I normally begin these posts with the latest death toll in order to bring home the horror of Israel’s attack on Gaza. But the Palestinian health ministry, which compiles these figures, says it can no longer compile these statistics, since it is too dangerous to move around and communication is all but cut off.
Nor can media do what it usually does in similar situations by traveling through a war zone and interviewing officials and residents. Israel has completely sealed off Gaza to foreign journalists (except those like CNN reporters willing to embed themselves with IDF invaders). This is a clever strategy to reduce or eliminate the outrage the world would feel if their country’s reporters weren’t prevented from their job.
This AP News story recounts the deliberate extermination of six entire families in Gaza by Israeli missiles:
Entire generations of Palestinian families in the besieged Gaza Strip — from great-grandparents to infants only weeks old — have been killed in airstrikes in the Israel-Hamas war…
The deaths recounted in this story are not accidental. They are not collateral damage. They were targeted specifically in a form of terminal collective punishment. As if it wasn’t bad enough that nearly 250 members of these families died, the reason they died only amplifies the horror.
An Israeli security source tells me their “crime” was that at least one member of each of these six families (al-Naouq, al-Butta, al-Astal, Hassouna, Najjar and Saqallah) was a Hamas fighter who participated in the 10/7 attack on Israel. He claims that “hundreds” more such families are similarly marked for death.
This plan for mass extermination appears part of the Amalek Directive given by the security cabinet. It directed the IDF and Shin Bet to murder the six top Hamas leaders and their families. The order invoked the Biblical command to exterminate every living soul of the tribe of Amalek. Apparently, the Directive also called for the elimination of the families of Hamas fighters who participated in the 10/7 attack as well.
I do not have any way of verifying the accuracy of the source’s account. I cannot confirm the source’s claim that any family member was a Hamas fighter. I cannot guarantee that this is not an attempt to minimize the horror of these Israeli mass murders; or instill terror in the other families not yet wiped out.
Death toll
21 members of the al-Naouq family were murdered, including a 75-year old father, two brothers, three sisters and their 13 children:
…Wala’a, the most accomplished of the al-Naouq children with a degree in engineering, and her four children; Alaa and her five children; Aya, known for her wry sense of humor, and her three children; older brother Muhammed; and younger brother Mahmoud, who was preparing to travel to Australia for graduate studies when the war broke out.
Nine of the 21 are still under the rubble; dire fuel shortages prevented civil defense crews from digging them out.
These are the death figures for the other families mentioned above:
The al-Astal family lost 89 relatives, 18 of them children under the age of 10, including three babies not yet a year old, according to an Oct. 26 ministry report. The Hassouna family had 74 killed, including 22 children ranging in age from 1 to 10 years old, it said. The Najjars lost 65 relatives: Nine were under 10 years old and 13 were under 4.
250 men, women, babies pay for the sins of a few of their relatives. Biblical vengeance is bad enough: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This is a mass murder for an Israeli death. This is 250 dead Palestinians for every Israeli.
Even if the source’s claim is true–it means that the Israeli security apparatus has decided that instead of merely fighting Hamas, they are going to exact revenge on everyone even remotely connected to it. Civilian status, even a child or baby, no longer carries any meaning for Israel. The Bible says no child may be punished for the sins of the father. Israel’s new dictum is babies die for the sins of their father, mother, sister, brother, cousin, in-law.
Nor are we talking of punishment of a fighter’s direct family members. Israel is killing cousins, in-laws, friends–all of whom are sheltering together in a home. This is worse than collective punishment, which itself violates international law. This is collective mass murder. 20 or 30 or 40 dead for every family member who fights with the resistance.
If Israel’s security strategy is simply to mow down entire families with some Hamas affiliation, it will have to exterminate everyone in Gaza. Virtually every Gazan has a family member, friend, colleague who is a fighter. So why not eliminate them all and be done with it? I’m almost certain Israel would do so if it felt it could get away with it. Given the feeble opposition of the world to the Gaza slaughter, they might very well do so.
This is not a security policy. This is pure vengeance. Does anyone who planned, approved or exacted these murders think for a second that it will deter recruitment of Hamas fighters? Does anyone believe that any family would prevent a relative who sought to join Hamas, from doing so? If that is the level of Israeli security strategy, it’s no wonder it’s committing genocide.
