Polio epidemic in the offing for Gaza; ActionAid decries horrific conditions; OCHA describes intolerable humanitarian situation; Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City damaged by an Israeli airstrike; Netanyahu claims he is not stalling ceasefire talks – Hamas is; Majdal Shams claims and counterclaims, Druze plead for no retaliation from Israel; Outrage after Kamala refers to Majdal Shams as ‘Israeli’ town; Israeli soldiers suspected of raping Palestinian prisoner arrested, sparking far-right riot; Palestinian detainees compare prison conditions to Guantanamo; Ben Gvir makes the region more dangerous for Palestinians.
Gaza faces ‘polio epidemic’ as Israel attempts to cut off clean drinking water
Middle East Eye reports: The Gaza-based Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has urged international intervention to stop Israel’s “weaponization” of water and sanitation in the Gaza Strip, where over 1 million children are at risk.
“To prevent thousands of deaths, the international community must ensure Israel immediately ends its genocide, including the weaponization of water and sanitation facilities,” the organization stated on social media.
Al Mezan’s plea came after the Gaza health ministry declared the territory a “polio epidemic zone” due to the discovery of the virus in wastewater and sewage samples, despite the disease being eradicated in Palestine years ago.
The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized on Monday that a ceasefire is essential to deliver the polio vaccine to Gaza and protect its vulnerable children.
“One of the worst humanitarian crises in the world”
The New Arab reports: International humanitarian organization ActionAid said that aid services in Gaza have been severely disrupted by ongoing Israeli attacks and a collapse in law and order.
ActionAid said that the Israeli blockade restricting essential items such as fuel, food and water is hampering aid efforts. Ongoing military operations and movement restrictions are preventing the “delivery of medical services” and the rebuilding of critical infrastructure.
Supplies are piled up by the Kerem Shalom (Karam Abu Salem) crossing but are not able to be retrieved because of “high insecurity” and “lawlessness”.
The UK-registered charity called on the international community to intervene to demand the lifting of the blockade and address “one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world”.
OCHA reveals intolerable humanitarian situation in Gaza
OCHA’s latest report highlights:
- Tens of thousands of people continue to experience new waves of internal displacement across Gaza due to evacuation orders and hostilities.
- Between 22 and 27 July, a UN assessment estimated that over 200,000 people were displaced.
- Gaza MoH has stated that they can not restore the functionality of the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis; a number of healthcare sites are also out of service.
- Describing the dreadful conditions facing people across Gaza, UNRWA noted that, “people in Gaza are exhausted. Almost every day they are forced to flee their makeshift shelters, with nowhere safe to go,” and “often with very little time to do so.”
- As of 7 July, WHO recorded nearly one million cases of acute respiratory infections, 577,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea, 107,000 of acute jaundice syndrome, 12,000 of bloody diarrhea, as well as hundreds of cases of suspected mumps and meningitis. Moreover, 103,385 cases of scabies and lice, 65,368 of skin rashes and over 11,000 of chicken pox had already been registered as of 30 June.
- Between 19 and 25 July, UNICEF examined food stock prices. One example: a 25-kilo sack has been sold for anywhere from $268.00 to around $2.68, depending on availability.
- According to the assessment, Gaza city markets, however, have no vegetables and fruits due to the lack of private commercial trucks entering the area and traders face the triple challenges of high transportation costs, insecurity and spoilage of fresh foods due to prolonged transit periods of trucks at crossings.
![Palestinians, including children, evacuate the area with their belongings after the Israeli army announced that “an operation to be organized” at the Bureij refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on July 28, 2024. [Ashraf Amra – Anadolu Agency]](https://israelpalestinenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/7-30-a-300x200.jpg)
Gaza City Orthodox church damaged in Israeli strike: report
The New Arab reports: The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City was damaged by an Israeli airstrike overnight on Monday, according to local media reports.
Footage shared online, unable to be verified by The New Arab, showed the inner ceilings and walls of an adjacent building of the church compound crumbled and damage.
Many families have taken refuge in the church compound which is one of the oldest church’s in the region, and was badly damaged by a large Israeli airstrike early on in the war which killed 16 people who were sheltering there.
Netanyahu rejects Hamas claims that he is stalling ceasefire
Al Jazeera reports: “The Hamas leadership is preventing an agreement,” the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Earlier, Hamas issued a statement saying Netanyahu added new conditions and demands to a US ceasefire proposal, following the latest round of talks in Rome conducted through mediators.
“Israel neither changed, nor added any condition to, the outline. On the contrary, as of now it is Hamas which has demanded 29 changes and has not responded to the original outline,” Netanyahu’s office said.
NOTE: Israel’s Channel 12 reported on 27 July that two top Israeli officials refused to travel to Qatar for talks with Hamas regarding a Gaza ceasefire, citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to sabotage the negotiations. The pair said they believed that “there is no point in traveling,” because Netanyahu “wants to make changes to the deal that Hamas will not accept.”
