The Missing Children of Gaza, the drones, the bombs (and US complicity) – Day 262

, , , , , , , , , , ,
The Missing Children of Gaza, the drones, the bombs (and US complicity) – Day 262
As of February, an estimated 17,000 children were unaccompanied and separated from their families. This number is likely much higher now, with our team in Gaza finding more unaccompanied children every day. (collage)

Save the Children’s horrific new report; Palestinian children detained in Israel subject to sexual violence and broken bones; Israeli drones that “target anyone walking”; food poisoning; healthcare crisis; banned items that Gazans really need; 50,000 Israeli bombs (many made in US) have hit Gaza; US placates Netanyahu after his outburst; Israel has killed 54 children in West Bank in 2024, arrested 7 in 24 hours, re-arrested several Palestinian leaders; news on notorious Sde Teiman prison, ICC arrest warrants; Israel reportedly used white phosphorus in Lebanon; more.

By IAK staff, from reports.

The Missing Children of Gaza:

Save the Children reports: In Gaza, at least 10,000 people are reported missing under the rubble, presumed dead. Children are reported to make up 43% of total casualties in this devastating war.

So, it’s reasonable to estimate that at least 5,160 children are dead under the rubble.

As of February, an estimated 17,000 children were unaccompanied and separated from their families. This number is likely much higher now, with our team in Gaza finding more unaccompanied children every day.

Furthermore, the bodies of children have been among those recently found in mass graves with many showing signs of torture. 

The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described bodies “buried deep in the ground and covered with waste”, and that some were bound and stripped of their clothes. 

Up to 3,000 people have been detained in Gaza including an unknown number of children. Detainees have reported being held in secret locations with no way of contacting loved ones, being forcibly transferred to Israel, having their identity documents confiscated, and being treated with extreme physical, psychological, and sexual violence.  

More and more Palestinians, including children, have reported facing violence and abuse – including having their bones broken – after being detained without charge. 

The Israeli attacks on hospitals have made it extremely difficult for medical staff to report death tolls and identify those killed. Hospitals must not become battlegrounds.

As Israeli forces continue to block an adequate humanitarian response, it’s almost impossible to find, identify, and support separated children – many of whom have been alone for months. It’s also hugely challenging to give unaccompanied children safe, temporary alternative care, as already-exhausted communities and families have such limited resources.

This means that the true number of missing children in Gaza is even higher. (Read the full report here.) Up to 21,000 children are estimated to be missing in #Gaza.

RECOMMENDED READING: UN adds Israel to “Hall of Shame” list of states committing violations against children
The war on Gaza has devastated the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian children. In the the city of Deir el-Balah, displaced families say they're dealing with constant grief. Many of the children living there, are now orphans.
The war on Gaza has devastated the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian children.
In the the city of Deir el-Balah, displaced families say they’re dealing with constant grief.
Many of the children living there, are now orphans. (screenshots)

Israeli army quadcopter drones ‘mercilessly target anyone walking’:

Al Jazeera reports: Rafah city center in Gaza lies deserted after most residents fled weeks of fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups.

Haitham Abu Taha, 30, spoke of the “danger of quadcopter drones that mercilessly target anyone walking” in the streets.

“We’re afraid to move because we fear being killed. There is no more water or food. We are totally trapped, ” said Abu Taha.

Israel has intensified its use of the small drones, or quadcopters, to drop bombs on groups of people or houses and to “shoot to kill” Palestinians with mounted machine guns, said the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor in a recent report.

“Many people were killed [by the quadcopters],” said Ismail Abu Shaar, 22. “The artillery, the shooting and the clashes [never stop].”

The Israeli military said on Monday that it’s “continuing intelligence-based targeted operations” in and around Rafah, adding it found “large amounts of weapons”.

Food Poisoning Cases Reported in Gaza:

Andalou Agency reports: Palestinians’ consumption of expired canned food in the Gaza Strip caused poisoning due to severe food shortages in the enclave, the territory’s Government Media Office reported on Monday.

In a statement, the office said “people are consuming expired canned foods, causing large numbers of poisonings.”

“Hunger and disease are on the rise among Gaza’s population, particularly affecting children,” the statement added.

Gaza grapples with its wounded as healthcare system is crippled by war and siege:

OCHA reports: WHO Trauma Surgeon and Emergency Officer, Dr. Thanos Gargavanis, explained that the protracted closure of Rafah Crossing, the increase in fighting, large-scale displacement and the collapse of law and order have also meant that the United Nations continues to operate in an “un-workable environment” and what it is achieving “is only a fraction of what we should be doing.”

