BREAKING: War Cabinet Orders IDF to Lay Waste Rafah Neighborhood, Murdering 100 Civilians

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חשיפה: הפקודה הסודית של קבינט המלחמה, “אוי לרשע ואוי לשכנו”, קובעת כי כל שכונה עזתית שבה מוחזקים חטופים תוחרב לאחר חילוצם

The IDF rescued two Israeli captives in Rafah yesterday.  During the rescue, it bombed and destroyed the entire Shabura refugee camp in which they were held.  It was an act of revenge and collective punishment. The bombing also distracted the hostage takers, who were killed by the commandos during the rescue. Over 100 civilians were killed in the attack.

Foreign news outlets have written about both events (freeing the hostages and destruction of Shabura). I am breaking a story connecting them.  It is under military censorship and Israeli media outlets are prohibited from reporting this: the Israeli war cabinet ordered the Rafah massacre as an act of retribution against all the civilians living where the hostages were held.

This is further evidence that such genocidal acts are not independent decisions by the army itself; but rather an official act of the state. Thus further supports both the International Court of Justice’s case against Israel; and any International Criminal Court claims brought against the members of the war cabinet, including Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot (both former chiefs of staff), and Netanyahu himself.

A Ynet report written by Avi Issacharoff, the show runner for Fauda, confirms that the IDF perpetrated this slaughter in order to deter Gaza families from harboring hostages.  Issacharoff frames his story in cinematic terms, portraying the heroic efforts of the commandos as if it were an episode from Fauda.  In fact, it will likely become an episode in his next Shin Bet thriller, Ghosts of Gaza.

This is a product of the delusional notion that collective punishments against entire families, neighborhoods or nations is a deterrence.  Further, the Ynet story suggests that families still harboring hostages will be motivated to hand them over to the IDF, rather than suffer the same fate. This is absurd.  A people denied their national rights and forced to live under intolerable conditions will not get down on bended knee, simply because you increase their suffering as an act of vengeance.  In fact, it will redouble their resistance.  The psychology of vengeance is yet another example of the twisted thinking that has blocked resolution of this conflict.

Korach Directive

I broke the story of the war cabinet’s Amalek Directive, issued in late October. It too was under military censorship.  The Directive consisted of a death warrant against six Hamas leaders and their entire families.  Invoking Amalek validated an ancient genocide as a precedent for a modern genocide.

An Israeli security source tells me the order for the Rafah massacre also referred to an act of mass murder from the Bible.  Korach was an Israelite who rose up against Moses.  He gathered followers and threatened a mass rebellion. God beat back this threat by threatening to annihilate all the rebels. But Moses bargained with God seeking mercy for those who would turn away from Korach.  He then warned them of their fate if they remained true to the rebel leader: “woe unto the wicked and woe unto their neighbors.”  Korach then met his fate as an earthquake swallowed him.  The existence of the war cabinet directive is under Israeli military censorship.

There is one major difference between Gaza and Korach: Moses permitted the rebel’s followers to save their lives.  Israel offered no such mercy to the 100 Gazans it murdered yesterday.

I’m calling this the Korach Directive, a flagrant act of genocide.  South Africa’s legal team and ICC chief prosecutor should include this as evidence in their deliberations.

The Biblical references used to justify the genocide provoked some skepticism.  Why would the three secular Israelis forming the war cabinet (Gantz, Eisenkot and Netanyau) associate their orders with a religious references.  It seemed out of character.  Until I considered that Netanyahu needs to retain the loyalty of two key allies: Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who are both Orthodox settlers.  Appropriating Biblical sources appeals to their religious tradition  and their right-wing followers.

But to Jews in the Diaspora, invoking Biblical precedent for a modern genocide is an abomination.  In Jewish tradition, the gravest phrase denouncing such an act is: chilul ha’Shem (“desecrating God’s Name”).  If there is any justice in the world, these three will face their own judgment like Korach–either by earthly or heavenly justice (or both.)

ICC chief prosecutor warns Israel of genocide charges

Today, ICC chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, issued a warning to Israel not to invade Rafah.  He tweeted:

I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah.

My Office has an ongoing and active investigation…[that] is being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency, with a view to bringing to justice those responsible for Rome Statute crimes.

All wars have rules and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning. Since that time [last visit to Palestine], I have not seen any discernible change in conduct by Israel…Those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate.

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Khan’s statement was greeted with deep skepticism: the ICC first began a legal process concerning charges of Israeli genocide after Operation Protective Edge in 2014. It confirmed full jurisdiction in 2021.  Since then, there has been no appreciable progress.  The Court has not announced a formal investigation, let alone filed charges against individual perpetrators.

Compare this to his handling of the case of Russia kidnapping 300,000 Ukrainian children from their parents and taking them to Russia. The period between commencing an investigation and issuing an arrest warrant against Putin was breathtakingly short: less than a year.  When it comes to Gaza, time moves at a glacial pace.

Of course, Khan’s statement is welcome. It is the strongest statement he has made since he became chief prosecutor.  But it will mean nothing if he doesn’t follow words with action.  He must complete an investigation and issue an indictment of Israeli generals and leaders: including the three members of the war cabinet.  Not only are they responsible for the genocide in Gaza–two of them led an army which committed such crimes under their command.

If Khan doesn’t act; if Biden doesn’t act; if the UN Security Council doesn’t act; if the Arab world doesn’t act–then we will know what their morality is worth.  We will know what their rules based order is worth.  We will know what international law is worth.

Not worth a damn. The result: possibly as many as 50,000 Palestinian dead in Gaza before the war ends.