Golan Heights: claims and counterclaims on Majdal Shams strike
Middle East Eye reports: On Saturday, an explosive slammed into a football pitch in the Golan Heights’ Majdal Shams, killing 12 children, members of the Druze community, ratcheting up tensions between Israel, which occupies the Golan, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which supports Gaza.
Though the slain children were not Israeli citizens – Druze that live in the occupied Syrian territory tend not to take Israeli citizenship – Israel has blamed Hezbollah and insisted that it will retaliate in Lebanon.
Hezbollah denies it was responsible, saying the children were killed instead by a misfired Israeli Iron Dome air-defense missile.
Israel has brought forward what it says is “evidence” to prove that an Iranian-made rocket struck the children, including pictures that show shrapnel, which it said were found at the scene of the attack and matched an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket, and a map showing what it said was path of the rocket, claiming it was launched from southeast Lebanon’s Shebaa Farms area. The photos were not taken at the blast site.
An anonymous Israeli paramedic, however, told al-Araby TV that witnesses told him the shrapnel belonged to an Israeli Iron Dome missile. Middle East Eye was not able to independently verify the claims.
Other witnesses who spoke to al-Araby on condition of anonymity said they saw the rocket flying from Mount Hermon on the Lebanon-Syrian border falling towards the football field.
Al-Mayadeen, reported that the blast site in Majdal Shams was not consistent with the impact of a Falaq-1 rocket, which it said would have made a larger crater.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib said he doesn’t think Hezbollah carried out the attack. “It could be a mistake by the Israelis or by Hezbollah,” he said, noting that the movement usually targets military positions, not civilians.
Druze leaders reject Israeli threats to retaliate, citing doctrine
The New Arab reports: Druze leaders in the annexed Golan Heights have distanced themselves from Israeli threats to retaliate against Lebanon’s Hezbollah group for a deadly rocket strike on a Druze Arab town in the territory.
Most of Majdal Shams’s around 11,000 mainly Druze residents still identify as Syrian more than half a century after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria and later annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community.
In a statement issued after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit on Monday, Druze lay and religious leaders said the community rejects the “attempt to exploit the name of Majdal Shams as a political platform at the expense of the blood of our children”.
Noting that the Druze faith “forbids killing and revenge in any form”, the community leaders said “we reject the shedding of even a single drop of blood under the pretext of avenging our children”.
Now: Residents protest as Netanyahu visits the site of the rocket attack in which 12 kids were killed in Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan pic.twitter.com/9VrnCbljur
— Oren Ziv (@OrenZiv_) July 29, 2024
Outrage after Kamala Harris refers to Majdal Shams as ‘Israeli’ town
Al Jazeera reports: Legal experts have criticized statements from US Vice President Kamala Harris and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong that described Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights as an Israeli town, although it is located in a territory that is internationally recognized as part of Syria.
Israel occupied two-thirds of the strategic Golan Heights plateau after capturing it in the Six-Day War in 1967, and annexed the territory in 1981.
Adil Haque, a law professor at Rutgers University, said Harris’s condemnation of the attack on the Golan Heights was “entirely appropriate” but “recognition of Israel’s illegal annexation of the Golan Heights is not”.
Earlier in the day, during a news conference, US National Security Adviser John Kirby suggested that the Golan Heights, an area occupied by Israel since 1967, is part of Israel’s territory.
In the aftermath of the strike, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari also incorrectly identified the victims as Israeli citizens, and was heard being corrected by a journalist present at the briefing.
Israeli soldiers suspected of raping Palestinian prisoner arrested, sparking far-right riot
Middle East Eye reports: Nine Israeli soldiers in the notorious Sde Teiman detention centre were arrested on Monday on suspicion of raping a Palestinian detainee, sparking a riot where far-right activists and MPs stormed the facility.
Israeli military police raided Sde Teiman but were met with resistance by soldiers, who reportedly barricaded themselves into the facility and used pepper spray to defend themselves before eventually being taken into custody.
The soldiers were suspected of abusing a Palestinian detainee, who is reportedly suffering from “a serious wound in his rectum area”. Haaretz said the prisoner is unable to walk.
The Israeli army said an investigation is underway.
The arrests were met with outrage by right-wing Israelis, with protests in solidarity called across Israel.
Dozens of people, reportedly including lawmakers, stormed the detention facility.
Hours later, some 1,200 rioters gathered outside the Beit Lid base, where the nine suspects were taken for questioning.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for “immediate calming of spirits”.
MPs who want to defend the soldiers have reportedly called for an emergency meeting of the Knesset.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the suspects as as “heroic warriors”, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called them the “best heroes” and described the arrests as “shameful”.
On Sunday, Ben Gvir confirmed that conditions inside Israeli prisons “have indeed worsened”, adding: “I am proud of that.”
Palestinians have long reported abuse inside Israeli prisons, including torture and sexual abuse, especially since October 7th.