Given the critical situation, the focus inside Gaza continues to be on lifesaving and limb-saving operations, Thanos added, with currently no conditions in place to bring in protheses or deploy specialized medical teams to assist amputees, many of them children and adolescents, in the rehabilitation process.

The total number of wounded Palestinians and other medical cases evacuated since 7 October represents less than six per cent of the injury toll reported by MoH (4,895 out of more than 85,000 reported injuries). Within this context, WHO appealed for the facilitation of medical evacuations for over 10,000 patients, including trauma cases and people with cancer, heart, mental health and other conditions, through all possible crossings to ensure they receive the medical care they need.

Translation: The Ministry of Health in Gaza mourns its martyr, Hani al-Jaafarawi, director of ambulance and emergency in Gaza, who [was killed] in the Israeli occupation’s targeting of the Daraj Clinic in Gaza.

Israeli forces kill medical personnel, civilians, aid-seekers:

These are some of the incidents of Israeli attacks across Gaza on Monday:

Two medical personnel were killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli occupation shelling of the Al-Daraj Clinic, in central Gaza City.

One Palestinian civilian was killed in an Israeli occupation bombing east of al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.

Three civilians were killed and several others were injured in an Israeli air raid targeting a group of civilians in the al-Shati (Beach) refugee camp west of Gaza City, as they stood near a supermarket.

At least 10 people have now been reported dead following an Israeli attack near the Bani Suheila traffic circle in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. They had gathered as commercial and aid trucks came through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in southern Gaza, when Israel attacked them. Security guards who were accompanying the aid trucks are among the dead.

Anesthetics, crutches, cancer meds: some of the items Israel banned from entering Gaza:

The Guardian reports: Israel has long maintained a blockade of Gaza, at times allowing only products deemed “vital for the survival of the civilian population” to enter.

Since 7 October, the blockade has become nearly total. Restrictions to food and basic supplies now threaten the very survival of Gaza’s civilian population. In March 2024, CNN reported on the items Israel has been most frequently denying to Gazans, usually on the pretext that these are “dual use” items. CNN lists some of the most common ones: ventilators, oxygen cylinders, anesthetics, water filtration systems, X-ray machines and crutches.

Other articles that Israel has denied include “dates, sleeping bags, medicines to treat cancer, water purification tablets and maternity kits”, according to the report. Dates could be a lifeline to a starving a population, but they were blocked from entering Gaza because, sources told CNN, the seeds made dates look suspicious in X-ray inspection images.

Sleeping bags were denied “because they were the color green”, a humanitarian official told CNN, “and green means military and according to the 2008 list, military is dual use”. What began as a deliberate policy to bring Gaza’s economy grinding to a standstill is now being used to bring its civilian population to its knees.

(Read the full article here.)

CNN reported in March that the Israeli agency that controls access to Gaza for the multi-billion-dollar aid effort has imposed arbitrary and contradictory criteria, according to more than two dozen humanitarian and government officials interviewed by CNN. Pictured: a warehouse containing about 1,000 trucks worth of essential medical aid and food supplies meant for Gaza, stuck in Jordan.
CNN reported in March that the Israeli agency that controls access to Gaza for the multi-billion-dollar aid effort has imposed arbitrary and contradictory criteria, according to more than two dozen humanitarian and government officials interviewed by CNN. Pictured: a warehouse containing about 1,000 trucks worth of essential medical aid and food supplies meant for Gaza, stuck in Jordan. (screenshot)

Israeli air force has dropped 50,000 bombs on Gaza – report:

Middle East Eye reports: Israeli military officials estimate that approximately 50,000 bombs have been dropped on the Gaza Strip since 7 October by the Israeli air force, according to Army Radio.

According to the Gaza-based government media office, an estimated 79,000 tonnes of explosives have been dropped on Gaza since the start of the war.

NOTE: U.S.-supplied weapons provided to the government of Israel have been used in serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and in a manner that is inconsistent with U.S. law and policy, according to Amnesty International USA.
A scene from the massive fire ignited when Israel struck Rafah
A scene from the massive fire ignited when Israel struck Rafah on May 26 (screenshot)

US cargo plane lands in Israel following Netanyahu’s criticism of delayed American arms shipments:

Andalou Agency reports: A US C-17 cargo plane, reportedly carrying weapons and ammunition, landed in Israel on Monday amid the ongoing Israeli conflict with Gaza and daily exchanges of fire with the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

This development follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public criticism of the US for delayed weapons deliveries, which has strained the allies’ relationship.

“Regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s complaint about delayed weapons shipments from the US, a US C-17 cargo plane, used for transporting goods, has just landed in Israel,” Israeli Army Radio reported.

