Gazans trapped alive under rubble, Israel blocks their rescue – Day 395
[email protected] November 6, 2024 arms embargo, israel katz, israeli settler violence, Lebanon, West Bank, yoav gallant
Palestinians carrying essential belongings flee their houses after Israel issued new evacuation orders in the north of the enclave as living and humanitarian conditions deepening due to intense Israeli attacks on Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip on November 05, 2024 (Mahmoud İssa/Anadolu Agency)
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
In Gaza, at least 61 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Tuesday.
In the West Bank, at least 7 people were killed in an Israeli military raid and air attacks.
Palestinian Civil Defense seeks global help after receiving appeals about people trapped alive under rubble in Gaza
The Palestinian Civil Defense reported on Tuesday, “We are receiving urgent pleas about the presence of survivors under the debris of some homes and residential buildings that were demolished by the Israeli occupation (forces) in the Beit Lahia project area in northern Gaza,” and called for “international human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene urgently to allow access for rescue teams and work to save those trapped beneath the rubble.”
The Civil Defense added, “Citizens in northern Gaza are facing death and Israeli extermination in silence, while the occupation has entirely disrupted our teams’ operations, confiscated their vehicles and equipment, displaced them, and arrested some,” and described Israel’s actions as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”
The agency noted that for the 14th consecutive day, the Israeli army has prevented teams from conducting their operations in northern Gaza.
After weeks of intense bombing by Israeli warplanes, northern Gaza has taken on an apocalyptic look.
After weeks of intense bombing by Israeli warplanes, northern Gaza has taken on an apocalyptic look. (screengrab)
Key Highlights from weekly Gaza report: UN office for humanitarian affairs
For almost a month, all attempts by humanitarian organizations to deliver food to people in the besieged areas of North Gaza governorate have been blocked by the Israeli authorities.
In central and southern Gaza, more than 100 kitchens producing 400,000 meals a day are at risk of shutting down due to supply shortages.
Health-care conditions in North Gaza remain critical with the Kamal Adwan Hospital hit twice in the past week and the delivery of life-saving supplies to the Al Awda Hospital denied.
Over 42 million tons of rubble and a large concentration of explosive hazards pose an imminent threat to civilians, while the entry of specialized personnel and equipment and the conduct of explosive ordnance disposal activities are restricted.
Ten per cent of all journalists working in Gaza have been killed since October 2023, reports the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, as the Israeli authorities still ban the entry of foreign journalists.
Two elderly Palestinians in northern Gaza die waiting at Israeli checkpoint
The two elderly individuals, both ill and in wheelchairs, passed away in the afternoon as they waited for several hours at the checkpoint, witnesses said.
They had been trying to cross the Israeli checkpoint with their families and other displaced Palestinians from the town of Beit Lahia, they added.
The two elders were held by Israeli forces at the checkpoint near the Civil Administration area east of the Jabalia refugee camp, enduring hours-long delays .
Witnesses said that the displaced people, including the two elders, were forced to wait for long hours under the sun in harsh conditions at the Israeli checkpoint, as they sought passage following Israeli warnings for residents to evacuate the area.
Early Tuesday, the Israeli army dropped leaflets over several neighborhoods in Beit Lahia, ordering residents and displaced people to evacuate the area and head south via Salah al-Din Road, east of the Jabalia refugee camp.
The Israeli military destroyed the only firefighting vehicle in the northern Gaza Strip
The Israeli military destroyed the only firefighting vehicle in the northern Gaza Strip (Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza])
West Bank: Israeli operation that killed 8 Palestinians ‘involved lethal war-like tactics’
At least eight people were killed in an Israeli military raid and air attacks on the occupied West Bank.
UN chief’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that Tuesday’s operations in Jenin “involved lethal war-like tactics”.
At least seven people have been killed after Israeli forces carried out a raid in the occupied West Bank.
Dujarric added that the operation “seems to exceed law enforcement standards”.
“This has included air strikes and shoulder-fired explosive projectiles, resulting in fatalities.”
The dead included Hani Ali Bani Awda, 52, who was killed and dismembered when Israeli forces fired anti-tank grenades at his home in the town of Tamoun, south of Tubas, and Aref Mohammed Aref Bani Awda, 40.
Mohammad Hassan Musa Asous, 44, and Shawqi Fayyad Hassan Asous, 40, were assassinated by Israeli forces in the village of Ash-Shuhada, southwest of Jenin.
