The Palestine Red Crescent Society released a statement on Israel using humanitarian cover for military operations such as the one this weekend. The World Food Program has halted aid efforts as a result of the recent operation.
A London Times investigation recently found: “The Israeli government insists that Hamas formally sanctioned sexual assault on October 7, 2023. But investigators say the evidence does not stand up to scrutiny.” The piece quotes Orit Sulitzeanu, the executive director of Israel’s Association of Rape Crisis Centers: “The politicization of rape by the Israeli government was part of the political agenda of this government. … I did not think that was sensible. … They didn’t mean ‘believe Israeli women.’ They meant ‘believe Israel.’”
Common Dreams reports: “UN Probe Finds Israel Guilty of ‘Extermination,’ Torture, and Other War Crimes in Gaza.” Among the other findings: “strong indications that the ‘Hannibal Directive’ was used in several instances on 7 Oct, harming Israelis at the same time as striking Palestinian militants.” The inquiry was “unable to verify reports of sexualized torture” by Palestinian groups. The inquiry found sexual violence by the Israeli military against Palestinian civilians.
Reuters reports: “Hamas accepts UN ceasefire resolution, ready to negotiate over details, official says.”
More reports are emerging of video of Israeli soldiers shooting Palestinian civilians for sport.
DANIEL KOVALIK, dkovalik@outlook.com, @danielmkovalik
Kovalik is author of the just-published book The Case for Palestine: Why It Matters and Why You Should Care. He co-wrote the piece “Biden’s Creeping ‘Red Line’ Allows More Israeli Atrocities in Gaza,” which states: “For some time, President Joe Biden has claimed that there are limits to U.S. support for Israel, that he cares about the loss of Palestinian life and that certain Israeli conduct (e.g., an invasion of Rafah, an Israeli-designated ‘safe zone’) would result in the loss of U.S. backing. The events of the past weeks have demonstrated that none of these claims are in fact true.
“The atrocities of Israel in Gaza continue to mount and become more egregious by the day. A month ago, on May 6, 2024, Hamas agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement that looked a lot like the ceasefire agreement now being promoted by the Biden Administration. Israel responded by rejecting this agreement and then immediately doing what Biden warned against doing — attacking Rafah where around 1.7 million Gazan refugees are now living in makeshift tents. As part of this offensive, Israel closed off the Rafah crossing, the border area between Israel and Egypt, cutting off any aid or supplies from coming into famine-ravaged Gaza and preventing any people from leaving. What has transpired is a horrifying series of massacres against civilians, which the Biden administration continues to try to downplay, excuse, and explain away.”