After 2 months of Israeli failure, ICJ repeats demand for aid to Gaza – Day 174

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After 2 months of Israeli failure, ICJ repeats demand for aid to Gaza – Day 174
Smoke rising in Rafah, southern Gaza, after a bombardment on Sunday (photo)

ICJ losing patience with Israel; US is “playing a dangerous game”; Israel prepares for Rafah invasion; hospital siege drags on with hundreds killed; Israel’s restrictions on Easter celebrations; US not consulting with Palestinians about “day after” in Gaza; Israel not getting every weapon it ordered, but has a new billion-dollar spy plane; Israel attack on Syria; Jewish Dems org going after pro-Palestine Congress members, more

By IAK staff, from reports

ICJ ORDERS ISRAEL TO INCREASE AID “WITHOUT DELAY” – The Guardian reports: The International Court of Justice has unanimously ordered Israel to allow unimpeded access of food aid into Gaza, where sections of the population are facing imminent starvation, in a significant legal rebuke to Israel’s claim it is not blocking aid deliveries.

A panel of judges at the UN’s top court, which is already considering a complaint from South Africa that Israel is committing genocide in the Palestinian territory, issued the ruling after an emergency measure in January obliging Israel to admit emergency aid.

The judges, who were unanimous in their decision, said Palestinians in Gaza were facing worsening conditions of life, and famine and starvation were spreading. “The court observes that Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine … but that famine is setting in,” the judges said.

In its legally binding order, the court told Israel to take “all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.

The ICJ also ordered Israel to immediately ensure “that its military does not commit acts which constitute a violation of any of the rights of the Palestinians in Gaza as a protected group under the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, including by preventing, through any action, the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance”.

Israel denies it is committing genocide and says its military campaign is self-defense.

17,000 children torn from their parents. Starvation looms. Desperately needed aid is not going into Gaza. There's no sanctuary, says Philippe Lazzarini
17,000 children torn from their parents. Starvation looms. Desperately needed aid is not going into Gaza. There’s no sanctuary, says Philippe Lazzarini (social media)

“US IS PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME” – Al Jazeera reports: Palestinian politician and general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative Mustafa Barghouti says the International Court of Justice’s latest measures against Israel are an “important step” that will have an impact on many levels, but that Israel will not stop unless sanctions are imposed on the country.

“The US is playing a very dangerous game here and continues to support Israel. That has created a very dangerous moment,” he said.

“The fact that so many Western governments are providing protection to Israel, allowing it to continue, is going to disturb the whole international order. It simply sends a message to the world that there is no more international law.”

[To see why the US is doing this go here.]

PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR RAFAH INVASION – Palestine Chronicle reports: Israeli Channel 12 reported that the army has begun preparations to launch an operation in Rafah in case the negotiations for a potential prisoner exchange collapse.

The Israeli channel indicated that the army has taken actual steps, including isolating the city and preparing to evacuate civilians.

According to the report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the purchase of 40,000 tents from China in preparation for the ground operation in Rafah.

HOSPITAL UPDATE – As Israel continues its siege of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for a 10th day, the Gaza government media office has said that preliminary information shows that Israeli forces killed 200 displaced Palestinians inside the medical complex.

During the 10-day siege, Israeli forces have also killed numerous civilians, including at least 13 children in their homes or while they were trying to flee violence in the area with their families, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

Local media is reporting that Israeli forces have shot and killed Palestinian journalist Muhammad Abu Sakhil at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Palestinians wait to receive the bodies of their relatives who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, at Al-Najjar Hospital, southern Gaza Strip, December 7, 2023.
Palestinians wait to receive the bodies of their relatives who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, at Al-Najjar Hospital, southern Gaza Strip, December 7, 2023. (photo)

EASTER WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS, BUT NOT FOLLOWERS – Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan reports from occupied East Jerusalem: We’ve never seen this happening before, certainly in recent memory.

Palestinian Christians from the occupied West Bank – not the international tourists who are staying away because of the war on Gaza – these are people who actually want to come to the Old City and celebrate Easter, but they’re not being allowed to.

We are hearing that at least 200 religious leaders from the occupied West Bank have been given permits to come in. But they’re going to be hosting ceremonies, they’re going to be hosting prayers, and they’re not going to have any of the faithful in those prayers. It’s an unprecedented restriction.