Also on Tuesday, Israeli forces killed four Palestinian men during a brutal attack on the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin in the northern West Bank: Abdullah Khaled Abu Zaid, 22, Majdi Hamza Saba’neh and Omar Mustafa Saba’neh, and Nasr Kamil.
Palestinians from the occupied West Bank who were killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday, Nov. 5
Palestinians from the occupied West Bank who were killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday, Nov. 5 (IMEMC)
Israel builds military outposts in Gaza
After weeks of footage showing the Israeli occupation army demolishing the homes of displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, Israel’s Channel 14 reported yesterday that the occupation state has now begun building military outposts in Rafah.
Netanyahu sacks defense minister Gallant; his replacement is anti-Palestinian to the core
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on 5 November, citing a lack of mutual trust and disagreements on the “management” of the war in Gaza and Lebanon.
In a one-sentence letter handed to Gallant personally, Netanyahu tells the outgoing war chief, “Your tenure will end 48 hours from the receipt of this letter.” “I would like to thank you for your service as defense minister,” the letter, released by the premier’s office, concludes.
“Unfortunately, although in the first months of the war there was trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the Defense Minister,” Netanyahu said in a video statement released Tuesday night.
He also accused Gallant of indirectly aiding Israel’s enemies.
“I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider,” he said. “They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy — our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.”
Foreign Minister Israel Katz will replace Gallant as head of the defense ministry. Gideon Saar, a minister without a portfolio who was recently rumored to be Gallant’s replacement, will be appointed as foreign minister.
Three of Gallant’s most prominent remarks that have drawn international scrutiny and allegations of potential violations of international law:
On Oct. 9, 2023, Gallant announced a “complete siege” on Gaza, saying: “There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed.” (A severe blockade has sparked international criticism, with concerns that it constitutes collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.)
In the same announcement, Gallant referred to Hamas militants as “human animals,” declaring: “We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.” (The language has been condemned for its dehumanizing tone, which could incite violence against civilians.)
In August 2023, Gallant warned of potential action against Hezbollah, stating that Israel could “return Lebanon to the Stone Age” if attacked. (That remark was interpreted as a threat to use disproportionate force against civilian infrastructure.)
Israel Katz, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, has already taken some memorable actions against Palestinians, including:
Two days after October 7th, Katz issued an order to “immediately cut off the water supply from Israel to Gaza,” adding, “Electricity and fuel were cut off yesterday…All the civilian population in Gaza is ordered to leave immediately. We will win. They will not receive a drop of water or a single battery until they leave.”
Katz also declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres “persona non grata in Israel” for criticizing the country’s war on Gaza.
While serving as Israel’s foreign minister, he threatened “severe consequences” for nations that officially recognize Palestinian statehood. Nearly 150 of the 193 United Nations member states recognize Palestine.
In 2022, as a member of the legislature he said, “Yesterday I warned the Arab students, who are flying Palestine flags at universities: Remember 48. Remember our independence war and your Nakba, don’t stretch the rope too much. […] If you don’t calm down, we’ll teach you a lesson that won’t be forgotten.”
In one of his final acts as foreign minister, Katz on Monday initiated the process of annulling the 1967 agreement between Israel and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
(Left to right) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, newly appointed defense minister Israel Katz
(Left to right) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, newly appointed defense minister Israel Katz (Wikimedia Commons)
52 Nations Call for Global Arms Embargo on Israel
The Foreign Ministry of Turkiye sent the UN a letter signed by 52 nations and two organizations calling for a halt in military transfers to Israel, stating the Israeli army is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for the arms embargo on Israel while speaking at a news conference in Djibouti on 1 November.
While attending the Turkiye–Africa collaboration meeting, Fidan announced that the group letter was sent to the UN and that it must be “repeated at every opportunity that selling arms to Israel means participating in its genocide.”
Israeli settlers acquire hundreds of high-caliber rifles to ‘prepare for war’ in West Bank
Israeli settler and leader of the Samaria Regional Council in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, Yossi Dagan, has purchased more than 500 rifles to arm emergency security teams, and is now working to further upgrade their equipment in preparation for a future war with Palestinians, Masar News reported on 5 November.
Dagan purchased dozens of advanced sniper rifles after raising almost one million shekels ($270,000) from supporters of the Council around the world.
Masar News notes that “These moves indicate a major shift in the settlers’ strategy” and show the settlers’ readiness for war in the West Bank.
