Al Jazeera reports in “‘Massacre’: Dozens killed by Israeli fire in Gaza while collecting food aid” that “More than 100 killed and about 750 wounded after Israeli forces fired at Palestinians trying to get flour for their families as famine stalks the Strip.” [See video.] Jad Allah Al-Shafei, the Nursing Director at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, told Al-Jazeera, “All injuries result from gunfire and artillery shells; claims of a stampede are entirely fabricated.” Euro-Med Monitor reports on a Palestinian being run over by Israeli tanks (graphic images).
The Guardian reports: “Israel has not yet provided evidence to back Hamas 7 October attack claims against UNRWA, UN says.”
STEPHEN ZUNES, zunes@usfca.edu
Professor of politics at the University of San Francisco, Zunes has written extensively on the Mideast. His latest piece for The Progressive is “U.S. Support for Israel Bolsters Its Own Interests” and states: “Despite growing public resentment of support for Israel, policymakers continue to fund violations of international law.”
MARY KOSTAKIDIS, Mary@marykostakidis.com.au, @MaryKostakidis
Kostakidis is a journalist and was anchor of SBS World News Australia for two decades. She just co-wrote the piece “Australian Civil Society submits statement on Gaza genocide to the International Court of Justice.” She said today: “Civil society organisations around the world are demanding political leaders listen to the voice of the public. They want action to end the genocide now. To turn a blind eye is to be complicit. Signatories to the Genocide Convention are doing worse: in abrogation of their responsibilities under international law, many are continuing to enable the supply of arms or arms parts to Israel. This is criminal state behaviour. …”
CHRISTOPHER GUNNESS, cgunness@outlook.com
Gunness is a former spokesperson for UNRWA. He has called the halting of funding to UNRWA, which provides food, education and other forms of relief for Palestinian refugees “utterly shocking” and a “violation of international law” and a “violation of the orders by the International Court of Justice.” He was featured on the IPA news release: “UK Channel 4 Finds Israeli Documents ‘Provide No Evidence’ in Charges Against UNRWA.”
See from the Guardian: “Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians, UN rights expert says.”
See IPA release: “Doctors Without Borders: Israel Is Attacking Our Convoys.”