including rehabilitation to prevent illness and death. WHO reiterates its call for a ceasefire, which is critical for rebuilding the health system to cope with escalating needs.

Reliefweb

Analyses

Mawasi: Latest Israeli Massacre With US Bombs

CrossFireArabia
September 12, 2024

The Israeli army’s horrific massacre of displaced families living in ramshackle tents in a so-called “humanitarian zone” in the southern Gaza Strip is further proof that the international community’s silence during the 11-month genocide is encouraging Israel to carry out its crimes.

The latest mass killing fuelled by the international community’s refusal to act occurred in the Strip’s al-Mawasi Khan Yunis area, which the Israeli army had designated a “safe zone”. Initial investigations conducted by Euro-Med Monitor reveal that on Tuesday 10 September, after midnight, Israeli warplanes dropped three American-made MK-84 bombs on a group of displaced people sleeping in their tents in the Mawasi area. The explosions created three holes several metres deep and in diameter, burying about 20 tents with the families still inside.

🚨BREAKING: 🚨
Another huge massacre in Al_Mawasi in Khan Yunis — an area designated by Israel as a “safe zone” for the internally displaced Palestinians.
Reports of a large number of civilians killed & injured when Israel bombed over 20 tents, where many families were asleep.… pic.twitter.com/AKNW0yk33e
— Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) September 9, 2024

Israel’s use of multiple highly destructive bombs on a densely populated area full of displaced people—and its consequent killing of sleeping civilians—is unjustifiable, whether or not its claims of the presence of armed factions in the area are accurate.

Since the displaced people’s tents were situated in a region with sandy dunes, many of them—including tents with entire families inside—were buried beneath the sand. The initial casualty toll, counting both the dead and the wounded, is over 60.

The Israeli army’s intention to kill the greatest number of Palestinian civilians possible is evident in its use of American bombs with a wide destructive capacity in an area full of tents housing displaced people. It should be noted that no evacuation warnings were issued prior to the bombing.

Al Mawasi Massacre. 50 tents turned into 50 craters yet the world is still deaf, dumb and blind. pic.twitter.com/zoLlSj0Fkt
— W Leaks (@wagic_leeky214) September 12, 2024

This massacre comes only one month after Israeli forces bombed Gaza City’s Al-Tabi’in School, killing over a hundred Palestinians.

Israel remains bound by the regulations of international humanitarian law, particularly the requirements to protect civilians and adhere to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and military necessity, i.e. to take necessary precautions. This involves deciding how military operations are to be conducted and what kind of weaponry is to be employed in order to reduce the number of civilian casualties.

The shameful silence and indifference surrounding these unprecedented massacres, which blatantly and repeatedly target civilians with the clear intention of exterminating Palestinians in large numbers, serves as a green light for Israel to continue committing such atrocities.

The United States is complicit in this individual crime, as well as in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, because it continues to supply Israel with weapons, despite knowing that the Israeli army uses these massively destructive weapons to regularly kill hundreds of civilians.

Israel’s bombing strategy reveals a deliberate policy to target Palestinian civilians across the entire Gaza Strip; spread fear among them; deny them stability or shelter, even for brief periods of time; force them to repeatedly relocate to new shelters; subject them to life-threatening conditions; and ultimately destroy them. The bombing continues throughout the entire Strip, with Israel targeting places designated as humanitarian areas, mainly shelter centres, including those set up in UNRWA-run schools.

Civilians in the Gaza Strip are paying the price every day for Israeli military attacks that seriously violate the rules of international humanitarian law, especially the principles of distinction, proportionality and military necessity.

As part of their international obligations, all nations must put an end to Israel’s war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip; safeguard civilians there; ensure that Israel abides by international law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice; and impose effective sanctions on Israel by halting all forms of military, financial, and political cooperation and support. This includes an immediate stop to all arms sales, exports, and transfers to Israel, including export licences and military aid.

