To date Israeli bombing has killed more than 34,000 Palestinian civilians, an estimated 70% of them are women and children. And somehow, each new day brings a new atrocity. As you read this, Israel has begun its invasion of Rafah, contrary to every tenet of international human rights law. Unless we address and remedy these injustices, the mass killing and ICJ documented genocide of Palestinians is at risk of escalating to an even greater level (somehow) of atrocity. So, Let’s Address This.
Palestinians frantically flee Rafah. Photo Credit: The Daily Beast
Here are the five terrible things this week that we cannot ignore:
Israel bans Al Jazeera, enforcing an effective media blackout
Already Israel has banned all western journalists from entering Gaza and reporting on the war. Israel has additionally killed somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 journalists in Gaza reporting on the war. Now, Israel has banned Al Jazeera, raiding their offices on Sunday, even seizing some of their equipment. The AP reports:
The extraordinary order, which includes confiscating broadcast equipment, preventing the broadcast of the channel’s reports and blocking its websites, is believed to be the first time Israel has ever shuttered a foreign news outlet operating in the country.
Israel’s government accused, without evidence of course, that Al Jazeera is a “mouthpiece for Hamas.” The lack of press freedom is dangerous and not the behavior of a military abiding by international law. This lack of journalists on the ground is especially egregious given the discovery of multiple mass graves in Gaza, with many showing signs of torture and summary execution.
US Senators threaten ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan
In a truly unprecedented move, 12 US Senators wrote a scathing letter to International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, threatening to attack him if he issues arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The bizarre letter condemns any potential warrant issued as:
“Not only a threat to Israel’s sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States.” It continues, “Target Israel and we will target you” and that any further action will “end all American support for the ICC” and “bar [Khan] and [his] families from the United States. You have been warned.”
Notwithstanding that it is a criminal act to threaten the ICC, and notwithstanding the nonsensical claim that prosecuting Netanyahu is somehow an attack on U.S. Sovereignty, the decision of these MAGA Republicans to threaten Karim Khan’s family is beyond the pale of decency and humanity.
Despite Hamas accepting a permanent ceasefire and release of all hostages, Israel refuses
On Monday May 6, Hamas accepted a permanent ceasefire and release of all Israeli hostages—and the Israeli Government said no. The text of the ceasefire agreement is truly remarkable. The ceasefire terms mandated release of all Israeli hostages, a permanent and indefinite ceasefire—meaning Hamas could never offensively take up arms against Israel again—and named Qatar, Egypt, the United States, & the United Nations as Guarantors.
Israel still said no.
Palestinians look at the site of an Israeli air attack in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 5, 2024 [Hatem Khaled/Reuters]
We have constantly heard since October 7, “All Hamas has to do is agree to release the hostages and the war is over.” Turns out, this was a deadly lie and countless innocent civilians in Rafah are suffering the most horrific consequences of that lie.
Speaking of Rafah…
The invasion of Rafah has begun, leaving 600,000 children exposed to harm
Immediately after rejecting the ceasefire deal, which had everything Israel had demanded to date, the Israeli Army began its bombing of Rafah. Remember, Rafah is already overwhelmed with 1.2M displaced persons, and of them roughly 600,000 are children. There is nowhere for these innocent civilians to move to. UNICEF reports:
More than 200 days of war have taken an unimaginable toll on the lives of children,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director. “Rafah is now a city of children, who have nowhere safe to go in Gaza. If large scale military operations start, not only will children be at risk from the violence, but also from chaos and panic, and at a time where their physical and mental states are already weakened.
Moreover, as NBC and NYT have documented, on more than 200 occasions the Israeli Military ordered Palestinian civilians to move to “safe zones” that would be protected from bombing—only to bomb those exact locations hours later with 2000 pound bombs. Such a horrific act committed more than 200 times is not an accident, it is policy. What assurance can Palestinians have that this forced movement to more concentrated parts of Rafah is not another such cruel and illegal ploy to maximize harm upon and death of Palestinians?
US Govt is still defending Netanyahu by opposing an ICC investigation
The Biden Administration still refuses to support an ICC investigation into the Israeli Army, Israeli Prime Minister, or any Israeli government official. Despite the aforementioned media blackout, mass graves, threats to the ICC Prosecutor, refusal to accept a ceasefire deal, and indiscriminate invasion of Rafah, the US Government still opposes an independent ICC charge and investigation. This is not international rules based order, as we’ve come to hear so often from the White House.
To be clear, the same White House supported ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s arrest warrant for Putin, but will not support an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, even as he refuses to abide by the White House’s instructions to engage in a ceasefire. This is deeply concerning and harms our ability to serve as a just arbiter on international issues. Biden should reverse course, uphold justice, and demand accountability for the Israeli Government.
In Conclusion…
This week is building up to be a seismic week in its impact in the coming weeks, months, and years. I encourage every person reading this to contact the White House and your US Senator, and demand an immediate ceasefire, unconditional release of all hostages, and accountability for the Israeli Government on the tenets of justice.
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