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel stated, “Since the beginning of the war, we claimed that the Sde Teiman was operating as an ‘ex-territory’, and the soldiers stationed there were acting outside any law – first in their treatment of detainees, and now towards military law enforcement agents,” adding, “Instead of absolute condemnation, some Israeli far-right leaders have rallied to support the suspects of abuse, which is emblematic of the root causes that enable such abuse to happen in the first place.”
THE CRADLE ADDS AN UPDATE: Israeli military police canceled the arrest warrants issued against the soldiers, and limited themselves to interrogating them, Israel’s Channel 14 reported on 29 July.
The decision came after Knesset members and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir traveled to Sde Teiman to join others in protesting the detention of the soldiers.
NOTE: Israel is currently holding over 9,700 Palestinian prisoners in inhumane conditions where many are systematically tortured – 250 of them are children, 79 are women, and over 3,300 are administrative detainees – being held without charge or trial. Administrative detention is intended to be used only in “exceptional” circumstances, but Israel uses it widely. Read more here.
RECOMMENDED READING: Inside the Base Where Israel Has Detained Thousands of Gazans
Palestinians recount deadly abuse in Israeli prisons: ‘It is Guantánamo’
While international attention and condemnation has focused on the plight of Gazan detainees — specifically at the notorious Sde Teiman military site — rights advocates say there is a deeper, systemic crisis in Israel’s penal system.
“Violence is pervasive,” said Jessica Montell, executive director of the Israeli rights group HaMoked, which has worked for years with Palestinian inmates. “It’s very overcrowded. Every prisoner that we’ve met with has lost 30 pounds.”
Tal Steiner, executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, explains the cruelty: “It’s a combination of individual sentiments that are very negative and violent, of backing of the policymakers and of lack of accountability,” she said.
Asked about the prisoners who have died behind bars since Oct. 7, as well the other allegations detailed in this story, Israel’s prison service said in a statement: “We are not aware of the claims you described, and as far as we know, no such events have occurred. Nonetheless, prisoners and detainees have the right to file a complaint that will be fully examined and addressed by official authorities.”
“All prisoners are detained according to the law,” the statement continued. “All basic rights required are fully applied by professionally trained prison guards.” [EDITORS’ NOTE: These claims do not correspond with facts revealed in many investigations, including by CNN and Amnesty International, as well as a large number of prisoner testimonies collected over many years.]
The prison system, built for 14,500 inmates, was housing 21,000, the letter said, not including an estimated 2,500 detainees from Gaza, most held in military facilities.
But Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister who oversees the prison system, has been unapologetic about his “war” on Palestinian detainees. In a post on X this month responding to Bar, he boasted that he had “dramatically reduced” shower time and introduced a “minimal menu.”
The simplest solution to prison overcrowding, he said, would be capital punishment.
RECOMMENDED READING: Hostages of Israeli revenge in the Gaza Strip: Testimonies of 100 released Palestinian detainees reveal crimes of torture, cruel treatment>
Official in Ben-Gvir’s Ministry Arrested on Suspicion of Issuing Gun Permits in Exchange for Bribes
Ha’aretz reports: The Israeli police suspect that an official in Itamar-Ben Gvir’s ministry has issued the permits to hundreds of applicants who did not meet the threshold criteria for possessing firearms.
Three other arrested individuals are suspected of mediating between the sides.
This comes as Palestinians in the West Bank face unprecedented violence from Israelis living in illegal Jewish-only settlements on Palestinian land.
Ben-Gvir’s Pick for Israel Police Chief: Record of Soaring Arab Murder Rates, Cracking Down on Protests and Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral
Ha’aretz reports: Under Danny Levy, the new police commissioner candidate, murder rates have surged in the Coastal District, including a rise in Arab victims, with few cases solved. Levy is also known for his harsh crackdown on anti-government protesters and close ties with far-right minister Ben-Gvir.
Under Levy’s watch, as deputy commander of the Jerusalem Police District, he commanded the police forces at the funeral of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022, where the police attacked the attendees.
RECOMMENDED READING: Shireen Abu Akleh’s death exposes Israel for what it is – a murderous regime
MORE NEWS:
Common Dreams: Health Ministry Declares Gaza a ‘Polio Epidemic Zone’
Informed Consent: Juan Cole: Butcher of Gaza Netanyahu Repeatedly Lied to Congress about Iraqi “Nukes,” and Now Wants US War on Iran
Middle East Eye: Majority in UK, Italy and Spain back ICC warrant against Netanyahu
The New Arab: From Majdal Shams to Rafah: How AI airbrushed Israel’s genocide
The New Arab: Scottish council endorses flying of Palestinian flag on public buildings in solidarity with Gaza
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STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – JULY 29:
Palestinian death toll from October 7 – July 29: at least 39,991* (39,400 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 591 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 – July 29: at least 96,416 (including at least 90,996 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 – July 29: ~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
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