All nations that cooperate with Israel in committing crimes by providing it with any kind of direct support or assistance must be held accountable, most notably the United States. Giving aid and engaging in contractual agreements with Israel relating to the military, intelligence, politics, law, finance, and the media, among other domains that might help its crimes continue, is enabling Israel to commit its atrocities against Palestinians.

News

US Must Stop Funding Netanyahu’s War on Gaza

CrossFireArabia
September 12, 2024

The US should stop funding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war in the Gaza Strip, Senator Bernie Sanders said Wednesday.

“This week: 19 people killed & scores injured in a strike in a ‘humanitarian zone’ in Gaza. An American shot in the head in the West Bank. Now, another school bombed, killing 14 people, including 6 UN aid workers.

“Enough is enough. No more money for Netanyahu’s war machine,” Sanders said on X according to Anadolu.

Instead of sending tax $$$ to Israel we could be helping people here

STOP FUNDING ISREAL@AOC @VP @ninaturner @DrJillStein @RepPressley @RepJayapal @BernieSanders @SenSchumer @CornelWest pic.twitter.com/GNTKf7BbKr
— Placenholder (@simpleNhonest) September 3, 2024

Israel forces killed Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, during a protest last Friday against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita outside of Nablus.

While Eygi’s killing provoked a worldwide reaction, US President Joe Biden called the shooting of Eygi by an Israeli sniper an “accident,” adding the bullet apparently “ricocheted off the ground, and she got hit.”

Later, Biden, who has not spoken with her family to offer his condolences yet, said he was “outraged and deeply saddened” by the killing, adding: “There must be full accountability. And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.”

Sanders has long criticized the Biden administration for providing support to Israel in its ongoing war in the besieged Gaza Strip, where more than 41,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since last Oct. 7.

News

No School, Poor Mental Health

CrossFireArabia
September 11, 2024

Lack of access to education is impacting children’s mental health, safety and development and risking their future prospects

As children prepare for their first year and first day at school across several countries in the Middle East, at least 45,000 six-year-old children in the Gaza Strip are deprived of this right. The vast majority of them have been displaced from their homes and are facing a daily battle for survival.

The new school year was due to start across the State of Palestine today, but it has not resumed in the Gaza Strip where the intense conflict continues to take a dramatic toll on Gaza’s students, teachers and schools. The first graders join 625,000 children who have already been denied an entire school year, and with the conflict still ongoing, face the high risk of a second year without education.

This week, 630,000 students in Gaza were supposed to start their educational year.

Instead, every school in the Gaza Strip is now completely destroyed by the ongoing genocide.

For younger children, the absence of schooling threatens their cognitive, social, and emotional… pic.twitter.com/zuukPEpx5z
— OnePath Network (@OnePathNetwork) September 10, 2024

“Children in the Gaza Strip have lost their homes, family members, friends, safety, and routine,” said UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Adele Khodr. “They have also lost the sanctuary and stimulation provided by school, putting their bright futures at risk of being dimmed by this terrible conflict.”

Since October 2023, every school in the Gaza Strip has been shuttered. Among the students who were unable to learn last year are 39,000 students who missed their final year of school and couldn’t take their Tawjihi exams. This marks the first time in decades that a graduating class in the Strip has faced such a situation.

For older children, the disruption to their education has created uncertainty and anxiety. Without schooling, young people are at an increased risk of exploitation, child labor, early marriage, and other forms of abuse, and most importantly they are at risk of dropping out of school permanently.

⚡️ UNRWA: 625,000 children in the Gaza Strip have been out of school for more than 8 months, half of whom were attending our schools before the Israeli war on Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Cdp1UyZFOx
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) July 5, 2024

For younger children, the absence of schooling threatens their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Parents are reporting significant mental health and psychosocial impacts among children, including feelings of increased frustration and isolation.

