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| Photo Credit: The Cradle |
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| A delegation in the Damascus on 2 March in order to ‘coordinate efforts’ among the different Palestinian resistance factions-Thecradle |
First: The attendees praised, with great pride, the heroic steadfastness of our people in the occupied territories, and especially the legendary steadfastness of our people in the Gaza Strip, where the children, women and general population of our people face, with bare chests, the brutal acts of the Israeli enemy, which affected shelter centers for the displaced, homes and residential homes. Mosques, churches, schools, hospitals, and general infrastructure institutions and facilities, within the framework of implementing the project of genocide and scorched earth against our steadfast people, who steadfastly thwarted the project of mass displacement to the Arab neighborhood, to empty the resistant sector of its population, and annex it to the state of occupation and mass murder, in a plan that has become Very clear, aiming to end the Palestinian national issue and liquidate the legitimate national rights of our people, to self-determination, and to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and to guarantee the right of return for refugees from our people to their homes and property, in accordance with Resolution 194, in exchange for annexing the territories occupied in the 1967 war of aggression, and establishing The state of "Greater Israel", at the expense of our national project, the identity of our people, and their right to sovereignty over their land and the establishment of their independent entity in a fully sovereign national state with Jerusalem as its capital.Second: The attendees stopped at the heroic actions of the valiant resistance in the occupied Palestinian territories in general, and in the Gaza Strip in particular, and praised its ability to thwart the enemy’s goals and demonstrate its inability and fragility of its forces in the field. They also praised the unity of struggle of all the military arms of the resistance factions, as it was demonstrated in the field. Creativity, smart tactics, and actions that exceeded expectations, coming in the continuation of the strategic “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, which made October 7, 2023 a historic turning point, shaking the international situation, reaffirming that the Palestinian issue is still and will remain the pivotal issue on the regional level, even if it declines. The interest in it was not due to the decline in its position on the political map in the region, but rather an expression of the decline in the official leadership role, which based its calculations on betting on the American project, the “two-state solution,” and the “understanding” project with the Zionist occupation, the “Oslo Accords.”In this context, the attendees affirm their determination to continue the resistance in the field, and in other forums, until the barbaric war against our people stops and the aggression against the Gaza Strip is defeated.Third: The attendees affirmed that the direct and immediate combat tasks that must be achieved are the following:1) Immediately stop the Israeli enemy’s war of annihilation, scorched earth and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.2) Breaking the siege on the Gaza Strip, and beginning to supply our people with all the necessities of life, while at the same time enabling us to rebuild institutions and infrastructure. Providing the necessary supplies to reactivate and support the medical system, which was about to collapse under the weight of the barbaric acts of the Israeli aggression, and transferring serious cases of the wounded in the Gaza Strip to treatment abroad in brotherly and friendly countries.3) Arab, Islamic and international commitment to reconstruction, and a request to brotherly and friendly countries, and international and regional organizations, most notably the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations, to launch an international initiative to rebuild what was destroyed by the occupation and the barbaric aggression in the Gaza Strip, and to work diligently to restore life. To the arteries of the Strip, to provide the necessary foundations to strengthen the steadfastness of our people and their adherence to their land, as a minimum reward for the legendary sacrifices they made that astonished the whole world.Fourth: The attendees stressed their condemnation and rejection of Western and Israeli circles’ scenarios for the so-called “day after” of Gaza. The attendees also stressed that such scenarios, which are rejected in general and in detail, only constitute a failed bet to break the steadfastness of our people and our valiant resistance, and these are just pipe dreams that will not come true either now or in the future, especially after the signs of the enemy’s defeat appeared to be dawning on us, in his frank acknowledgment of the numbers of his dead and wounded over the years. The hand of our resistance, and his being forced to withdraw the largest and most important part of his forces, after they were disgraced in the field, at the hands of our resistance heroes in the field.The attendees affirm that our national movement and our valiant resistance have the struggle, intellectual and political resources that qualify them to reject all projects and scenarios that are presented as a “solution” to the Gaza issue, as there is no issue specific to the Gaza Strip, an issue specific to the West Bank, or another issue specific to Jerusalem.The Palestinian issue is an issue for all of Palestine, its land, people, rights, future and destiny, and the solution to the issue can only be achieved by the departure of the occupation and settlement in all its forms, which opens the door for our people to determine their national destiny on their land.Fifth: The attendees agreed on the necessity of confronting the consequences of the barbaric war on our people, with a unified struggle and struggle strategy that re-presents our cause as an issue of national liberation for a people under occupation. In this context, they present the following proposals to all parties and components of the Palestinian national movement:1- Calling for an inclusive and binding national meeting that includes all parties without exception, to implement what was agreed upon in previous Palestinian dialogues, and to confront the consequences of the barbaric war on our people in the Gaza Strip, and the barbaric attacks of settler gangs and occupation forces, and the settlement and annexation projects in the West Bank, with Jerusalem at its heart.2- Rejecting all solutions and scenarios for the so-called “future of the Gaza Strip,” and presenting a Palestinian national solution, based on the formation of a national unity government, emerging from a comprehensive national consensus that includes all parties, concerned with unifying the national institutions in the occupied territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and bearing their responsibilities in Adopting projects aimed at rebuilding what was destroyed by the barbaric invasion of the Gaza Strip, restoring life to our people there, and preparing for elections.3- Full emphasis on the necessity of a final ceasefire and all acts of aggression, and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as a condition for discussing the exchange of prisoners, and on the “all for all” basis, the whitening of prisons, and stopping arrests against our people in the occupied territories.4- Developing and strengthening the Palestinian political system, on democratic foundations, through general elections (presidential, legislative and national councils), according to the full proportional representation system, in free, fair, transparent and democratic elections, in which everyone participates, in a way that rebuilds internal relations on the foundations and principles of the National Coalition, And true national partnership.
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The new Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, affirmed the Indian Government’s unwavering support for the advancement of the maritime and aviation sectors, as well as the development of the northern region of Sri Lanka. He made these observations during a meeting held on December 28, 2023, with the Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva.
The discussions at the Ministry also focused on the progress of Palali airport, along with the ports in Kankesanthurai, Talaimannar, and Trincomalee. Minister de Silva emphasized the government’s willingness to provide opportunities for Indian investors to engage in the maritime and aviation services sectors in Sri Lanka. Specifically, he highlighted investment prospects in the vicinity of the Trincomalee Port for ship and small craft building industries.
High Commissioner Jha brought attention to a proposal regarding the initiation of a passenger ferry service linking all ports of Sri Lanka to India. He expressed his intention to engage in discussions with the Indian government to promptly implement the proposal.
He also said that Indian technology and investors would be made available for the commencement of several renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka. Highlighting the collaborative efforts between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe, High Commissioner Jha underscored their commitment to fostering a strong and sincere brotherhood between the two neighboring countries.
K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Aviation, and Irina Thakur, the First Secretary (Commerce and Culture) at the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka also attended the discussions.⍐
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| The Philadelphi Corridor |
The border zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt should be under Israel's control, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday as he predicted the war in the Palestinian enclave and on other regional fronts would last many more months.
Netanyahu held a news conference as Israel entered the 13th week of its war against Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamists, which has stoked violence in the occupied West Bank and touched off attacks by Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
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| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu |
"The Philadelphi Corridor - or to put it more correctly, the southern stoppage point (of Gaza) - must be in our hands. It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek," he said.
Israel has said it intends to destroy Hamas in Gaza and demilitarise and deradicalise the territory in order to prevent any repeat of the Oct. 7 cross-border killing and kidnapping spree by the Palestinians militant group that sparked the war.
"The war is at its height. We are fighting on all of the fronts. Achieving victory will require time. As the (IDF) chief of staff has said, the war will continue for many more months," Netanyahu said.
He added a rare threat to attack Iran directly over the near-daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border. "If Hezbollah expands the warfare, it will suffer blows that it has not dreamed of - and so too Iran," Netanyahu said without elaborating.
Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by David Holmes Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Speaking at a news conference, the Israeli leader says the Philadelphi Corridor – the border area between Gaza and Egypt – “must be in our hands”.
“It must be shut. It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarisation that we seek,” he said. The area is currently controlled by Egypt.
He added a rare threat to attack Iran directly over the near-daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
If Hezbollah expands its attacks in northern Israel “it will suffer blows that it has not dreamed of – and so too, Iran”, Netanyahu said, without elaborating.⍐
The Island 2023/12/27
– Avanthi Colombage, Country Manager for Visa in Sri Lanka and Maldives
With the bustling festive season underway, how are the consumer shopping and behaviour trends looking from Visa’s vantage point, both online and offline?
The festive season is a time of celebration, gift-giving, and spending for many consumers around the world and for Sri Lankans. This season is looking positive with many consumers out and about again, for possibly one of the brightest holiday seasons in the past few years. There is a visible increase in footfalls at shopping malls and retail stores, as people gear up for the festivities.
One of the key trends we are observing this season is the shift in consumer behavior – in terms of how they pay for retail purchases – move towards contactless. Given the convenience of contactless payments, Sri Lankans now simply tap their cards to pay while checking out at a retail store, without the hassles of carrying cash, making the shopping experience even more convenient and rewarding.
Another trend that we expect to see this season is the rise in ecommerce, as more consumers opt to shop online to avoid crowds and enjoy the convenience of home delivery. With internet users in the country increasing from 30% in 2018 to 51%, we expect a rise in ecommerce as on the back of higher awareness and adoption of online payments. To add to the season’s festivities, Visa is also running a “Bill Wipe Out” campaign at the Colombo City Centre (CCC) in partnership with Yes FM, which will choose 33 customers to have their bills fully reimbursed, if they make purchases using Visa debit cards at the CCC (T&Cs apply).
What is Visa doing to make every day cashless purchases a simple and smooth experience for shoppers? Do you think the tendency to tap and pay is here to stay?
Visa has been deeply committed to Sri Lanka’s payments ecosystem and its growth for over 35 years. With our network of banks, merchants and fintech partners, we help consumers pay digitally, simply and securely every day. As Sri Lankans start to use their cards more, we are also working with businesses and small merchants, more so outside the main urban cities, to ensure they can accept a variety of payments – be it cards, contactless payments, QR payments or online/ecommerce payments, to ensure all consumers have access to sellers who accept safe, secure and convenient forms of digital payments. In tandem, our advanced risk capabilities are ensuring an updated, safe and secure environment for cashless transactions in this dynamic commerce environment.
We believe tap to pay is a game changer and definitely here to stay. Once consumers experience its convenience, especially in stores with long queues or when they’ve fumbled for change in cash before, they understand that this is faster and safer than cash. We continue to engage with retail partners and banks on increasing awareness of the benefits of contactless payments to create a smooth consumer experience in-store.
In numerous countries where contactless payments are entrenched, we have seen tapping becomes a habit and where one cannot tap to pay seamlessly, the consumer experience is less than perfect. We believe that contactless payments are the future of digital payments, as they offer a seamless and satisfying consumer experience.
Tourist numbers are looking up; we are seeing more holiday makers coming to Sri Lanka as the year ends. What more can be done to make Sri Lanka a preferred/repeat destination for travelers, particularly in terms of digital payments?
Sri Lanka is a diverse and attractive destination for tourists from around the world, offering a range of natural and cultural attractions. The country has witnessed a remarkable recovery in tourism with an unprecedented surge in foreign tourist arrivals, a 153% increase last month, after a 159.8% jump in October, signaling a robust start to the peak tourism season and in response to the favorable conditions in the country. With visas now free of charge for countries like India, China, Russia and others, we expect a further boost to tourism.⍐
Jaffna District MP C.V. Wigneswaran has said he is willing to contest the next presidential election next year.
By Dinasena Ratugamage - 2023/12/28 - The Island LK
Retired Supreme Court Justice Wigneswaran, elected on the Tamil People’s National Alliance (Thamizh Makkal Tesiya Kootani) ticket, told the Jaffna-based media that he would contest the presidential poll if all Tamil political parties reached a consensus on his candidature.
Wigneswaran served as the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council after having been elected on the TNA ticket.
Asserting that fielding several Tamil candidates would be harmful to the community, Wigneswaran said that if all stakeholders could reach an agreement on a common candidate; he would be the most eligible person to run for President.
Responding to media queries, Wigneswaran said his entry into the contest would be beneficial to President Ranil Wickremesinghe who is expected to contest the next presidential poll.
Observers, however, said that it would result in adversely affecting President Wickremesinghe’s chances of reelection as most Tamils who usually vote for the UNP were now likely to vote for Wigneswaran.⍐
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| Data from the United Nations shows damage and destruction around al-Rantisi Hospital in northern Gaza. (MAXAR/The Washington Post) Double click on image to enlarge. |
The Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip has been unlike any other in the 21st century.
In response to the unprecedented assault by Hamas on Oct. 7, Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion that began 20 days later have destroyed large swaths of the besieged territory, killed at least 20,057 people and displaced a vast majority of the population.
The most ferocious attacks have come from the air, flattening entire city blocks and cratering the landscape.
The Washington Post analyzed satellite imagery, airstrike data and U.N. damage assessments, and interviewed more than 20 aid workers, health-care providers, and experts in munitions and aerial warfare. The evidence shows that Israel has carried out its war in Gaza at a pace and level of devastation that likely exceeds any recent conflict, destroying more buildings, in far less time, than were destroyed during the Syrian regime’s battle for Aleppo from 2013 to 2016 and the U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, in 2017.
The Post also found that the Israeli military has conducted repeated and widespread airstrikes in proximity to hospitals, which are supposed to receive special protection under the laws of war. Satellite imagery reviewed by Post reporters revealed dozens of apparent craters near 17 of the 28 hospitals in northern Gaza, where the bombing and fighting were most intense during the first two months of war, including 10 craters that suggested the use of bombs weighing 2,000 pounds, the largest in regular use.
“There’s no safe space. Period,” said Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who visited Gaza on Dec. 4. “I haven’t passed one street where I didn’t see destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.”
How we calculated this damage comparisonTo assess the devastation in Gaza, The Post used data from the U.N. Satellite Center, or UNOSAT, which analyzes satellite imagery from conflict zones to determine how many structures, most of them buildings, have been damaged and destroyed.
To compare with Gaza, The Post examined UNOSAT damage data from the Russian and Syrian government campaign against rebels in Aleppo from 2013 to 2016, and from the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, which heavily bombed and shelled the cities of Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, in 2017. UNOSAT has not collected the same kind of data on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Despite the availability of other damage assessment methodologies, The Post relied on UNOSAT data because it maintained a consistent methodology over years across multiple conflict zones.
The war has wounded more than 53,320 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. More than 7,700 Palestinian children have been killed, and women and children make up around 70 percent of the dead, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which also says that 1.9 million people have been displaced, equivalent to 85 percent of the population. The vast majority of Gazan civilians fleeing the invasion are not allowed by Israel and Egypt to leave.
“The scale of Palestinian civilian deaths in such a short period of time appears to be the highest such civilian casualty rate in the 21st century,” said Michael Lynk, who served as the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories from 2016 to 2022.
In a reply to questions from The Post, the Israel Defense Forces sent a statement saying: “In response to Hamas’ barbaric attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities. In stark contrast to Hamas’ intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
Soon after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Israeli military leaders signaled their intent to retaliate with widespread devastation.
On Oct. 10, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops he had “released all the restraints” and that “Gaza will never return to what it was.” The same day, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said that “while balancing accuracy with the scope of damage, right now we’re focused on what causes maximum damage.”
- This is Aleppo, more than one and a half times the area of northern Gaza. Russia and the government of Bashar al-Assad waged a brutal, multiyear battle to defeat and eventually besiege rebel groups there.
- From 2013 to 2016, the period covered by U.N. data, 40 percent of Aleppo’s structures were damaged. In northern Gaza, that figure reached 32 percent by Nov. 26 — From 2013 to 2016, the period covered by U.N. data, 40 percent of Aleppo’s structures were damaged. In northern Gaza, that figure reached 32 percent by Nov. 26 — seven weeks into conflict.
- Nearly twice as many structures were destroyed in northern Gaza in seven weeks as the 4,773 destroyed in Aleppo over three years.
- This is Mosul, roughly Aleppo’s size and also more than one and a half times the area of northern Gaza. Iraqi troops, allied militias and U.S. air forces launched an offensive to retake the city from the Islamic State in late 2016.
- Around one and a half times as many structures were damaged in northern Gaza in seven weeks as were damaged across Mosul during the nine-month battle.
- Nearly twice as many structures were destroyed in northern Gaza as were destroyed in Mosul over those same periods.
- More than three times as many structures were destroyed in northern Gaza as were destroyed in Raqqa over those same periods.
“There’s no safe space. Period.”
— Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross
One hallmark of the 21st century’s most indiscriminate air campaigns, as in Syria and Ukraine, has been the bombing of hospitals, which cannot be attacked under the laws of war unless they are actively being used to “commit acts harmful to the enemy.”
The Israeli military made no secret of its view that Gaza’s hospitals were military targets.
“Hamas systematically exploits hospitals as a key part of its war machine,” Hagari, the military spokesman, said on Nov. 5. “We will not accept Hamas’s cynical use of hospitals to hide their terror infrastructure.”
By Dec. 14, Israeli bombardment and fighting had forced the closure of more than two thirds of the 28 hospitals identified by The Post in northern Gaza.
As Israel’s military campaign went on, satellite imagery reviewed by The Post showed how heavy strikes around Gaza’s hospitals destroyed entire neighborhoods, wrecked infrastructure and displaced civilians, often making it impossible for hospitals to function.
To assess destruction around hospitals, The Post analyzed U.N. Satellite Center data in areas within 180 meters — the distance at which the smallest commonly used bombs, weighing 250 pounds, can cause enough damage to make a building uninhabitable, and the largest, weighing 2,000 pounds, can damage a structure beyond repair, according to a report by Armament Research Services commissioned by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The data showed that Israel’s bombardment and other fighting had damaged structures within 180 meters of all of northern Gaza’s 28 hospitals.
Across northern Gaza, visual evidence and other accounts showed how Israeli forces shot at, bombed, besieged and raided hospitals.
Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza’s only cancer treatment center, shut down on Nov. 1 after nearby airstrikes. At least four cancer patients died afterward, according to the health ministry. Al-Rantisi Hospital, the only hospital with a pediatric cancer ward, evacuated on Nov. 10 along with three nearby hospitals after being struck on Nov. 5 and surrounded by Israeli troops days later. Four premature babies left behind on breathing machines at one of the hospitals would later be found dead.
Video shot by a journalist in the parking lot of al-Awda Hospital showed nearby strikes filling the air with dust and smoke and raining debris down on ambulances.
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| Video not available - enb |
Debris falls and fire explodes after an airstrike hits near Al-Awda Hospital in North Gaza, video posted to Telegram on Nov. 9 shows. (Feras al-Ajrami/Instagram)
Indonesian Hospital evacuated on Nov. 22, three days after artillery fire struck the hospital and killed 12 people. Israeli raids on Kamal Adwan Hospital over several days in mid-December resulted in the hospital’s “effective destruction” and the death of at least eight patients, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on Dec. 17.
In Gaza City, Israeli strikes destroyed much of the neighborhood surrounding al-Quds Hospital, operated by the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Israeli forces pushing toward the center of the city fought with Hamas in the vicinity, and videos posted by the PRCS showed the impact of heavy nearby strikes. On Nov. 12, the hospital ceased operating.
“What we have been witnessing is a campaign that was planned, it was a plan, definitely, to close down all the hospitals in the north,” said Léo Cans, head of mission for Palestine with Doctors Without Borders.
There have been 239 attacks on health-care workers, vehicles and facilities in Gaza that have killed 570 people since the war started, the WHO said on Dec. 13.
The IDF has published videos and images that show weapons and other military items, which it said were found in multiple hospitals. Underneath al-Shifa Hospital, Israeli troops excavated a tunnel with multiple empty rooms, alleging that they had been used by Hamas. The military said Hamas fighters there and elsewhere had fled before Israeli troops arrived and taken materiel with them. None of the evidence was possible to verify independently, because Israel does not allow journalists to enter Gaza except on strictly guided tours.
“What we have been witnessing is a campaign that was planned.”
— Léo Cans, head of mission for Palestine with Doctors Without Borders
“Only the current misuse of the hospital deprives it of its protection, but if that misuse ends, that protection is restored,” said Adil Haque, an international law expert and Rutgers University professor. If there were a tunnel or underground structure beneath the hospital, and troops weren’t sure what was inside them, any doubts should “caution in favor of restraint,” he added.
The satellite imagery reviewed by The Post revealed other evidence of how hospitals had come under attack: large craters close to hospitals, many of them bearing the telltale characteristics of large, airdropped bombs.
