The people in Gaza survived a lot better than I predicted ; but I think the mortality from all causes is huge, under reported and still minimized.

We get it, you're a Zionist

::: spoiler De-development via the Gaza Occupation

Between July 1971 and February 1972, Sharon enjoyed considerable success. During this time, the entire Strip (apart from the Rafah area) was sealed off by a ring of security fences 53 miles in length, with few entrypoints. Today, their effects live on: there are only three points of entry to Gaza—Erez, Nahal Oz, and Rafah.

Perhaps the most dramatic and painful aspect of Sharon’s campaign was the widening of roads in the refugee camps to facilitate military access. Israel built nearly 200 miles of security roads and destroyed thousands of refugee dwellings as part of the widening process.' In August 1971, for example, the Israeli army destroyed 7,729 rooms (approximately 2,000 houses) in three vola- tile camps, displacing 15,855 refugees: 7,217 from Jabalya, 4,836 from Shati, and 3,802 from Rafah.

• Page 105

Through 1993 Israel imposed a one-way system of tariffs and duties on the importation of goods through its borders; leaving Israel for Gaza, however, no tariffs or other regulations applied. Thus, for Israeli exports to Gaza, the Strip was treated as part of Israel; but for Gazan exports to Israel, the Strip was treated as a foreign entity subject to various “non-tariff barriers.” This placed Israel at a distinct advantage for trading and limited Gaza’s access to Israeli and foreign markets. Gazans had no recourse against such policies, being totally unable to protect themselves with tariffs or exchange rate controls. Thus, they had to pay more for highly protected Israeli products than they would if they had some control over their own economy. Such policies deprived the occupied territories of significant customs revenue, estimated at $118-$176 million in 1986.

• page 240

In a report released in May 2015, the World Bank revealed that as a result of Israel’s blockade and OPE, Gaza’s manufacturing sector shrank by as much as 60% over eight years while real per capita income is 31 percent lower than it was 20 years ago. The report also stated that the blockade alone is responsible for a 50% decrease in Gaza’s GDP since 2007. Furthermore, OPE (combined with the tunnel closure) exacerbated an already grave situation by reducing Gaza’s economy by an additional $460 million.

• Page 402

• The Gaza Strip: The Political Economy of De-Development - Third Edition by Sara M. Roy

:::

::: spoiler Blockade, including Aid

Hamas began twenty years into the occupation during the first Intifada, with the goal of ending the occupation. Collective punishment has been a deliberate Israeli tactic for decades with the Dahiya doctrine. Violence such as suicide bombings and rockets escalated in response to Israeli enforcement of the occupation and apartheid.

After the 'disengagement' in 2007, this turned into a full blockade; where Israel has had control over the airspace, borders, and sea. Under the guise of 'dual-use' Israel has restricted food, allocating a minimum supply leading to over half of Gaza being food insecure; construction materials, medical supplies, and other basic necessities have also been restricted.

• Gaza Policy Forum summary: Experts agree that Israel’s dual-use policy causes acute distress

The blockade and Israel’s repeated military offensives have had a heavy toll on Gaza’s essential infrastructure and further debilitated its health system and economy, leaving the area in a state of perpetual humanitarian crisis. Indeed, Israel’s collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population, the majority of whom are children, has created conditions inimical to human life due to shortages of housing, potable water and electricity, and lack of access to essential medicines and medical care, food, educational equipment and building materials.

• Amnesty International Report pg 26-27

:::

::: spoiler Peace Process and Solution

Hamas proposed a full prisoner swap as early as Oct 8th, and agreed to the US proposed UN Permanent Ceasefire Resolution. Additionally, Hamas has already agreed to no longer govern the Gaza Strip, as long as Palestinians receive liberation and a unified government can take place.

• https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-07-23/rivals-hamas-and-fatah-sign-a-declaration-to-form-a-future-government-as-war-rages-in-gaza

Both Hamas and Fatah have agreed to a Two-State solution based on the 1967 borders for decades. Oslo and Camp David were used by Israel to continue settlements in the West Bank and maintain an Apartheid, while preventing any actual Two-State solution

• (Oslo Accord Sources: MEE, NYT, Haaretz, AJ).

How Avi Shlaim moved from two-state solution to one-state solution

‘One state is a game changer’: A conversation with Ilan Pappe

One State Solution, Foreign Affairs

:::

::: spoiler Human Shields

Hamas:

• HRW on Laws-of-War Violations 2009

• Agency Demands Full Respect for the Sanctity of Its Premises in Gaza - July 2014

• HRW - Palestinian Armed Groups’ October 7 Assault on Israel

Intentionally utilizing the presence of civilians or other protected persons to render certain areas immune from military attack is prohibited under international law. Amnesty International was not able to establish whether or not the fighters’ presence in the camps was intended to shield themselves from military attacks. However, under international humanitarian law, even if one party uses “human shields”, or is otherwise unlawfully endangering civilians, this does not absolve the opposing party from complying with its obligations to distinguish between military objectives and civilians or civilian objects, to refrain from carrying out indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, and to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects.