They expect this brutish punishment will deter future fighters from doing what these did. But it will do just the opposite. It will launch a forever war. Much longer than the Hundred Years War. This could be a war till the end of time or history. Murder and death forever. Thanks to a country based on death and vengeance. A darkness unto the nations.
Whatever one says about the horrors of the Holocaust, the Nazis had a clear, diabolical goal: the systematic extermination of every Jew in Europe. Israel is also engaged in genocide. But it is a haphazard one with no clear goal or purpose, other than pure vengeance. Revenge is an emotion, it is not a policy. Emotions don’t achieve political or security goals.
Gaza: sleepwalking toward disaster
NBC News portrays increasing tension between Israel and the US about post-war plans for Gaza. I can’t tell which is more delusional: Netanyahu, who proposes wiping out all of northern Gaza, turning it into a no man’s land. This would eliminate over 20% of Gazan territory. He further intends to “disarm” Gaza, and stay until there is no longer any resistance to Israel. He proposes an indefinite occupation.
This is more or less what Israel attempted in southern Lebanon between 1982 and 2002, when it undertook a disastrous occupation along with its proxy ally, the South Lebanese Army. Hundreds of Israeli troops died until Israel finally withdrew, leaving behind a Hezbollah that gained strength the longer Israeli occupation lasted.
Now Netanyahu proposes to billet Israeli troops there indefinitely. It’s a plan with no clear goal or strategy. Who is to determine when Palestinian resistance has ended? What is the end game?
To me, it appears a plan that is more likely to see Gaza ethnically cleansed, as Israel has proposed to six of its Arab and western allies (including the US and UK).
The Biden administration has rightly objected to Netanyahu’s proposals. It opposes any ethnic cleansing of Gaza, including the no man’s land buffer zone. It opposes an Israeli occupation.
Though the US vision may be different, it is just as bad as the Israeli one. It says Gaza must be governed by Palestinians. It proposes that the Palestinian Authority take over Gaza. This is deja vu all over again.
Before 2005, the PA ruled the West Bank and Gaza. After Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections, Abbas and Elliot Abrams concocted a coup, which they believed would overthrow Hamas in Gaza. They brought in a Fatah strongman, Mohammed Dahlan, and gave him carte blanche to bring Gaza under PA control. But he failed and the coup plot failed as well. Hamas ruled Gaza and the PA ruled the West Bank. All further attempts at reconciliation, shared rule, or new elections failed. Mainly due to recognition by Abbas and his cronies that they would lose any election held.
So now the US wants to bring the PA back to Gaza. It’s not as if it’s doing so well governing the West Bank. It is corrupt, sclerotic and dysfunctional. To the extent that it does function, it serves as a Palestinian stooge to Israeli interests. No one except those on the Fatah gravy train believe in it. So the Biden plan is to take this failed entity and add Gaza to its portfolio?
The US has also talked of the importance of uniting Gaza and the West Bank and of renewing the efforts toward a two-state solution. Neither of which is feasible. There is a grave danger in proposing things which cannot happen. You pretend to do something that neither you nor anyone can do. Unless you are willing to bring every pressure to bear to achieve it. Failure drains hope and faith from everyone involved, especially Palestinians. Failure and loss of hope are precisely what triggered the Hamas 10/7 attack.
Finally, the Israelis will not agree to any of the US proposals. Certainly no Palestinian state. Probably no PA rule in Gaza. The question is how much pressure, if any, will Biden exert against Israel’s plans. So far the odds aren’t looking good. Which means we could be sleepwalking toward disaster. One that could last for years or even decades.
Not sure if the statement “Failure and loss of hope are precisely what triggered the Hamas 10/7 attack.” holds true as far as Hamas is concerned. REF. suicide bombings in 1990s when hopes ran high (I think B. Goldstein may have been the excuse but not the motive).
@AlanH: The suicide bombings were a response, at least in part, to Shimon Peres’ refusal to take advantage of the peace opening made by Yitzhak Rabin before his assassination. I do not think Hamas felt much hope in that situation. Also, during the First Intifada Hamas conducted individual attacks. While 10/7 was a massive, coordinated attack by 1,000 fighters. Far different than the 1st Intifada. Israeli response is also far different. I don’t think the situations are comparable.
Richard: ” Biblical vengeance is bad enough: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This is a mass murder for an Israeli death. …..”
“This is not a security policy. This is pure vengeance…”
“They expect this brutish punishment will deter future fighters from doing what these did.”
…………..
The BBC this morning in it’s report on the hospital we are looking at for evidence, has published a photo of a wall in Gaza, red spray painted star of David with IDF inside the star and above in large red letters NEVER AGAIN. I cannot reproduce it here. Check here to see if they still have it up https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67436154 This caused me to pause.
We here have been calling this retaliation and revenge. Israel has been using every other word to justify what seems obviously deeply rooted revenge, scapegoating Palestinians for all of our history by doing the exact same thing to them, eye for an eye, but with modern weapons. “Targeted” really?
They have propaganda “Baghdad Bob’s” that guy on Netanyahu’s guy, Mark Regev on MSNBC TV regularly. There are others down in the depths talking to the press showing a very selected display : this Conricus fellow stand out lately.
Israel has been successful in getting the sympathy of the world. But I think the brutality, the disproportion, the indiscrimination, “the teach them a lesson” RAMBO-ness is wearing very thin.
This mode of showing military, ruthlessness passed for strength for a long long time. The real lesson of Never Again has been completely corrupted by this darkness, this obsessive need to be the victim at the same time as Rambo.
In a sense all this anti- Semitism, much, maybe most of it just anti-Israel or even proPalestinians feeds strengthens the claim of Jews as the victims for some. It’s really sick. Every Jew does not feel this way and are heartsick over this all. Some of us are disappointed in Biden’s moral weakness.
Here he is the Baghdad Bob of Israel– really irksome, unless you swallow it as Nicole Wallace seems to: https://www.msnbc.com/jose-diaz-balart/watch/netanyahu-advisor-mark-regev-we-have-discovered-weapons-in-al-shifa-hospital-197945925581?cid=referral_taboolafeed
At the moment, I don’t think anything really major has been found at Al Shifa, though a nefarious presence is shown.. not verified. The question always has to be was this worth the destruction disruption and death caused. This is or was a state of the art hospital.
Israel is desperate to show the world what it finds. There are much larger questions.
(I wish I could go back and correct my mistakes above… sorry)
Over the years Bibi’s guy Mark Regev has been despicable … I couldn’t watch or listen to him for 10 sec. … knew all his rhetoric by heart … new and younger generation of innocent minds are quite gullible. History is not on their minds in the 40 character X message and less than a single day memory of news items.
”Israel has been successful in getting the sympathy of the world”
Not so … same as with Ukraine the Western alliance … see the recent UNGA decision and yesterday’s adoption of the UNSC Resolution, the U.S. has lost the Global South.
This group of nations has an issue with Israel’s Apartheid and occupation of Palestinian territory. A map how the UN is divided on the adoption of the proposal to refer Israel to the ICJ last December. Unfortunately it may take 5 years for a decision from the The Hague World Court.
Oui–Israel was successful in getting much sympathy, many horrified by Hamas massacre. Then Israel began retaliation and it’s ongoing current operation characteristically killing 10 times as many Gazans indiscriminately and wrecklessly without justification or care in the
I don’t follow what you mean about Ukraine. The last UN vote was February or March 2023 near as I can tell.
Greetings from Israel,
@ Potter
” Israel began retaliation and it’s ongoing current operation characteristically killing 10 times as many Gazans indiscriminately and wrecklessly without justification or care… ”
Israel characteristically kills 10 times as many Gazans because Gazans don’t have air raid shelters like Israelis do. Hamas has built miles and miles of fortified tunnels, but Hamas doesn’t allow Gazan civilians to shelter in the tunnels.
Israel has a sophisticated civil defense system that warns Israelis of incoming rockets and missiles. Most of these rockets and missiles are knocked down by the Iron Dome rocket defense system.
The point, Potter, is this.
Hamas has aimed and fired thousands of rockets at Israeli civilian targets since October 7.
That these rockets kill few Israelis is only because Israel defends itself better than Hamas defends Gaza.