Children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem are also affected as the school year starts. Increasing violence and movement restrictions since October 2023 have created new learning barriers for the 782,000 students there. Data from the Ministry of Education and the Education Cluster suggests that, on any day since October 2023, between 8 and 20 per cent of schools in the West Bank have been closed. Even when schools are not closed, the fear of violence, movement restrictions, and mental health concerns have led many students to skip school, leading to more learning loss.

In both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, attacks on schools and education have increased in recent weeks. In the Gaza Strip, at least 84 per cent of schools require full reconstruction or significant rehabilitation before schooling can resume. In the West Bank including East Jerusalem, there has been 69 attacks on schools and 2,354 incidents affecting schools, students and teachers in or around schools, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education.

Despite these overwhelming and critical needs, education continues to be one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals. In the State of Palestine, UNICEF’s education programming faces an 88 per cent funding gap.

To respond to this situation, UNICEF and its partners have established 39 Temporary Learning Spaces in the Gaza Strip serving over 12,400 students. In addition, recreational activities, emergency learning kits, and Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) are being offered to children, youth, caregivers, and teachers in shelters.

"عندما أسمع صوت الطائرات، أشعر بالخوف الشديد وأركض إلى أمي".
يقول وحيد، طفل يبلغ من العمر 7 سنوات من #غزة.

لا ينبغي أن يعيش الأطفال في خوف. هذا يجب أن يتوقف.

الأطفال بحاجة إلى وقف إطلاق النار الآن! https://t.co/hyAcWeqq3V
— UNICEF Palestine (@UNICEFpalestine) July 24, 2024

“We must find ways to restart learning and rebuild schools to uphold the right to education of the next generations in the State of Palestine,” Khodr continued “Children need stability to cope with the trauma they have experienced, and the opportunity to develop and reach their full potential.”

“All barriers preventing us from doing our important work must be lifted. We must urgently be able to bring education and recreational supplies into Gaza at scale, have safe spaces to run learning hubs, and have guarantees students and teachers can safely access, live or learn in school buildings. Above all else, we need a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a de-escalation in the West Bank so all children can return to the classroom and damaged schools can be rebuilt.”

Reliefweb

News

UK’s Lord Carlile Quits Pro-Israel Advocacy Group

CrossFireArabia
September 10, 2024

Lord Carlile, a cross-bench peer in the UK’s House of Lords, resigned as a patron of UK Lawyers for Israel. His resignation comes at a time when the UK government has faced mounting pressure over its recent decision to suspend 8.5% of arms sales to Israel amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 41,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children according to the Quds News Network.

Lord Carlile, who is Jewish, recently penned an article in The Independent titled “Keir Starmer was Right to Take These Small but Meaningful Steps over Israel.” In his piece, he defended Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to suspend the arms sales, calling it a bold and legally sound move. Carlile emphasized that the decision aligns with the UK’s historical commitment to the Rule of Law and condemned the overreactions from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some British figures.

Netanyahu has reportedly expressed strong opposition to the UK’s decision, a stance that Carlile criticized as “wildly disproportionate.” The Israeli prime minister’s obstinate resistance to ceasefire talks, despite mounting international pressure, has drawn further scrutiny. Carlile noted that Netanyahu’s refusal to heed advice from Israeli army commanders, prisoners’ families, and even US President Joe Biden has raised serious concerns about his leadership.

The UK’s decision follows similar actions taken by several of its international allies. Countries like Italy, Belgium, Denmark, and Spain have all halted arms exports to Israel, citing legal grounds. Despite facing intense backlash, Starmer’s administration, supported by legal advice dating back to February, moved forward with suspending a minority of the contracts. Notably, UK-made parts for Israel’s F-15 fighter jets are not included in the suspension, signaling a cautious approach to avoid severe diplomatic fallout.

Lord Carlile’s article also pointed out that Jews who criticize other Jews over such matters are undermining the very freedoms for which their ancestors fought. He expressed dismay at how some figures in the Jewish community, including the UK’s Chief Rabbi, have reacted to the arms suspension.