Possible mass executions of Palestinians during Israeli siege of hospital – Day 167

Horrific scenes during 5th day of Israel’s siege on Al Shifa hospital; “ambiguous,” “hypocritical” US resolution in UN Security Council is vetoed; “even if the whole world is against us,” Rafah assault will happen; multiple Palestinian deaths in West Bank; Israel wants more US weapons, while UK considers weapons embargo; more money for Israel

By IAK staff, from reports

HORRIFIC SCENES DURING HOSPITAL SIEGE – Al Jazeera reports: Israel’s military’s siege of al-Shifa Hospital is continuing into its fifth day [Friday], with more than 160 people killed and 600 abducted during the operation, including medical staff and displaced people.

Palestine Chronicle adds: In a statement on Thursday, the local authorities said that “the Israeli army premeditatedly killed 13 patients by denying them medicine, saline, electricity and oxygen since it occupied the hospital for the fourth consecutive day.”

From Euro-Med Monitor: Two survivors described seeing Israeli forces taking groups of up to 10 Palestinian civilians at a time towards the morgue area, after which there was heavy gunfire, and the Israeli forces later left without the civilians. These civilians were likely subjected to unlawful killings and executions.

Among the hundreds of people that have been detained are journalists, medical personnel, and displaced people, many of whom have been tortured and forced to remain fully nude or dressed in flimsy white clothes.

More than half of these individuals have been transported in trucks and military vehicles to Israeli detention facilities.

OCHA adds: According to the spokesperson of the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza, the Israeli army reportedly refused to allow civil defense crews to reach and rescue hundreds of injured people who had issued calls for help in the vicinity of Al Shifa Hospital.

The Israeli military also reported that about 3,700 people passed through a checkpoint it established near Al Shifa hospital and moved southwards, over 300 of whom have been detained.

UPDATE: The UN Security Council has failed to pass a US resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a deal to release captives held in Gaza. Russia and China voted against the resolution. Moscow accused Washington of a “hypocritical spectacle” that does not pressure Israel.

EARLIER REPORT– Al Jazeera reports: The United States has circulated a draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages” in Gaza, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who is on a tour of the Middle East.

Israel’s key political and military backer has repeatedly vetoed previous UNSC votes on ending the nearly six-month war, objecting as recently as February to the use of the term “immediate” in a draft submitted by Algeria.

A copy of the new draft resolution reads: “The Security Council determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides, allow for the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance, and alleviate humanitarian suffering and towards that end unequivocally supports ongoing international diplomatic efforts to secure such a ceasefire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.”

Al Jazeera’s Diplomatic Editor James Bays called the text “ambiguous,” and commented, “The language of other resolutions that the US has vetoed have demanded a ceasefire. This one uses the words, ‘determines the imperative’, so it says it is important that there is a ceasefire. It is not really demanding one now.”

RAFAH ATTACK APPEARS NONNEGOTIABLE – Middle East Monitor reports: Israeli occupation forces will eventually invade the Palestinian city of Rafah in southern Gaza and defeat Hamas, “even if the whole world is against Israel, including the United States”, Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, has said.

Dermer was quoted by Bloomberg as saying on a US online podcast yesterday:  “We are going to go in and finish this job, and anybody who doesn’t understand that doesn’t understand that the existential nerve of the Jews was touched” by the events of 7 October.

Finland will resume funding to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, its foreign trade and development minister said on Friday.

Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive footage from February, captured by an Israeli drone, showing the unmanned aerial vehicle pursuing four Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. (Trigger Warning)

WEST BANK DEATHS – OCHA reports:  “The Israeli army killed nine Palestinians across the West Bank since the afternoon of 20 March, including five by airstrikes.”

WAFA reports: An Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the Jenin refugee camp Thursday killed four Palestinian young men: Mohammed Mamoun Hawashin, 28, Mahmoud Bassam Rahal, 30, Ahmed Hani Barakat, and Mohammed Al-Fayyad, both in their twenties.

