Our Wednesday News Analysis | The Numbers Show: Gaza War Is One of the Bloodiest in the 21st Century

One of the favorite arguments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other Israeli spokespeople, is to accuse the international community of hypocrisy concerning the war in the Gaza Strip – and to claim it is ignoring other conflicts and humanitarian disasters.

In his speech to Congress, Netanyahu took pride in what he claimed was a low rate of civilian casualties compared to other wars, and certainly those in urban areas.

"Where was South Africa when millions were killed or expelled from their homes in Syria and Yemen," said Netanyahu in January, for example. But a cold examination of the numbers killed in the Gaza Strip reveals this is one of the bloodiest wars since the beginning of the century, especially if you examine the rate of mortality out of the total population.

Close to 40,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7. In percentage terms that's 2 percent of the population of about 2 million people. For comparison, 2 percent of Israel's population is some 198,000 people. "In terms of the total number of dead, I assume Gaza won't be among the 10 most violent conflicts of the 21st century," Prof. Michael Spagat of the University of London told Haaretz.

"But compared to the percentage of the population killed," Spagat says he assumes it is already among the top five. Spagat is a researcher of war and armed conflict and monitors the number of casualties in conflicts. "If we factor in the amount of time it took to kill one percent of this population, then it could be unprecedented," he said.

Read more: The Numbers Show: Gaza War Is One of the Bloodiest in the 21st Century

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DECEPTIVE OPTIMISM – WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING AT THE GAZA CEASEFIRE TALKS (ANALYSIS)

Source: Palestine Chronicle
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/deceptive-optimism-what-is-really-happening-at-the-gaza-ceasefire-talks-analysis/

By Palestine Chronicle Editors
Published August 16, 2024

Hamas is not taking part in the ceasefire negotiations in Doha. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)

This unprecedented optimism, however, seems puzzling, considering that the Palestinian movement Hamas, which represents all Gaza resistance groups, did not participate in the talks held in Doha.

At a press conference on Friday, US President Joe Biden said, referring to the Gaza ceasefire talks, that an agreement is within reach.

“I don’t want to jinx anything… we may have something. It’s much, much closer than it was three days ago. So, keep your fingers crossed,” he said.

His statement was consistent with optimistic media coverage, including news outlets affiliated with the two Arab mediators, Qatar and Egypt.

In a joint statement, Washington, Doha and Cairo said that “tt is time to release the hostages and detainees, begin the ceasefire, and implement this agreement” and that “the path is now set for that outcome”.

"...instead of putting pressure on Israel, the Americans continue to promote the idea that an agreement is within grasp and that Hamas, not Israel,
is the main obstacle to a ceasefire proposal.

But by doing so, Washington continues to provide Israel with the needed time and resources to carry on with its genocidal war in Gaza, which has
destabilized the region, raising fears of an imminent regional war.

So why do Arab mediators contribute to the illusion…?"

This unprecedented optimism, however, seems puzzling, considering that the Palestinian movement Hamas, which represents all Gaza resistance groups, did not participate in the talks held in Doha on Thursday and Friday...

Read more: Deceptive Optimism – What is Really Happening at the Gaza Ceasefire Talks (ANALYSIS)

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WHY THE U.S. MUST LEAD SANCTIONS ON ISRAEL’S ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

Source: Foreign Policy
https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/08/14/israel-palestine-us-sanctions-icj-ruling-occupation-settlements-dollar/

By Mohsen Farshneshani
Published August 14, 2024

No multilateral sanctions campaign will be effective unless it is backed by the power of the dollar, which dominates global trade and banking.

Israeli soldiers gather during a protest in the town of Beita in the occupied West Bank on July 26. Wahaj Bani Moufleh/Middle East Images via AFP via Getty Images

"U.S.-enabled Israeli impunity has led us to this point, but U.S.-led sanctions can also be the solution. The United States has a moral responsibility to lead the global sanctions effort against Israel. Together with its allies, the United States should build on Canada’s recent actions and intensify coordinated efforts to impose sanctions on individuals and organizations involved in sustaining the occupation and its associated illegal activities.

The goal would be to significantly increase the economic cost of sustaining the occupation and associated apartheid policies, compelling a policy shift at the highest levels of the Israeli government. The ICJ ruling provides the legal and moral foundation for such an effort. It may serve as the basis for a just, long-term geopolitical resolution that both the Palestinian and Israeli people deserve.

If Washington ignores the ICJ ruling,
it will further entrench a culture of Israeli impunity
on the international stage.

To maintain its role as the leader of the rules-based order it helped establish, the United States must finally show Israel—one of its closest allies—some tough love."

With the Middle East on the brink of full-scale war, the international community, led by the United States and its allies, faces a critical choice in addressing the conflict in Gaza: gamble on eventual peace through a belligerent Israeli government or enforce a new landmark legal judgment.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion just weeks ago declaring Israel’s continued occupation of the Palestinian territories unlawful and urging its end “as rapidly as possible.”

Israel’s illegal actions include the transfer of Israeli civilians into occupied territories, confiscation of Palestinian land, and exploitation of natural resources for the benefit of Israeli settlers. The opinion stated that these practices violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Hague Regulations. Israel is a party to the former and bound by customary international law to the latter. The ICJ ruling referred implementation of the verdict to the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council, where Washington holds significant sway.

For the opinion to be a step toward accountability, the United States and its allies must demonstrate respect for the same rules-based order they once helped establish­­––yet have failed to uphold when it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Washington must employ unilateral or multilateral economic sanctions against the illegal occupation, its settlements, and their institutional underpinnings. Failure to do so risks rendering the ruling a hollow gesture from the highest judicial authority of international law. ...

Read more: Why the U.S. Must Lead Sanctions on Israel’s Illegal Occupation