Israeli police stand in front of orthodox Christians at the Via Dolorosa near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during Good Friday processions, April 2015.
Israeli police stand in front of orthodox Christians at the Via Dolorosa near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during Good Friday processions, April 2015. (photo)

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POST-WAR GAZA DON’T INCLUDE PALESTINIANS – Politico reports: Biden administration officials are in preliminary “conversations” about options for stabilizing post-war Gaza, including a proposal for the Pentagon to help fund either a multinational force or a Palestinian peacekeeping team.

The options being considered would not involve U.S. troops on the ground, according to two Defense Department officials and two other U.S. officials, all granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomatic and military negotiations.

Asked for comment, a senior administration official said “we are working with partners on various scenarios for interim governance and security structures in Gaza once the crisis recedes,” declining to detail specifics. “We’ve had a number of conversations with both the Israelis and our partners about key elements for the day after in Gaza when the time is right.”

Israel has one of the world's most powerful militaries; their soldiers are equipped with advanced armor and weapons (Pictured: 2022, Israeli forces take up a position during clashes with Palestinians following a deadly Israeli raid in Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank)
Israel has one of the world’s most powerful militaries; their soldiers are equipped with advanced armor and weapons (Pictured: 2022, Israeli forces take up a position during clashes with Palestinians following a deadly Israeli raid in Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank) (photo)

ISRAEL NOT GETTING ALL THE WEAPONS IT WANTED – Reuters reports: The United States’ top general said on Thursday that Israel had not received every weapon it has asked for, in part because some of it could affect the U.S. military’s readiness and there were capacity limitations.

“Although we’ve been supporting them with capability, they’ve not received everything they’ve asked for,” said General Charles Q. Brown, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“We assess U.S. stockpiles and any possible impact on our own readiness to determine our ability to provide the requested aid,” Navy Captain Jereal Dorsey said in a statement…

A Palestinian girl holds a bowl of beans in Rafah
A Palestinian girl holds a bowl of beans in Rafah (photo)

ISRAEL’S NEW BILLION-DOLLAR TOY – Ynet News reports: The Israeli Air Force’s (IAF) latest spy plane, the Oron, has become fully operational, less than six months after being showcased at the Paris Air Show. Defense Ministry officials were able to utilize the urgency brought about by the war in Gaza to streamline the approval process, normally a months-long affair, into a few days.

The aircraft, which carries a $1 billion price tag, has already amassed hundreds of hours of flights and almost 100 incursions.

The Oron is capable of providing real-time air support for special forces terror* crackdowns in Jenin, reconnaissance missions in Rafah to pluck out Hamas terrorists* hiding among civilians, spotting weapons convoys from Iran to Iraq, identifying key personnel in the Iran nuclear program and targeting a vehicle carrying terrorists* in the middle of Beirut, all in one flight. The Oron can conduct all of the above from over 40,000 feet.

*NOTE: The use of the word “terrorist” for a group that resists occupation and oppression is a political, not fact-based choice. In reality, international law supports the efforts of resistance groups against an occupying power, even to the point of armed resistance. Hamas has clearly and openly stated that its enemy is not the Jewish people, but the racist ideology of Zionism – the ideology under which Israel dispossessed 750,000 Palestinian people and exiled them to Gaza and other locations.

NOTE: The United States provides Israel with over $10 million a day in military aid. Israel makes use of this generosity by not only purchasing weapons, but also developing its own weaponry, which it then in turn sells on the global market – including to countries with abysmal human rights records.

A Palestinian woman reacts as she cradles a victim after Israeli bombardment in central Gaza City on March 18, 2024
A Palestinian woman reacts as she cradles a victim after Israeli bombardment in central Gaza City on March 18, 2024 (photo)

ISRAELI ATTACK ON SYRIA – Washington Post reports: The Syrian army says Israeli airstrikes early Friday near the northern city of Aleppo killed or wounded “a number of” people and caused damage. The strikes reportedly killed 42, most of them Syrian troops.

There was no immediate statement from Israeli officials on the strikes.

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in its northern neighbor, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges them.

AMAZON+GOOGLE+ISRAELI GOVT – Amid the war in Gaza, scrutiny is intensifying over Amazon and Google’s $1.2bn contract with the Israeli government to provide it with cloud computing services.

The contract, called Project Nimbus, provides Israel’s military with cutting-edge AI and machine learning features, which critics fear are being used to expand illegal surveillance on Palestinians in the occupied territory.

Watch Al Jazeera’s explainer on the project here:

PRO-ISRAEL DEMS ENDORSED – Jewish Insider reports: The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) on Thursday announced its endorsement of primary challengers to two far-left lawmakers, the first time the group.

JDCA offered its support to George Latimer, the Westchester County executive who is taking on Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), and Wesley Bell, a St. Louis prosecutor looking to unseat Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO). Both Bowman and Bush have held strongly anti-Israel views since first elected —  and have only amplified their animus since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks.

But they are also vulnerable because of scandals that are unrelated to Israel.

When explaining the endorsements, a JDCA spokesperson did not emphasize the candidates’ positions on Israel, saying that Israel is only one of many factors considered.

“We understand that Wesley Bell and George Latimer are supporting the priorities that Jewish Americans are prioritizing when they go to the polls,” said JDCA Communications Director Sam Crystal. “We know that they are fighting for abortion rights and for defending our democracy, and for safer communities and combating gun violence, and health care for all, and in support of Israel and combating antisemitism.”

An aerial photo shows widespread destruction after Israeli strikes on homes in Gaza City
An aerial photo shows widespread destruction after Israeli strikes on homes in Gaza City (PHOTO)

META NO LONGER PROHIBITS “SHAHEED” – Reuters reports: META’s oversight board on Tuesday called on the company to end its blanket ban on a common usage of the Arabic word “shaheed,” or “martyr” in English, after a year-long review found the Facebook owner’s approach was “overbroad” and had unnecessarily suppressed the speech of millions of users.

The board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, said the social media giant should remove posts containing the word “shaheed” only when they are linked to clear signs of violence or if they separately break other Meta rules.

Rights groups have accused Meta of suppressing content supportive of Palestinians on Facebook and Instagram.

The Meta Oversight Board reached similar conclusions in its report on Tuesday, finding Meta’s rules on “shaheed” failed to account for the word’s variety of meanings and resulted in the removal of content not aimed at praising violent actions.

“Meta has been operating under the assumption that censorship can and will improve safety, but the evidence suggests that censorship can marginalize whole populations while not improving safety at all,” Oversight Board co-chair Helle Thorning-Schmidt said in a statement.

More news:

Al Jazeera: Are US-South Africa ties at breaking point over Israel’s war on Gaza?
Middle East Eye: Rutgers University to face congressional antisemitism investigation
Middle East Eye: In a West Bank settlement, Israelis tend red cows and plan the Third Temple
The New Arab: Are Israeli settlers dressing up as soldiers to kill Palestinians in the West Bank?
The New Arab: Inside the Israeli far-right movement to starve Gaza
WAFA: A deadly trio is ravaging children in northern Gaza
IMEMC News Reports

Translation: Palestinian girl Maram Mansour faces slow death in Kamal Adwan Hospital due to malnutrition resulting from the tightening Israeli occupation siege on the northern #Gaza Strip.

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – MARCH 28:

Palestinian death toll from October 7 – March 28: at least 33,138* (32,877 in Gaza* (14,280 children, 9,340 women), and at least 460 in the West Bank (116 children). This does not include an estimated 7,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 40,042 Palestinian deaths.

At least 41 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 14 from West Bank)

At least 31 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition**

About 1.7 million, or 75% of Gaza’s population are currently displaced.

About 2.2 million (out of total population of 2.3 million) are facing Crisis, Emergency, or Famine levels of food insecurity.

Palestinian injuries from October 7 – March 28: at least 79,694 (including at least 74,889 in Gaza and 5,000 in the West Bank).

It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – March 28: ~1,403 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~574 were civilians, 373 or 337 were security and/or military forces, ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 253 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza;, 16 in the West Bank) and~8,730 injured.

NBC reports: “According to the latest available IDF data… nearly 1 in 5, or 17%, of all Israel’s losses have come not at the hands of Hamas but from mishaps on its own side.”

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. 

Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.

For more news, go here and here. Broadcast news from the region is here.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org
 

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