Bombs without warning, Gazans on the move again; more reports of prisoner torture; Gaza’s kids have lost one full school year; Israeli settlers storm Al Aqsa mosque; Israel adds new conditions to ceasefire proposal; Amazon provides storage for Israeli military mass surveillance; US military build-up in Middle East – “for peace”; VP contenders Shapiro & Pritzker are Israel partisans; more.
By IAK staff, from reports.
Al Jazeera reports: At least 30 people have been killed and many others injured in Israeli strikes on two United Nations-run schools in the west of Gaza City.
The latest death toll was reported to Al Jazeera by Dr Marwan al-Hams, the director of hospitals in the Gaza Ministry of Health.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza, 80 percent of those killed and injured in the strikes on Sunday on the Hassan Salama and al-Nasr schools were children.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said that the schools, which have been used as shelters by displaced Palestinians, have been severely damaged.
“This is the same exact scenario that we’ve seen in the past few days. What we know for a fact right now is that there is [a] concentration of attacks on evacuation centers. What’s really concerning about that is … that the Israeli military is not giving any prior warning to people inside these evacuation centers,” Mahmoud said.
The correspondent noted that most of the buildings used as shelters for the displaced in Gaza are schools, as they are the only large spaces available now to house a significant number of people.
“This is happening in an unpredictable way, causing severe casualties and increasing the trauma of a population already displaced in some cases up to five, six or seven times across the northern part of the Gaza Strip,” Mahmoud said.
Sunday’s attacks followed the bombing of a school on Saturday by the Israeli army. Following Sunday’s attacks, at least 15 people were killed in Israeli air raids on the Hamama school in the Sheikh Radwan neighbohood in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced Palestinians.
Palestinian detainees describe torture in Israel’s Ofer Prison
Al Jazeera reports: Three Palestinians from Gaza who are being held in Israel’s Ofer Prison have recounted abuse and mistreatment, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.
Mohammed Jamous, 44; Fadi Ayad, 39; and Fadi Howaydi, 38, told the commission’s lawyer who visited them last week that they were stripped of their clothes, beaten, tortured, bound and blindfolded.
The detainees described Israeli soldiers as “rabid beasts” who took pleasure in their suffering.
“We were turned into prey to these monsters, who enjoyed our hunger, thirst, screams and illnesses. We still do not believe that we are still alive,” a prisoner was quoted as saying.
The abuse, according to the detainees, began immediately upon their detention in Gaza and continued through transportation in military vehicles where they faced insults, degradation and torture.
“Today, we are all sick,” a detainee said, according to the commission. “Our bodies are exhausted, and we have become prey to illness and injury. No medical treatment or medication is provided. Despite these dire conditions, we cling to the hope of returning to our families alive.”
A year of silence in Gaza’s classrooms: the urgent need for educational revival
ReliefWeb reports: Children in Gaza have lost one year of education. As of 30 July 2024, all the 625,000 enrolled students in Gaza have lost one full scholastic year.
39,000 students missed the Tawjihi (12th grade official exams) for the first time in decades. This means none of them can transition to higher education, and the majority of them may never return to school again.
In place of being full of children eager to learn, school buildings are housing displaced families desperately seeking safety, when they are not being damaged. Mattresses and blankets fill classrooms and hallways; desks are repurposed as walls and wardrobes, and playgrounds are filled with tents and tarpaulins.
This places a massive strain on the limited WASH facilities. At the same time, overcrowding contributes to an unhygienic environment and rapid spread of disease, increased protection risks due to lack of privacy, and damage to furniture and equipment.
These conditions have had a significant negative impact on the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, teachers, and caregivers, as well as severely harming the ability of children in Gaza to exercise their right to learn.
As of 30 July, according to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) – State of Palestine, 9,211 students and 397 educational staff members have been killed by the Israeli forces, while more than 14,237 students and 2,246 teachers have been injured since 7 October in the Gaza Strip.
The educational infrastructure in Gaza has also been significantly affected with 92.9% of schools sustained some level of damage to their buildings, including Direct hit, Damaged, and Likely damaged.