Israeli forces killed another Palestinian young man, Ibrahim Abdel Rahim Qatas, injured two others, and arrested two more in an raid Thursday evening into Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho.  Ambulances were prevented from reaching the scene, which took place at sunset as residents were breaking their fast.

Another Palestinian young man, Mujahid Barakat Mansour, was shot dead Friday morning by Israeli occupation forces following a chase conducted by Israeli occupation forces, involving both a helicopter and a drone. The incident took place between the villages of Deir Ibzi’a and Kafr Ni’ma.

Israeli media outlets claimed that Mansour opened fire towards a bus carrying Israeli colonists in the area, and that the “perpetrator was later neutralized.”

OCHA adds: On 21 March, Israeli forces shot with live ammunition and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian male during an Israeli search-and-arrest operation in Al Bireh city, in Ramallah governorate, which involved clashes between Palestinians throwing stones and Israeli forces. During the operation, Israeli forces searched several houses in Al Bireh and Ramallah cities.

ISRAEL WANTS MORE US WEAPONS – Axios reports: Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant will come to Washington next week with a long list of U.S. weapons Israel wants to receive in an expedited manner, two Israeli and U.S. officials said. The requests will not only include short-term needs for the war in Gaza but also long-term ones, including the option to purchase more F-35 and F-15 fighter jets.

U.S. weapons supply to Israel is increasingly being scrutinized as many inside the Democratic Party and some inside the Biden administration call for putting conditions on Israeli use of U.S.-made weapons.

An Israeli think tank reports that Israel has received military equipment worth around &253.5 Million USD due to emergency agreements signed by Biden at the outbreak of the war: 10,000 Tons of Military Equipment were sent to Israel and 244 Cargo planes; were transported to Israel

The US defense secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart that he needs to bring with him to Washington new policies and new ideas for how to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza that demonstrate Israel is removing any roadblocks for getting aid into Gaza, the officials said.

Last Thursday, Gallant signed a letter to the Biden administration assuring Israel will use U.S. weapons according to international law and allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid into Gaza*, Axios reported. The letter of assurances is a requirement under a national security memorandum issued last month by President Biden.

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 abuse by Israel, our politicians have thus far declined to cut off military support.

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

Recent efforts by some senators will be tested when Gallant makes his weapons requests next week.

*NOTE: Israel consistently claims it is upholding international law – but the facts as reported by human rights organizations and judged by international bodies do not match these claims. In addition, Israel has been claiming throughout the war that it is doing its part to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, while again, the facts contradict these statements.

POSSIBLE UK WEAPONS EMBARGO – The Independent reports: UK foreign secretary Lord Cameron is said to have warned Israeli officials that an “arms embargo” could be declared in Europe if Israel continue to withhold access to prisoners by the Red Cross.

Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Belgium have also suspended arms sales in the wake of Israel’s brutal military offensive in Gaza. Many other nations have said they will no longer purchase Israeli weapons.

Jewish Insider reports: The final package of U.S. government funding bills for the balance of the 2024 fiscal year (just passed House)  is set to include $3.8 billion in military aid for Israel, plus an additional $40 million for joint [sic] counter-drone programs (including directed energy systems), a $15 million boost, and $47.5 million for counter-tunneling cooperation [sic]. It’s now in the Senate.

MORE NEWS:

Rafiq is one of many children and young people in northern #Gaza who are starving and suffering from grievous injuries.

History will judge us all for what these children are enduring.

Ceasefire! Allow immediate, unfettered, scaled-up humanitarian access. pic.twitter.com/yJ0ZMA4xtC

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 21, 2024

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – MARCH 21:

Palestinian death toll from October 7 – March 21: at least 32,833* (32,378 in Gaza* (72% women and children), and at least 455 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 21: at least 79,188 (including at least 74,188 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 21: ~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); 251 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza;, 15 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.