The Post reviewed nearly 100 satellite images taken between Oct. 8 and Dec. 10 and found about three dozen apparent craters within 180 meters of 17 of the 28 hospitals in northern Gaza. At The Post’s request, five satellite imagery analysts reviewed images of each crater large enough to suggest the use of a bomb weighing 2,000 pounds or more. While The Post’s findings represent a conservative undercount of the actual number of bombs dropped near Gaza’s hospitals, the imagery shows that hardly a hospital in the north has been left untouched.
- The large craters were seen near eight hospitals, more than a quarter of all the hospitals in northern Gaza. Bombs in larger weight classes have larger blast radiuses and are more likely to inflict serious damage that could put even well-built structures like hospitals permanently out of service.
- Ten large craters identified by The Post near hospitals suggested the use of bombs weighing 2,000 pounds, the largest in regular use.
- At these two hospitals, for example, The Post identified large craters suggesting the use of 2,000-pound bombs within 90 meters, the distance at which a bomb of that size could completely destroy buildings within the blast radius.
- At al-Awda Hospital, northern Gaza’s main maternity center, a crater in the road about 90 meters from the hospital grounds suggested the use of a 2,000-pound bomb in November.
- On Nov. 21, a strike on the hospital itself killed three doctors, Doctors Without Borders said.
- At al-Karama Hospital, north of Gaza City, two craters that appeared in Oct. 15 satellite imagery suggested the use of 2,000-pound bombs.
- The hospital was within the 90-meter blast radiuses of both munitions.
- It was forced to close on Oct. 17.
Officials at humanitarian and health-care organizations with lengthy experience in major conflict zones said Israel’s war in Gaza was the most devastating they had seen.
Tom Potokar, a chief surgeon with the International Committee of the Red Cross working in Gaza for the 14th time, said explosive injuries were responsible for all the wounds he and his colleagues at European Hospital in southern Gaza had been treating. Many patients had necrotic wounds requiring amputation due to the lack of supplies and equipment at battered and besieged hospitals in the north.
“For me, personally, this is without a doubt the worst I’ve seen,” said Potokar, who has worked during conflicts in South Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Ukraine.
Zaher Sahloul, the president of MedGlobal and a doctor who worked in Aleppo during the battle for the city, said he believed that “what’s happening right now in Gaza is beyond any disaster that I’ve witnessed at least in the last 15 years or so.”
Sahloul estimated it will take decades to rebuild the health-care infrastructure destroyed in Gaza and the knowledge and expertise of the scores of doctors and other health-care workers who have been killed.
Preliminary data provided to The Post by Airwars suggested that strikes in Gaza were killing civilians at twice the rate of the U.S.-led campaign in Raqqa. Emily Tripp, the director of Airwars, said that the data they provided The Post represented “just a fraction” of the strikes they were currently researching in Gaza, which averaged about 200 strikes per week. In Airwars’s 10 years of work, Tripp said, the group had never documented more than about 250 civilian casualty strikes per month in any conflict.
“Make no mistake — U.S. operations in Iraq and Syria, especially in densely populated cities like Mosul and Raqqa, caused devastating civilian harm and destruction,” said Annie Shiel, the U.S. advocacy director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict. “But what we are seeing in Gaza, the level of death and destruction in this relatively short period of time, is absolutely staggering in comparison. Nowhere is safe for civilians.”
“For me, personally, this is without a doubt the worst I’ve seen.”
— Tom Potokar, a chief surgeon with the International Committee of the Red Cross
Pnina Sharvit Baruch, a former high-ranking military lawyer who was responsible for advising Israeli commanders, said that Israel is currently facing “the biggest threat to its existence” from enemies determined to destroy it. Hamas made Gaza a “fortified military area” and operates from within civilian structures, she said, adding that “Hamas’s strategy of using civilians as shields means that attacking its military capabilities leads to unfortunate yet inevitable civilian casualties.” When Israeli commanders weigh civilian harm against military advantage when deciding whether to strike, she said, the “level of threat posed by Hamas [to Israel] is a legitimate component of evaluating the military advantage.”
Several humanitarian workers interviewed by The Post noted that Israel’s campaign in Gaza, and its destruction of hospitals and homes, will likely create additional suffering, such as hunger, lack of shelter and the spread of communicable diseases, that could eventually kill more people than the bombs and fighting.