At least 84.6% of schools require full reconstruction or significant rehabilitation before resuming schooling. One-third of directly hit or heavily damaged schools are UN-run schools under UNRWA’s jurisdiction.
At least 10,000 Israeli soldiers killed, injured in Gaza war: Report
Andalou Agency reports: At least 10,000 Israeli soldiers have been killed and injured since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict last Oct. 7, according to Israeli media on Sunday.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said some 1,000 soldiers are transferred every month to the Defense Ministry’s rehabilitation department due to injuries sustained in the Gaza war.
“The army is suffering from a shortage of at least 10,000 soldiers killed or wounded during the long months of fighting in the Gaza Strip,” the daily said.
The newspaper criticized the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) for going on summer break from July 22 until mid-October without passing legislation to extend mandatory military service.
According to the newspaper, female soldiers serving in Israel-occupied Syrian Golan Heights were unexpectedly informed of an additional four-month extension of their service.
Illegal Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque amid rise in tensions
Andalou Agency reports: Under Israeli police protection, a mob of illegal Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday.
Israeli forces and illegal settlers entered the flashpoint mosque performing religious rituals while Israeli police established checkpoints around the Old City of East Jerusalem, restricting Palestinian access to the mosque, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Separately, the Palestinian Awqaf and Religious Affairs Ministry released a monthly report detailing increased violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, reporting that Israel conducted 23 raids on Al-Aqsa Mosques this July.
The report also highlighted that Israeli forces had obstructed the call to prayer at Ibrahimi Mosque 43 times last month and prevented Palestinians from entering the mosque.
The illegal settler incursion came amid rising tensions across the occupied West Bank as Israel continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 40,000 people since last October following a Hamas attack.
Israel blocking and letting aid rot ‘first phase of its genocide,’: Turkish FM
Al Jazeera reports: Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Israel’s practice of blocking aid, killing aid workers, blocking evacuations, and allowing humanitarian supplies to rot are crimes against humanity and the “first phase of the genocide”.
His remarks came after a visit to Egypt’s El Arish port and the Rafah border.
Fidan urged the global community not to remain silent on “Israel’s oppression” and called for “greater efforts” to ensure that aid reaches Gaza without being obstructed or interrupted.
Tel Aviv: Two Israelis Killed, Three Injured, Perpetrator Killed
IMEMC reports: Two Israelis were killed and three others were injured, on Sunday morning, in the city of Holon, south of Tel Aviv in central Israel, while the perpetrator of the attack, a Palestinian man, was killed by occupation police.
Media sources said that a Palestinian man carried out a stabbing attack in the city of Holon, south of Tel Aviv, killing two Israelis and injuring three others, two seriously.
Sources added that an Israeli police officer shot the Palestinian perpetrator, critically injuring him; he later died.
Media sources identified the perpetrator as 35-year-old Ammar Rizq Kamel Odeh, from the central West Bank city of Salfit, while police later arrested a Palestinian man accused of assisting the perpetrator in the attack.
After the attack, Israeli forces closed the northern entrance to the city of Salfit with an iron gate, and prevented Palestinian citizens from entering or leaving the city.
Later, the army invaded the city of Salfit, and stormed the family home of the slain perpetrator, detained and interrogated his family members, and prevented press crews from the area.
Ben-Gvir renews call for more Israeli civilians to take up arms
Al Jazeera reports: In the context of the recent stabbing, Israeli national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he’s calling for more civilians to take up arms and use them. This has been quite a controversial policy that he’s had throughout this war.
He has essentially expedited the way that a regular, average person can obtain a weapon in Israel, and it’s been something that has caused a lot of backlash.
He’s even distributed weapons to people in the occupied West Bank, including settlers.
VP contenders Shapiro & Pritzker are Israel partisans
Salon reports: “Picking Josh Shapiro could be dangerous for Harris — here’s why “Pennsylvania’s governor holds strong pro-Israel views that could shatter the Democratic coalition”
Salon writers Jeff Cohen and Norman Soloman report:
“On the contentious issue of Israel’s relentless war against civilians in Gaza, Shapiro sounds much less bothered by the lethal violence than by U.S. activists for Palestinian lives, many of whom he has demonized.”
“In 2021, after Ben & Jerry’s (a company founded and led by Jewish Americans) refused to sell its products in Israel’s illegal settlements, Shapiro, who was then Pennsylvania’s attorney general, threatened the company by urging state agencies to enforce a constitutionally suspect law targeting advocates of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS, against Israel over its discriminatory policies.
“Shapiro smeared such advocates by claiming that “BDS is rooted in antisemitism” – although the effort has wide support globally, including from many Jews, as a thoroughly nonviolent tactic aimed at advancing Palestinian rights.
”Last December… Shapiro contributed to the firing of the University of Pennsylvania president. Shapiro said of Penn’s leader: ‘I thought her comments were absolutely shameful…’
“By then, after two months of Israeli bombing, more than 17,000 Gazans had been killed, most of them women and children. Later that month, Israel was charged with violations of the Genocide Convention in South Africa’s filing at the International Court of Justice.
“In early April, after Democratic governors in other states had called for a ceasefire in Gaza, Muslim leaders in Philadelphia criticized Shapiro for his refusal to do so.”
The New york Times reports that Shapiro “has been unapologetic in his love for Israel; he has visited often and even proposed to his wife there.”
Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reports that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro “has made his Jewish identity central to his career…. ‘Israel not only has a right to defend itself, it has a responsibility to combat Hamas,’ he said recently.”
Ha’aretz continues: “His presence on the ticket would bolster its already historic Jewish presence – Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff is the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. president or vice president in American history.”
“Upon graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, Shapiro worked on Capitol Hill for Jewish lawmakers like Michigan Sen. Carl Levin and Florida Rep. Peter Deutsch, who moved to the Israeli city Ra’anana after failing in his 2004 Senate bid.”
“He has also bucked growing Democratic criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza in recent months, insisting to the Jewish Democratic Council of America that “Israel not only has a right to defend itself, I think Israel has a responsibility to combat Hamas head-on and to defeat Hamas.”
Jewish Insider reports: In The New York Times, pollster and former Clinton adviser Mark Penn endorses Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, writing that he “would be the highest-ranking Jewish official in U.S. history. He has supported Israel and has been strongly critical of the campus protests.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that in college Shapiro volunteered in the IDF.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also has a long history of support for Israel.
On Oct 10, he spoke at a Jewish United Fund sponsored Israeli Solidarity Gathering, saying: “We need to stand with Israel.”
The Capital News report on the event noted: “Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 800 and wounded more than 4,000 Palestinians in the days following the initial attack.
“Pritzker’s address included a message of support for the Israeli military.
“We pray today for the strength and safety of the men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces as they embark on this most difficult and important mission,” the governor said. “Each step of the way they should know, and the people of Israel should know, that America and Illinois unequivocally stands with them in their battle to end the ongoing Hamas attacks. We stand with Israel.”
By then, Israeli forces had killed 900 in Gaza (over 18 in West Bank), injured 4,500 in Gaza (100 in West Bank), killed 260 children and 230 women; and displaced: 200,000. A large part of Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood was reduced to rubble after hours of airstrikes. Residents found buildings torn in half or demolished to mounds of concrete and rebar. Cars were flattened and trees burned out on residential streets transformed into moonscapes.” Israel had impsed a ‘total’ blockade on Gaza, including ban on admission of food, electricity and fuel.
On Oct 17 Pritzker announced tax relief for individuals and businesses affected by the attacks that took place in Israel.
In January he opposed a Chicago resolution backing a cease-fire.
The Times of Israel reports: “J.B. Pritzker is the scion of a wealthy Jewish hotelier family long involved in Democratic politics. His sister Penny, a major donor to Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.”
The Pritzker family (net worth: $32.5B) is one of the wealthiest families in the U.S. It is known for being pro-Israel. The Chicago Tribune reported in 1985: “The Pritzker family buys $500,000 worth of Israel bonds each year and, besides their other philanthropies, also makes donations to universities and institutions in Israel.
JTA reports that J.B. Pritzker “has served on the board of AIPAC.” [Also see this.] He is “the scion of the Hyatt hotel family with deep Jewish community ties.” [His net worth is $3.5B]
Pritzker emceed a fundraiser for Friends of the IDF in 2013.
MORE NEWS:
IMEMC Daily Reports.
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – AUGUST 4:
Palestinian death toll from October 7 – August 4: at least 40,186* (39,623 in Gaza* – 11,445 women (30%), 16,251 children as of July 22. [The Ministry’s figures have been contested by the Israeli authorities, although they have been accepted as accurate by Israeli intelligence services, the UN, and WHO. These data are supported by independent analyses, comparing changes in the number of deaths of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff with those reported by the Ministry, which found claims of data fabrication implausible.]
This is expected to be a significant undercount since thousands of those killed have yet to be identified – and at least 604 in the West Bank (~140 children). This does not include an estimated 10,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 46,848 Palestinian deaths.
Lancet: “Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37,396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.
Ralph Nader earlier estimated 200,000 Palestinians may have been killed in Gaza.
- At least 45 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 18 from West Bank).
- At least 41 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition**.
- About 1.7 million, or 75% of Gaza’s population are currently displaced.
- 2.15 million (out of total population of 2.3 million) are projected to face Crisis or worse levels of food insecurity.
Palestinian injuries from October 7 – August 4: at least 96,818 (including at least 91,469 in Gaza and 5,420 in the West Bank, including 830 children). [It remains unknown how man Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.]
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – August 4: ~1,486 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 331 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza; 16 in the West Bank) and~8,730 injured.
Times of Israel reports: The IDF listed 41 soldiers killed due to friendly fire in Gaza and other military-related accidents – nearly 16%.
NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries in Israel on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.
*Previously, IAK did not include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile was being disputed. However, given that much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, Israel had previously bombed the hospital and has attacked many others, Israel is prohibiting outside experts from investigating the scene, and since the UN and other agencies are including the deaths from the attack in their cumulative totals, if Americans knew is now also doing so.**
Euro-Med Monitor reports that Gaza’s elderly are dying at an alarmingly high rate. The majority die at home and are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries. Additionally, according to Euromed, thousands have died from starvation, malnourishment, and inadequate medical care; these are considered indirect victims as they were not registered in hospitals.
† For most of the conflict, women and children accounted for about 70% of deaths in Gaza, with children making up a little over 40% of those killed, according to official statistics.
Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org
- Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
- More dead children. More BBC ‘news’ channelling Israeli propaganda as its own
- U.S. media downplays and ignores ICJ ruling declaring Israeli occupation illegal
- Israeli soldiers tell story of savage cruelty in Gaza – one given blessing by the West
- Searching for Gaza’s missing children
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- Assassination of Haniyeh an intentional, dangerous escalation – Parsi, Macgregor
- When Israel Burned Refugees Alive, Establishment Media Called It a ‘Tragic Accident’
- Israel has turbocharged West Bank housing demolitions under the cover of war
- Western media ignores Israeli confirmation of Hannibal Directive on 7 Oct
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- Gaza genocide denial
- Why the news media’s job is to groom us
- ‘Disappeared, buried, detained’: The horrors of Gaza’s missing children
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- Supporting Israel Is Big Business in the U.S. for Israel partisans
- Toys, spices, sewing machines: the items Israel banned from entering Gaza
- Synopsis of ICJ’s decision on Israeli occupation, reactions, and take-aways
- Russia attacks hospitals in Ukraine; Israel does the same in Gaza. The US response couldn’t be more different.
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- Israel has manufactured an industrial-scale version of Jim Crow rape hoaxes
- If Americans Knew Mobile Billboard Truck at Republican Convention
- Col. Douglas MacGregor: US is under the control of Israel, likens Gaza to Warsaw Ghetto