Additionally, missiles from Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, are also targeting Israeli civilian targets in Northern and Southern Israel but Israel’s Arrow defense system is knocking them down as well.
@ Minute Man:
Wrong. Israel kills ten times more Gazans than Hamas killed Israelis because Israeli weapons are immensely powerful and lethal, while Hamas can only mount rockets and in the case of 10/7 an incursion. If Hamas could mount the sort of Campaign Israel has mounted, then it could kills as many Israelis. But this will never happen and Israel can go on its merry way committing genocide without the world lifting a finger. And regarding those hypothetical Gaza shelters, Israel could destroy such shelters if they wanted to do so. Israel used bunker buster bombs in Gaza. Do you think they could not destroy such a shelter if it was targeted?
Hamas tunnels are meant to defend Gaza. They are not meant to shelter civilians from attack. Nor can Hamas build such protective shelters because of the Israeli siege. It prevents the materials necessary to build them. So Hamas must prioritize what construction materials it gets for its defensive fortifications.
Not so. Even before Israel had Iron Dome, Hamas/IJ rockets killed 20 Israelis over a decade.
” So Hamas must prioritize what construction materials it gets for its defensive fortifications. ”
Right. Hamas hides in bunkers, while ordinary Gazans suffer and die aboveground.
How many thousands of Gazans might be alive today if they’d been allowed by Hamas to shelter in those miles and miles of tunnels?
I guess I shouldn’t ask dumb questions. Right?
How many Gazans would be alive indeed. Under blockade occupation, no hope unable to leave .
Doctor- Hamas would then have to give up the resistance/terror/violence/armed struggle that the group needed the tunnels for ( especially given Israeli surveillance and periodic military operations.). The tunnels must have grown over the years.
There is and has been for many years no peace process and blatantly no desire for one on the Israeli side. Israel being the stronger, has to be willing.
Palestinians were managed instead, forgotten behind walls checkpoints and fences, blockaded , the people lockedin Gaza. They were allowed little sips of freedom lately, Israel’s attempt to pacify, as it went ahead with settling more land, encroaching on the holy site, and making deals with Arab countries.
So Hamas has a cause to fight for that is existential for Palestinians.
There would be no need for resistance if there was no Occupation for 56 years. Passive resistance has not worked.
Thus Hamas.
If they ere not dedicated to violent resistance and did not have support -somewhat out of the despair created by Israel- there would be no tunnels. Why then would Gazans need to hide in them?– and alternatively why would Israelis need bunkers or safe rooms? There would possibly we some sort of peace arrangement.
Hamas and their tunnels maybe has changed the equations but at an enormous price for everyone. The blame game now.
I see catch 22 – or yin and yang
The Economist gets it:
….. in order for evacuation to be feasible, people need somewhere safe to go. Israel therefore needs to go further by providing more immediate support to the hospital, supplying trauma and other medical facilities nearby and ensuring those who are evacuated have an alternative refuge.
……A crucial step is to open its border point at Kerem Shalom to let in aid and fuel deliveries. Israel should also create emergency medical facilities, take patients to Israeli hospitals, and be prepared to set up temporary refugee camps in Israeli territory in the Negev desert. Israel is entitled to go to war with Hamas. But it must do more to rebut the charge that it is going to war against the Palestinian people.”
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/16/the-rights-and-wrongs-of-israel-and-hamas-at-al-shifa-hospital
Israel could do this.
It’s perfectly reasonable to kill any person who was participated in the 10/7 attack. Of course, no one should be intentionally targeted because of their familial relation to any person.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt – last March
Recent leaked video …
Greenblatt hasbara failing
What I find disturbing is the acceptance of killing other people, while invoking human suffering and pain as cause. Then when people are sensitive to pain they would not accept killing. We know, that within the military strategic thinking killing is a way of life and they are used to the idea or even recognize the obligation to decide who may live and who must die. But civil society has defined killing a crime and killing masses a crime against humanity. The military vision on life and society is not compatible with civil society. It should be banned from this earth.
I wonder if you have ever heard of this? I don’t know why absolutely no one knows or talks about this.. https://www.972mag.com/hamas-fatah-elections-israel-arrogance/
@Anna: No, I had no idea. THank you. This is fantastic!