The Annihilation of a Nation

The bombardment of Gaza is relentless, indiscriminate and all encompassing, and whilst weak Western governments refuse to condemn Israel and cut all military aid the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) continues to slaughter Palestinian civilians and obliterate what remains of Gaza.

Nobody and nowhere is off limits to Israel, even designated humanitarian zones, camps and informal settlements where displaced Palestinians shelter (75% of the population has been displaced), are targeted.

At least 44,502 Palestinians have been killed since 8 October 2023 (70% are women and children), tens of thousands more lie buried under the rubble; over 100,000 are injured in Gaza and a further 5,500 in the West Bank; 152 journalists and media workers have been killed; 333 humanitarian aid workers killed – most were staff members of UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), a compassionate thorn in Israels side for years.

Every school in Gaza has been destroyed, the healthcare system has been decimated, with the United Nations relate, more than “500 attacks on health care” facilities recorded in Gaza. The Red Cross warn that, “Gaza is now at risk of a complete medical shutdown,” and the UN report that, “all 2.1 million residents [are] in urgent need of food and livelihood assistance.” If it is not officially the case now, widespread famine is, the UN make clear, imminent.

Placed against the legal definition of genocide it is clear that this brutal onslaught by Israel on defenceless Palestinians constitutes genocide; genocide that is being facilitated by the US and other western allies of Israel.

Whether genocide is being committed, in this case by the rogue state Israel, is not a matter of opinion, it is a question of law. International law administered by the

International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the International Criminal Court (ICC) is not something that a State can choose to accept or agree with. When States disregard the ruling or findings of such global institutions and publicly condemn them as the US and others have done over the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his chief henchman Yoav Gallant, the underlying global order is weakened.

Threatening the ICC with sanctions “as if it was a terrorist organisation,”, said the President of the court, Tomoko Akane,  is shocking. US politicians (as well as Israel’s leaders) seem to believe they inhabit a sphere beyond the rest of the world, and can selectively abide by and acknowledge the rulings of the worlds highest courts.

The word genocide comes from the Greek genes, meaning tribe or race and the Latin suffix side, which means killing – so killing a race, or members of a race.

Genocide was recognised as a crime under international law in 1946. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948) is part of international law, which means that even if a country has not ratified the convention (153 countries have, including Israel and the US), it is bound by its articles.

Article II lays out the definition: “genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. As such:

1. Killing members of the group;
2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group;

So, if any of these have been committed by Israel against the Palestinians, then Israel is carrying out a genocide, in a addition, the US and Co., are complicit, because without the ongoing supply of US arms Israel could not continue its barbarism.

In relation to Palestinians, Israel is guilty on all counts.

It is Genocide

Amidst the numerous voices condemning Israel the UN Special Rapporteur On The Situation Of Human Rights In The Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese stands out as one of the clearest, strongest and most courageous. She is a fearless legal warrior on a mission to reveal the truth of what Israel has done and is still doing in Gaza and the West Bank.

In her report ‘Anatomy of a Genocide’, she finds that, “The overwhelming nature and scale of Israel’s assault on Gaza and the destructive conditions of life it has inflicted reveal an intent to physically destroy Palestinians as a group.” She makes clear that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians by: “killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to groups’ members; and deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”

The Special Rapporteur goes on to say that, such “genocidal acts were approved and given effect following statements of genocidal intent issued by senior military and government officials.”

Inflammatory statements like those made by Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who on 9 October 2023 said, “We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly….we will eliminate everything – they will regret it.” Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, who heads the Israeli army’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories (COGAT) threatened Palestinians, “There will be no electricity and no water (in Gaza), there will only be destruction. You wanted hell, you will get hell.” Israels Prime-Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to Palestinians as “wild beasts, predators”. Such comments are not new, Israeli leaders have for decades used insulting language as they sought to dehumanise Palestinians.

Among other steps, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese calls on states to act, firstly to immediately “implement [of] an arms embargo on Israel” as it has “failed to comply with the binding measures ordered by the ICJ on 26 January 2024.” As well as economic sanctions against Israel.

She is not alone in concluding genocide is being committed, notably, Amnesty International (AI) recently released a detailed report, ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza’. In the damning text Amnesty states that, “Israel has unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians in Gaza brazenly, continuously and with total impunity.”

AI Secretary General Agnès Callamard, points out that the report, “Demonstrates that Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza. These acts include killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm and deliberately inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them.”

Israel is committing genocide in defence of its colonial occupation and apartheid state. is unbelievable what the Israeli men of war have done and are doing, truly horrific. And they are not acting alone of course.

Its genocidal campaign is dependent on the unconditional military and political support provided by the US, the US is therefore complicit. Military hardware, provided by US companies that are making millions of US$ out of genocide, is annihilating Palestinians.

The report from AI and those produced by the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese are unequivocal: Israel is carrying out a genocidal campaign in Gaza, and as Agnès Callamard said, “It must stop now”, and those responsible, the Israeli politicians and military chiefs, must face justice.

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