Israel:

• Israel/OPT: Israeli attacks targeting Hamas and other armed group fighters that killed scores of displaced civilians in Rafah should be investigated as war crimes

• HRW - Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Hospital Strikes Worsen Health Crisis

Additionally, there is extensive independent verification of Israel using Palestinians as Human Shields:

• IDF uses Human Shields,

• Including Children (2013 Report)

• Palestinian children face unrelenting genocide, displacement, and systematic abuse throughout 2024

• Israel “Systematically” Uses Gaza Children as Human Shields, Rights Group Finds 2024

• Breaking The Silence - Testimonies from IDF Veterans

:::

::: spoiler Deliberate Attacks on Civilians

Israel deliberately targets civilian areas. From in general with the Dahiya Doctrine to multiple systems deployed in Gaza to do so:

• The Dahiya Doctrine & Israel’s Use of Disproportionate Force

• ‘A mass assassination factory’: Inside Israel’s calculated bombing of Gaza

• Lavender

• Where's Daddy

Israel also targets Israeli Soldiers and Civilians to prevent them being leveraged as hostages, known as the Hannibal Directive. Which was also used on Oct 7th.

:::

Do you think the ceasefire was a bad idea at the time?

I see you are the kind of person to say “the best time to start learning is five years ago, so I won’t start now”

Grater than this 0% ? Sure was.

Yes there was: not voting red or blue

One of the parties is against the genocide in Ukraine. Funny how you people always forget about that one. Bit inconvenient for your narrative huh

I'll vote so hard for the 3rd party next time! Just your wait and see

Lol. You people are so silly.

Nuance.

I'm sure the Arab nations, and the Palestinians in particular are besides themselves with joy and appreciation to have such an eloquent and thought provoking individual representing them.

Keep up the good fight! Hope the eventual anyeurysm you're blasting towards is massive, severe, and you don't suffer at all.

Lighten up, Francis

There are far too many people on this earth who can only imagine black and white.

They can't imagine you can have bad and you can have much worse and they are not the same thing.

Edit - in case the downvote wasn't someone who voted trump to "save Palestine", my point is you don't save someone from bad by giving them worse. Which we did.

And not "voting for bad" while allowing worse is performative privilege.

I sure hope everyone who said “Genocide Joe” and “Kamala is a cop” sleeps well every night. Also those 100,000 Dem protest voters in Michigan.

You did it guys, you saved Gaza.

Reducing support for one candidate lowers the threshold for the other to win, so staying home absolutely supports Trump, same with voting third party thanks to our wonderful system here

Wait when did Trump broker ANY ceasefire?

The number of death in the last 3 month is comparable to the number of deaths in the last 4 years, is that what you are saying?

I feel like you'd buy a bridge from me.

At what point did German complicity become a crime?

You should just ask the AIPAC zionists this question and not us. We take orders from them.

Which one? Literally every American president since the advent of international criminal law counts as a war criminal. I get you mean Biden, but American imperialism is one of the things wrong with the world.

I was told that protest voting would save Gaza

Nothing was going to save Gaza. That didn't mean we needed to continue being complicit. But at least centrists didn't have to consider abandoning netanyahu.

Unsupporting the red and blue party is the correct thing to do and what will ultimately lead to a positive change. The duopoly party narrative is holding on a really thin line because everyone is unsatisfied on both sides, in europe third parties win plenty of times.

If you throw your trash out of the window that isn't going to change world pollution but you don't do that because we live in a society and everyone is supposed to do his part.

Is there a tally for each president?

That was never an argument being made

Bullshit. It was absolutely an argument being made. "We kNoW BiDeN sUpPoRtS gEnOcIde; MaYbE tRuMp WiLl Be BeTtEr" (paraphrased) is very much the sort of dumbass rhetoric that was being tossed around and don't you dare try to gaslight me otherwise!

because genocide is genocide.

That's dumb. Killing more people is worse than killing fewer.

Get some perspective and stop reveling in misery.

Centrists are stubbornly determined to move right from here. Introspection is a threat to that, so they won't.

No she was not, however there is a difference between someone indifferent to the suffering of others, and someone like Trump who thinks it's funny

It literally is though. Jesus Christ the level of denial.

Harris would have said she's doing everything she can to stop this whole breaking federal laws to keep it happening.

voting for Palestine’s complete destruction.

Gaza was already destroyed on your boy Biden's watch.

I had conversations with many an accelerationist who supported Trump

uh huh, sure you did.

Yeah I didn’t get the whole “murder your family” part

You’re really doing your part yelling at a bunch of internet strangers with no control over the situation. Congrats!

If it’s so easy to fix, what are you doing to make things better?

People are mourning their dead

On a Lemmy politics forum? The fuck are you talking about?