Sahloul said he believed the only explanation for so many attacks on civilian sites, which should have been protected by the laws of war, was that such attacks were intentional.
“People in Syria told me they can tolerate bombs and missiles, but if there’s no doctors in town and no hospitals, they usually leave,” he said. “So I would have to assume that if it is intentional, the goal is to force the population to leave. And when they leave, they don’t come back.”
Methodology
The quality of satellite imagery, irregular coverage and even the angle of a satellite’s camera can all affect the ability to identify clear craters. In some cases, craters could be located but not conclusively attributed to a specific munition or payload size. In other cases, damage from the air campaign was clear, but craters were not visible.
The Post relied on a conservative assessment of what is and is not a crater and asked multiple experts to review any crater found in within 180 meters of a hospital in northern Gaza that had diameter of at least 40 feet, or 12.1 meters. Any crater with a diameter greater than 11.7 meters found in light soil like Gaza’s, experts said, suggests a bomb weighing 2,000 pounds or more could have been used. To account for inconsistencies in measurements, The Post relied on the slightly larger, 40-foot diameter.
The Post focused its analysis on this size because a 2,000-pound bomb dropped 180 meters away could damage a building beyond repair. At 90 meters, that same munition could destroy a building. Only craters that experts agreed on with high confidence were included in this report.
Experts cautioned The Post against ascribing particular damage to particular craters, as the amount of damage caused by a bomb can vary widely, especially in a dense urban environment. Damage depends on nearby structures, building materials, the soil, whether a bomb has been set to explode above or below ground, and other factors. Experts also noted that even the largest munitions can be employed to ensure that nearby civilian infrastructure is not damaged or is minimally affected when they explode. But even then, large munitions have inherent characteristics that can only be mitigated to a certain degree, making collateral-damage assessments done before the munition is used key to avoiding civilian harm, they said.
About this story
Louisa Loveluck in London, Claire Parker in Cairo, Jonathan Baran in San Francisco, and Cate Brown and John Hudson in Washington contributed to this report.
Design and development by Junne Alcantara and Irfan Uraizee.
Palestine:
Ten essential reads
The massive upsurge in protests and activity against Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza has widened the audience interested in understanding the oppression of the Palestinians. Alex Snowdon recommends a selection of books for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding
1. Ten Myths About Israel, Ilan Pappe (Verso, 2017) is one of the best general introductions to the history and politics of Palestine and Israel. It is eloquent, concise, factually rigorous and infused with deep empathy for the Palestinians.
Each chapter takes a myth promoted by apologists for Israeli apartheid – and completely dismantles it. Left-wing Israeli historian Pappe does this by drawing on his vast historical knowledge to concisely explain the truth on each topic, from the pre-history of Israel – such as the Zionist movement and the role of British colonialism – to the present day. It concludes with a succinct case for a one-state solution rooted in justice, freedom and equality for all.
2. Married to Another Man: Israel’s Dilemma in Palestine, Ghada Karmi (Pluto, 2007) takes its title from an old story. After the first Zionist Congress in 1897, two rabbis visited Palestine to consider its suitability for a future Jewish national home. They reported back: ‘The bride is beautiful, but she is married to another man’. This is the core paradox in the origins of Israel as a settler-colonial state. Zionism proposed a ‘land without people for a people without land’ but the land was in fact already inhabited by a substantial Palestinian population.
The book returns to the pre-history and origins of Israel to make sense of the terrible history of dispossession, violence and exile endured by the Palestinians. But she also has chapters covering the major developments since 1948, including the relationship between Israel and imperialism (one excellent chapter is called ‘Why does the West support Israel?’)
3. The Balfour Declaration: Empire, the Mandate and Resistance in Palestine, Bernard Regan(Verso, 2018) is an unmatched history of the Balfour Declaration and its aftermath. The UK government’s declaration was a pledge to the Zionist movement to support its aspirations to a ‘Jewish national home’ in historic Palestine – a shameless and cynical act that suited British colonial interests, while ignoring the needs of the Palestinians.
Regan doesn’t merely provide an account of the declaration’s history but documents the events that took Palestine from the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to the Nakba of 1948 that established Israel through massive ethnic cleansing. Crucially, this includes paying a lot of attention to the Palestinian resistance to growing settler-colonialism, especially the strikes and other revolts of 1936-39.