Early last month, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced that over 120,000 firearms have been distributed among Jewish settlers in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war last year.
“Over 120,000 weapons were distributed to eligible citizens, while tens of thousands more received conditional approvals,” he said on his X account. “We intend to continue arming Israel. That’s what we did, and that’s what we’ll continue to do!”
NOTE: Israel has illegally built around 280 settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are home to more than 700,000 illegal settlers. Israeli settlements and settlers on Palestinian land are a violation of international law, and considered by many Palestinians to be the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement.
Some settler groups, moreover, have a history of violence against Palestinians, often with the assistance of Israeli military forces.
In a landmark advisory opinion on July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Jewish settlers Israeli security forces amid raid in Hebron, West Bank
Jewish settlers Israeli security forces amid raid in Hebron, West Bank (Anadolu/Getty Images)
Israel manages massive destruction in Lebanon, but no real “progress”
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) on 5 November,
“Within the framework of the destructive war waged by the Israeli military on Lebanon, in an area roughly three kilometers deep that extends from Naqoura to Khiam, more than 37 towns have been totally wiped out, and more than 40,000 housing units have been completely destroyed” (emphasis added).
Israel released footage on Monday showing the detonation of entire neighborhoods, and scores of houses in southern Lebanon’s Mays al-Jabal.
Several videos of home demolitions carried out by Israeli forces have surfaced since Tel Aviv launched its failed ground operation in southern Lebanon, which began at the very start of October.
Despite the destruction, Israeli forces have been unable to achieve the goal of pushing Hezbollah away from the border, establishing a buffer zone, and securing the return of tens of thousands of settlers who were evacuated from their northern settlements at the start of the war last year.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported last week that despite deploying 50,000 soldiers to Lebanon, the army was unable to “capture even a single village.” It notes that five divisions were deployed, three times the force that was sent into south Lebanon and defeated in 2006.
The Hebrew newspaper also reported on 4 November that Israel is facing a serious shortage of troops.
Images of Ramyah, a village in southern Lebanon, before and after the Israeli military blew up at least 40 buildings in the past two weeks, according to a Times analysis.
Images of Ramyah, a village in southern Lebanon, before and after the Israeli military blew up at least 40 buildings in the past two weeks, according to a Times analysis. (Munira Khayyat, via X; Georges Haddad, via X)
Israeli attacks have killed 151 emergency workers in Lebanon
The World Health Organization (WHO) says emergency medical services in Lebanon have reported 201 attacks over the past year following the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The attacks have resulted in 151 deaths and 212 injuries, it said.
The violence “is hindering the rescue and relief efforts, and ultimately contributing to high death rates,” it added.
Medics in Lebanon have accused Israel of directly targeting them in attacks that rights experts say amount to war crimes.
A view of damaged building after Israeli airstrike on Beirut, Lebanon on October 3, 2024. It was reported that 6 people were killed and several people were wounded in the attacks.
A view of damaged building after Israeli airstrike on Beirut, Lebanon on October 3, 2024. It was reported that 6 people were killed and several people were wounded in the attacks. (Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images)
New Israeli Law Empowers Education Ministry to Immediately Dismiss Arab Teachers Suspected of Sympathy With “Terrorist” Orgs (like UNRWA)
Israeli lawmakers passed a law on Tuesday authorizing the education minister to withdraw funding from schools where “expressions of sympathy with terrorist acts are occurring or being permitted.”
The law also allows the Education Ministry’s director general to summarily dismiss teachers without prior notice if they “demonstrate sympathy with a terrorist organization” or “issue statements praising, supporting or encouraging” terrorist acts. The legislation passed with 55 votes in favor and 45 against.
Following the law’s passage, Amit Halevi, who introduced the law, declared, “Today, the Knesset is taking the most crucial step in the war against our enemies: striking at terrorism’s strongest foundation – education.” He added, “This law will ensure that Israeli students are educated in justice, science, and compassion, rather than terrorism, injustice and barbarism.”
NOTE: The Israeli government has declared a number of groups to be part of or sympathetic to Hamas (allegedly a terrorist group), or even terrorist groups in their own right, including six Palestinian civil society groups; UNRWA (the UN humanitarian arm for Palestinian refugees); various Israeli leaders have also accused Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the World Health Organization, the United Nations as a whole, Jewish Voice for Peace, and IfNotNow of backing or spreading propaganda from Hamas, as well as Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, college students and Jewish professors all over the world; similarly the entire countries of Spain, South Africa, as well as the US State Department, and all the children of Gaza over the age of four – all are alleged supporters of Hamas (and thereby “sympathetic toward a terrorist organization”). (Links to accusations that these and many other groups and individuals are Hamas supporters are here – with thanks to Mehdi Hasan.)