There has been no comment from Israel or the Joe Biden administration on the report as of yet.

Speaking during a weekly government meeting, Netanyahu said Sunday there was a “dramatic drop” in the weapons pipeline to Israel.

“For many weeks, we appealed to our American friends to speed up the shipments. We did it time and time again. We did this at the senior echelons and at all levels, and I want to emphasize — we did it in private chambers. We got all kinds of explanations, but we didn’t get one thing: the basic situation didn’t change,” he said.

“Certain items trickled in, but the bulk of armaments were left behind,” he added. “After months with no change in the situation, I decided to express it publicly.”

On Thursday, US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby responded, saying: “Netanyahu’s claims are deeply disappointing and certainly vexing to us, given the amount of support that we have and will continue to provide Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

Israel killed 54 Palestinian children in occupied West Bank this year alone: Rights group:

DCIP reports: Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed 54 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank in 2024, including two United States citizens, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP).

The Palestinian human rights organization focused on child rights said 135 Palestinian children have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7 last year when Israel’s war on Gaza erupted.

In 2023, Israeli forces and settlers killed at least 121 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, including 103 Palestinian children killed with live ammunition, 13 Palestinian children killed in drone strikes, four Palestinian children killed by missiles fired from a US-sourced Apache attack helicopter, and one child killed in an Israeli warplane air strike, it said.

“Under international law, intentional lethal force is only justified in circumstances where a direct threat to life or of serious injury is present,” DCIP said. “However, investigations and evidence collected by DCIP regularly suggest that Israeli forces use lethal force against Palestinian children in circumstances that may amount to extrajudicial or willful killings,” it added.

RECOMMENDED READING: Genocide alert issued over Israeli violence in West Bank
This is the moment when 8-year-old Adam al-Ghoul was shot in the head and killed by Israeli soldiers during a raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. A 15-year-old boy was also killed in the same raid.
This is the moment when 8-year-old Adam al-Ghoul was shot in the head and killed by Israeli soldiers during a raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. A 15-year-old boy was also killed in the same raid. November 2023 (screenshot)

Israeli soldiers abduct at least 7 Palestinian children in 24 hours across West Bank:

Middle East Eye reports: At least seven children, including two brothers, have been arrested in the last 24 hours by Israeli forces in the West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) has reported in a statement on Telegram.

The group added that Israel’s military court extended the detention of three children from the town of Beit Ummar near the city of Hebron.

According to PPS, the detentions are part of an escalating arrest campaign by Israeli forces targeting Palestinian children.

IMEMC reports Israeli army abducted 59 Palestinians In Ramallah

Palestinian parliament member Khalida Jarrar, after the Israeli authorities released her from prison, 2016
Palestinian parliament member Khalida Jarrar, after the Israeli authorities released her from prison, 2016 (photo)

West Bank: Israel renews administrative detention order against detainee Khalida Jarrar for the second time:

WAFA reports: The Israeli occupation court renewed the administrative detention for the second time against detainee Khalida Jarrar, 61, from the city of Ramallah, for a period of six months. Jarrar is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

The 61-year-old politician has been detained numerous times and held in Israeli administrative detention, under which Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip are detained without charge or trial for a period of up to six months.

Jarrar was first detained in 1989 and held for a month without trial. In her second detention in 2014, she was sentenced to 15 months in prison. She was eventually released in February 2019, before being arrested again nine months later.

​​NOTE: Palestinian administrative detainees are prisoners held without charge, trial, or access to lawyers; administrative detention is intended to be used only in “exceptional” circumstances. Read more here.

National Union of Journalists, Rory Peck Trust condemn smear campaign against Palestinian journalist:

Middle East Eye reports: The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK has condemned the “concerted campaign to discredit and impugn Maha Hussaini, a multi-award-winning journalist, and worried at the impact this has on her safety at a time when journalists in Gaza are facing unimaginable pressures and challenges”.

“Given the clear evidence of the targeting of journalists that has been mounting through this conflict, such smears are not just unacceptable but dangerous,” said the NUJ in a post on X.

“The NUJ calls on the IWMF to respond to all those who’ve raised concerns about this decision and the message it sends at a time when the work of journalists in Gaza – in the absence of any foreign reporters being allowed in to do their jobs – is so vital,” they added in a statement.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, Hussaini has published dozens of stories with Middle East Eye, including a report uncovering Israeli field executions of Palestinians, which was used as evidence by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its case accusing Israel of genocide.

The Rory Peck Trust, which supports freelance journalists worldwide, has also expressed support for Maha Hussaini after the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) withdrew its Courage in Journalism Award from the Palestinian journalist.

