Israeli strikes continue unabated, ripping Palestinian bodies apart – Day 281

The New Arab reports: Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’s political office, refuted claims that the group has withdrawn from ceasefire negotiations.

“There is no truth to what was reported by the media about the movement stopping negotiations,” al-Risheq stated.

These comments followed a report by news agency AFP, citing an unnamed senior Hamas official, claiming the group was pulling out of truce talks due to Israel’s “stalling” and ongoing “massacres” of civilians in Gaza.

However, Israeli broadcaster Kan, referencing a diplomat claimed to be familiar with the discussions, reported that negotiations are still scheduled to take place this week in Doha, Qatar.

Israeli battalion that committed gross human rights abuses is shaping the fight in Gaza

CNN reports: Former commanders of the Netzah Yehuda battalion, an Israeli military unit that has been accused by the United States of gross human rights violations against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank prior to October 7, have been promoted to senior positions in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and are now active in training Israeli ground troops as well as running operations in Gaza, a CNN investigation has found.

Among CNN’s findings was rare whistleblower testimony from a former soldier of the unit who described a command that encouraged a culture of violence, an issue identified by US State Department investigations.

In April, the State Department said that it had determined five Israeli security units had committed gross violations of human rights prior to the outbreak of the war with Hamas in Gaza. The department said that four of the units had “effectively remediated,” or reformed themselves, in the wake of those violations, but that it was still deciding whether to restrict US military assistance to the remaining unit: The Netzah Yehuda battalion, originally created to accommodate ultra-Orthodox Jews in the military.

The news that the US might withhold assistance from the Israeli military unit triggered a furious response at the time from top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said: “If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit of the IDF, I will fight with all my strength.”

In a letter obtained by CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told House Speaker Mike Johnson that the US was working with Israel “on identifying a path to effective remediation” for the Netzah Yehuda battalion.

RECOMMENDED READING: Blinken Says Israeli Units Accused of Serious Violations Have Done Enough to Avoid Sanctions. Experts and Insiders Disagree.

Biden, Netanyahu to Meet Two Days Before Israeli PM Addresses Congress

Ha’aretz reports: U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington next week, days before the PM addresses Congress on July 24.

Biden and Netanyahu’s relationship has become strained and tense over the past few months, as the war in Gaza continues.

President Biden recently held back a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs intended for Israel – while allowing massive quantities of other weaponry and vehicles to be sent

NOTE: The Leahy Laws require the US to withhold aid to countries that commit Gross Human Rights Violations – but in spite of overwhelming proof of widespread abuse by Israel, our politicians have thus far declined to cut off military support, and have managed only minor sanctions against a few settler groups.

The US has made special efforts to create loopholes for Israel, has bypassed congressional oversight on at least two major weapons transfers since October 7th, and has “quietly approved and delivered more than 100 separate foreign military sales to Israel since the Gaza war began.”

MORE NEWS:

IMEMC Daily Reports.

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – JULY 14:

Palestinian death toll from October 7 – July 14: at least 39,157* (38,584 in Gaza* – 11,445 women (30%), 16,034 children as of June 17. [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 573 in the West Bank (~138 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 death9 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 46 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 18 from West Bank).
• At least 40 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 14: at least 94,301 (including at least 88,881 in Gaza and 5,420 in the West Bank, including 830 children).

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – July 14: ~1,478 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 326 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.

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