Gaza serves as a vast, prisoner-like encampment.
Gaza's Grim Ordeal: A Modern-Day Ethnic Cleansing?
The cat is out of the bag, and it's crystal clear to many in Germany: Israel's actions in Gaza barely scratch the surface of their declared war aims. This week, Chancellor Merz expressed his bafflement over the logic behind Israel's military strikes. Luisa Neubauer, a prominent activist from Fridays For Future, is now urging the German government to take decisive action.
As the dust settles, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Israel's policy in Gaza is nothing short of a grand-scale ethnic cleansing project. The Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), a non-governmental organization, outlined a grim picture during a recent press conference. With 80 mobile teams on the ground, they provide a comprehensive overview of the situation and reported that Israel's army has dropped a staggering 100,000 tons of explosives on Gaza since October 2023. This is equivalent to more than five Hiroshima bombs, resulting in 53,000 documented deaths, including 18,000 children, and 122,000 casualties. Even more shockingly, 11,000 of the injured are critically at risk due to the lack of available treatment. In stark terms, 10% of the civilian population has been killed or injured.
The ultimate aim appears to be the physical concentration of the population in a single zone, followed by forced resettlement.
The intended purpose behind the inhumane blockade is becoming increasingly apparent. Gaza has been under siege for three months now, and the controversial US organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has started distributing food in a few "humanitarian centers" this week. However, the predicament goes beyond the insufficient amount of supplies. According to the PMRS, 1,000 trucks of supplies should reach Gaza daily to support the population, but Israel only permits 90 to get through. Barghuthi argues that it's not just the scarcity of resources that's concerning; Israel is attempting to impose internment by setting up distribution centers, effectively sealing off zones from which civilians will no longer be allowed to escape.
The long-held belief that the devastation is merely collateral damage from the fight against Hamas is no longer justified given the uncovered truths. According to PMRS, the Israeli military has bombed all 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip and killed 330 healthcare workers. The execution of 15 paramedics by Israeli soldiers towards the end of March included some who were buried alive, according to Barghuthi. Meanwhile, systematic attacks against journalists have claimed the lives of 216 Palestinian journalists since October 2023.
The conditions in the West Bank are worsening at an alarming rate. All cities in the West Bank are now under occupation, and 800,000 heavily armed settlers regularly stage attacks against the civilian population. Israel's right-wing groups are openly advocating for a second "Nakba" – a mass expulsion reminiscent of the one the Palestinians suffered in 1948.
From Barghuthi's perspective, this catastrophe could have been averted if the international community had imposed boundaries on Israel from the start. As Germany is the second-largest arms supplier, many may question why they remained apathetic towards this evidently fascist project for so long.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, considered as a Modern-Day Ethnic Cleansing, is not only a war-and-conflicts issue but also a political concern, with Germany expressing their bewilderment over Israel's actions. Activists like Luisa Neubauer are urging the German government to intervene more aggressively.
The escalating violence in Gaza, including the dropping of over 100,000 tons of explosives since October 2023, has resulted in a staggering number of documented deaths, injuries, and critically ill patients. This situation, which bears striking resemblances to an ethnic cleansing project, is also a topic of general-news interest, with the world watching the unfolding tragedy.