4. Balfour’s Shadow: A Century of British Support for Zionism and Israel, David Cronin (Pluto, 2017) is also very strong on the context and ramifications of the Balfour Declaration. David Cronin demonstrates the close links between British colonial interests and developments in Palestine up to 1948.
The book has a much longer historical reach than this though. Cronin subsequently documents the ongoing complicity of the UK in Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians, with 5 out of 9 chapters covering events since 1948. These chapters focus on political, military and business relations, exposing how consistently supportive UK governments have been towards Israel. It is particularly damning about the history of Labour governments.
5. The Political Economy of Israel’s Occupation: Repression Beyond Exploitation, Shir Hever(Pluto, 2010) tackles the complex topic of the economics of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. Hever, a left-wing Israeli economist, takes a long view, going back to 1967 when Israel occupied new territory including Gaza and the West Bank.
It is the kind of scholarly research that supports the efforts of activists by providing a wealth of facts and insights. Hever shows how Israel has strangled efforts at Palestinian economic development, as well as examining the relationships between Israel and the wider world, especially the US.
6. War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinians and Global Pacification,Jeff Halper (Pluto, 2015) is also concerned with economic and business relationships between Israel and the rest of the world. The focus is on revealing how Israel exports its hi-tech weapons, drone technology and security and surveillance systems to other countries, using its status as a market leader in violent repression to make profits and boost its international standing.
Halper analyses these technologies of control both in relation to the oppression of Palestinians and in terms of their wider use elsewhere in the world, showing how Israel plays a central role in the worldwide suppression of human rights. It is a chilling and disturbing book, via its focus on the cold, hard facts of how Israel both controls the lives of Palestinians and profits from its leading role in the global arms trade.
7. Bad News from Israel, Greg Philo and Mike Berry (Pluto, 2004) is a classic study of how the media mis-represents Israel’s ongoing war on the Palestinians in terms of a two-sided, eternal conflict between more or less equal sides. The authors, from the Glasgow University Media Group ,oversaw a large-scale, rigorous research project that examined how the news media represented Palestine and Israel. It goes beyond the headlines and examines the processes that shape these news representations: media ownership, dominant ideologies, and so on.
The book also benefits from a very extensive account of the history – stretching back to the birth of the Zionist movement – that is invariably omitted from media accounts. Current media bias on Gaza indicates why this book, which contains invaluable models and frameworks for examining news media output, retains its relevance.
8. Cracks in the Wall: Beyond Apartheid in Palestine/Israel, Ben White (Pluto, 2018) is both sober and hopeful. White documents how Israel is ‘already a single (apartheid) state’ and is ruthlessly realistic about how grim the situation on the ground in Palestine is and how dreadfully right-wing and racist Israeli politics has become (in both these respects, things have only got worse since 2018).
But it also offers tentative hope by examining the cracks in the wall of support for Israeli apartheid, including the growing divides in American Jewish communities (with more mainly young Jews turning against Israel) and the impact of the global BDS movement and the pressures it has generated. It ends with a strong and cogent case for a one-state alternative based on radically different principles – including respect for the rights of all ethnic and social groups – to the current apartheid regime that stretches from the river to the sea.
9. Working Palestine: Covid-19, Labour, and Trade Unions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Riya Al-Sanah, Adam Hanieh and Rafeef Ziadah (Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, 2021) is a remarkably thorough report. It is unusual and refreshing in focusing on Palestinian workers, their experiences at work, and their efforts to organise as workers.
The researchers provide a superb overview of the historical and political background before examining the conditions and struggles in a number of sectors: health, education, construction and agriculture. They also outline some ideas about the way ahead for Palestinian workers across historic Palestine.
10. Poetic Injustice: writings on resistance and Palestine, Remi Kanazi (RoR Publishing, 2011) is rather different to everything else in this list. It is a collection of poems by Kanazi, a Palestinian writer based in New York, and it conveys the suffering, steadfastness and resistance of Palestinians on every page.
It may be a book of poems, but it actually has a great deal in common with the other titles here. Though expressed differently, it covers the same ground – as you can see from titles like ‘A Poem for Gaza’, ‘Palestinian Identity’, ‘Coexistence’ and ‘The Dos and Don’ts of Palestine’. At times lyrical, at times satirical, at times uplifting, it really packs a punch.
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