Israel’s Top Court Orders State to Reveal Conditions of Gaza Detainees at Sde Teiman Prison:

Ha’aretz reports: Israel’s High Court of Justice ordered the state to provide details of the conditions under which Gazan prisoners are held in the Sde Teiman detention center in southern Israel, despite the state’s declaration that it intends to empty the facility.

The state will be required to address issues like meals, medical treatment, hygiene, punishment methods and cuffing conditions.

Attorney Roni Pali from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel stated that “the conditions in Sde Teiman are inhumane, and do not reach the lowest standard of incarceration by law. [The facility] cannot continue to function as a detention center for a moment longer, and not for receiving, investigating or sorting prisoners either. Imprisonment in Sde Teiman could be considered a war crime.”

RECOMMENDED READING: Inside the Base Where Israel Has Detained Thousands of Gazans
Palestinians released from Sde Teiman back into Gaza describe their torture
Palestinians released from Sde Teiman back into Gaza describe their torture (screenshot)

Israel braces for potential ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant:

Andalou Agency reports: Israel is preparing for potential arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

On Sunday, the Hague-based court reposted a notice on social media in Hebrew, Arabic, and English – for the fourth time, possibly as a signal that warrants are coming soon – explaining its procedures.

“After gathering evidence and identifying a suspect, the prosecution requests ICC judges to issue: an arrest warrant, which national authorities enforce; or a summons to appear, where suspects appear voluntarily,” the notice reads.

On May 20, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that he had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Members of Hamas were also named.

“Discussions are underway in Israel regarding a defense strategy for Netanyahu, Gallant, and the state of Israel in case the ICC issues arrest warrants,” the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

KAN said it remains unclear whether Israel will present a legal defense at The Hague as Tel Aviv does not recognize the court’s authority.

“Israel prefers to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which includes potential arrest orders, and is thus discussing a possible defense stance against such a decision,” it added.

Israel is not a member of the ICC, whereas Palestine was accepted as a member in 2015.

RECOMMENDED READING: Spying & threats: Israel spent 9 years trying to keep the ICC off the trail of Israel’s war crimes

Israeli phosphorus shells burn south Lebanon:

The Cradle reports: Lebanon’s National News Agency reported on Sunday night, “The Israeli enemy targeted the town of Kfar Kila and the Houra area between Kfar Kila and Deirmimas with artillery shells, which led to a power outage in neighboring towns … The town of Khiam was subjected to enemy artillery and phosphorus bombardment, targeting the eastern neighborhood, the vicinity of Al-Mabarat School, the Chalets area, all the way to the Marjayoun Plain.”

NOTE: Use of white phosphorus in civilian areas is considered a war crime due to its extremely dangerous effects on the human body. White phosphorus ignites instantly when in contact with oxygen. It can burn through the human body, including through bone, causing severe, excruciating damage. It can also cause extreme harm when inhaled, with risks of suffocation, cardiovascular failure, coma, death, and other lifelong effects. The substance burns at temperatures of up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

MORE NEWS:

IMEMC Reports. Israeli Soldiers Shoot A Palestinian Near Tulkarem

IMEMC: Invading Israeli soldiers shoots a Palestinian in Nablus

Al Jazeera: The US and Israel missed many opportunities for peace with Hamas.
Mondoweiss: Feminist scholars stand with Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian.
The Intercept: THE DAY ISRAELI TANKS FIRED DIRECTLY AT AFP’S GAZA BUREAU
Middle East Eye: Why Israel and Taiwan are forging a closer relationship.

Translation: A new massacre… martyrs, body parts and injuries as a result of the occupation’s bombing of the Abdel Fattah Hamoud School, which shelters displaced people, in the Al-Daraj area in central Gaza City.

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – JUNE 24:

Palestinian death toll from October 7 – June 24: at least 38,178* (37,626 in Gaza* – 11,445 women (30%), 15,260 children (40%)†.

This is expected to be a significant undercount since thousands of those killed have yet to be identified – and at least 552 in the West Bank (~134 children). This does not include an estimated 10,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 45,223 Palestinian deaths. (Ralph Nader has estimated 200,000 Palestinians may have been killed in Gaza.)

  • At least 42 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 14 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.
  • About 1.1 million (out of total population of 2.3 million) are facing Catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

Palestinian injuries from October 7 – June 24: at least 91,298 (including at least 86,098 in Gaza and 5,200 in the West Bank).

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

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – June 24: ~1,466 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 315 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.

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – June 24: ~1,466 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 315 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.

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – JUNE 24:

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

Enter your email address below to receive our latest articles right in your inbox.

You might also like: