Yousef Kronz was well within Israel’s designated “safe zone” in Gaza, wearing a Press vest, when he was shot in both legs. A young man who ran to help him was shot in the leg as well. Then Israel refused Yousef passage to the West Bank for treatment that would have saved at least one of his legs.
Since March 30, 2018 Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip–including families, women, and children–have gathered along the Israeli border to highlight their dispossession in 1948 and protest the growing humanitarian catastrophe. From that time through December 16th, 2019, Israeli forces have killed 364 Gazans and injured over 35,000, including women, children, disabled individuals, medics, and journalists. Many have been shot in the back, nearly all were unarmed and posed no risk to the heavily armed Israeli soldiers. During the same period, Gazan resistance forces killed 9 Israelis.
Palestinian journalist Yousef Alhelou’s vivid description of the situation at the Gaza-Israel border brings us up close, where we can see the images and understand the motivations on both sides.
World Health Organization reports on casualties in the second weekend of the Great March of Return, in which 8 Palestinians were killed and over 1,300 were injured by Israeli forces. WHO is in desperate need of cash donations, medical supplies, and blood.
As is the case every week in the oPt, Israel has been busily using violence to break up peaceful protests, invading villages and arresting Palestinians (including women and children), disrupting freedom of movement, shooting at fishing boats, and demolishing homes. In other words, it was business as usual.
Jake Tapper’s piece on Israeli psychologists working with children after HS shooting in Parkland FL highlights Israel’s “vast experience with terrorism and war.” As usual, Israel is the innocent victim of Palestinian terrorism.
Palestinians survive such whitewashing by developing a unique coping mechanism, “Sumud.”
Elor Azaria took the life of a man who was no threat and received a lenient sentence. His sentence has been reduced to 9 months, though he shows no remorse. (Contrast Ahed Tamimi, who slapped an IDF soldier in full armor, and has just reached a plea bargain that will give her a total prison time of 10 months.)
Surveillance footage shows that Yasin al-Saradih ran toward soldiers with an iron bar, soldiers shot, beat and dragged him by his limbs. It was nearly half-hour before he received medical care, eventually succumbing to his wounds. This is contrary to earlier IDF reports that al-Saradih died of smoke inhalation.
A new UN factsheet describes the humanitarian impact of Israeli settlements in Hebron city and provides a map of the areas most affected by settlements as well as locations of checkpoints and other obstacles.
Mohammad Ata Abu Jame’ is the 17th Palestinian to be killed by Israel in 2018. He was killed while farming on his land near the Gaza border fence, where Israeli soldiers regularly use live fire on anyone in or near a “no-go zone,” the boundaries of which can change without notice.