Sahil Malik for BeyondHeadlines
“Let Gaza live”, this is one of the slogans which has been chanted by millions of people for decades but the agony of Gazans is getting worse day by day. In the name of self defense, Israel legitimizes its deadly attacks on impoverish people. And the world’s superpower America supports the persecution of Ganzans mercilessly. In the recent attacks on Gaza, more than 100 people including children and women were killed. Hundreds of buildings were destructed by incessant bombardment.
The assassination of the Hamas’ military chief Ahmed Jabari infuriated Al-Qasam Brigade which led short range missile attacks on Til Aviv and Jerusalem. Both sides are accusing each other for the violation of defacto cease fire. No body knows the truth who violated first, but one thing is clear that the violation entails killing innocents people in cold blood. Reverberations will paralyze this region for years. Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai openly said “The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages.” This is not a mere statement; Israeli government has been executing this conspiracy since many years.
In 2008-09, three weak armed conflict were started by the name of Operation Cast Lead. Israeli forces attacked residential areas, hospitals, police stations as well as political and administrative institutions in the opening assault, striking in the densely populated cities of Gaza, Khan Yunis and Rafah. A report from the UN team responsible for the protection of children in war zones was released, it found “hundreds” of violations of the rights of children and accused Israeli soldiers of using children as human shields, bulldozing a home with a woman and child still inside, and shelling a building they had ordered civilians into a day earlier. One case involved using an 11-year-old boy as a human shield; by forcing him to enter suspected buildings first and also inspect bags. The report also mentioned the boy was used as a shield when Israeli soldiers came under fire. The UN fact-finding mission investigated four incidents in which Palestanians civilians were coerced, blind folded, handcuffed and at gunpoint to enter houses ahead of Israeli soldiers during military operations. In that conflict hundreds of breast feeding children and toddlers were killed. There were allegations from different corners that with the help of NGOs, Israel conducted a survey to point out those houses which accommodate children. After that, Army deliberately bombarded those houses. Israel considers these children as potential threat so they were killed at the very outset stage.
There were numerous reports of white phosphorus being used by the Army during the conflict, which was initially denied by Israel. It was reported that more than 50 phosphorous burns victims were admitted in different hospitals. On March 25, 2009, the United States-based human rights organization Human Rights Watch Published a 71 page report titled “Rain of Fire, Israel’s Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza” and said that Israel’s usage of the weapon was illegal. Donatella Rovera, Amnesty’s researcher on Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories said that such extensive use of this weapon in Gaza’s densely populated residential neighbourhoods in inherently indiscriminate.” Its repeated use in this manner, despite evidence of its indiscriminate effects and its toll on civilians, is a war crime” she said.
The same gloom is going to pervade the Gaza again. Israeli government has called-up 75000 reservists. Such a called-up could be the precursor of ground invasion into Gaza. Unfazed Benjamin Netanyahu has the open support of the White House. Victorious Obama’s administration is loudly cheering the attack, insisting Israel has a “right” to launch such attacks as part of its “self-defense”. Earlier, it was envisioned that Romney drubbing would prove respite to Palestinians because he was more vocal than Obama but it seems the victory of Obama entails more persecution of Gazans.
Senior journalis, Shesh Narayan said, “It does not matter who wins US Presidential Election, because US foreign policy is framed to protect Israeli interests. In presidential debates, obliquely both candidates pledged to harbor Zionism. On different self ruled militant outfits active in Gaza, he said, “It would not be wrong to say that some militants are working as a stooge of Zionist country. Time to time they keep on firing missiles which becomes plausible reason for Israel to launch deadly attacks on innocent civilians.
On the other hand, in Israel elections are going to be held in February. With the help of xenophobia, Binjamin Netanyahu wants to gain mileage among local population because security is the paramount issue in Israeli election. So, he wants to use fire of the funeral pyres to bake his bread.