NOTE: The use of the word “terrorist” for a group that resists occupation and oppression is a political, not fact-based choice. In reality, international law supports the efforts of resistance groups against an occupying power, the UN extending that right to the point of armed resistance. Hamas has clearly and openly stated that its enemy is not the Jewish people, but the supremacist ideology of Zionism – the ideology under which Israel dispossessed 750,000 Palestinian people and exiled them to Gaza and other locations.
RECOMMENDED READING: How Does Israel Justify Mass Killings? It Starts in the Schools.
Palestinians walk near a pile of rubble on a rainy day in Jabaliya, Gaza on September 01, 2024.
Palestinians walk near a pile of rubble on a rainy day in Jabaliya, Gaza on September 01, 2024. (Mahmoud İssa – Anadolu Agency)
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STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – NOVEMBER 5, 2024:
Palestinian death toll from October 7, 2023 – November 5, 2024: at least 44,159* ( 43,391 in Gaza* – 69% are women and children, according to Gaza’s Media Office). [The Ministry’s figures have been contested by the Israeli authorities, although they have been accepted as accurate by Israeli intelligence services, the UN, and WHO. These data are supported by independent analyses, comparing changes in the number of deaths of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff with those reported by the Ministry, which found claims of data fabrication implausible.]
This is expected to be a significant undercount since thousands of those killed have yet to be identified – and at least 768 in the West Bank (~166 children). This does not include an estimated 10,000 more in Gaza still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children).
In July 2024, the Lancet said: “Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37,396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.
Ralph Nader earlier estimated 300,000 Palestinians may have been killed in Gaza.
At least 45 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 25 from West Bank).
At least 41 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition (at least 37 of them children)**.
About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million population are currently displaced.
Almost 500,000 Gazans are currently experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Palestinian injuries from October 7 – November 5, 2024: at least 108,647 (including at least 102,347 in Gaza and 6,300 in the West Bank, including 830 children). [It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.]
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – November 5, 2024: ~1,574 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 396*** military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza (most recent: Nov 2); 39 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel) and~10,000 injured.
The death toll in Lebanon since October 8, 2023 is at least 3,002, with 13,492 injuries. An estimated 1.34 million have been displaced.
NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.
*Previously, IAK did not include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile was being disputed. However, given that much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, Israel had previously bombed the hospital and has attacked many others, Israel is prohibiting outside experts from investigating the scene, and since the UN and other agencies are including the deaths from the attack in their cumulative totals, if Americans knew is now also doing so.
**Euro-Med Monitor reports that Gaza’s elderly are dying at an alarmingly high rate. The majority die at home and are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries. Additionally, according to Euromed, thousands have died from starvation, malnourishment, and inadequate medical care; these are considered indirect victims as they were not registered in hospitals.
***The figure does not include the reportedly 56 Israeli soldiers – nearly 16% of the total Israeli military deaths – killed due to friendly fire in Gaza and other military-related accidents.
† For most of the conflict, women and children accounted for about 70% of deaths in Gaza, with children making up a little over 40% of those killed, according to official statistics.
Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.
Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org
Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
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https://israelpalestinenews.org/gazans-trapped-alive-rubble-israel-blocks-rescue-day-395/Gazans trapped alive under rubble, Israel blocks their rescue – Day 395
[email protected] November 6, 2024 arms embargo, israel katz, israeli settler violence, Lebanon, West Bank, yoav gallant
Palestinians carrying essential belongings flee their houses after Israel issued new evacuation orders in the north of the enclave as living and humanitarian conditions deepening due to intense Israeli attacks on Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip on November 05, 2024 (Mahmoud İssa/Anadolu Agency)
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
In Gaza, at least 61 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Tuesday.
In the West Bank, at least 7 people were killed in an Israeli military raid and air attacks.
Palestinian Civil Defense seeks global help after receiving appeals about people trapped alive under rubble in Gaza
The Palestinian Civil Defense reported on Tuesday, “We are receiving urgent pleas about the presence of survivors under the debris of some homes and residential buildings that were demolished by the Israeli occupation (forces) in the Beit Lahia project area in northern Gaza,” and called for “international human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene urgently to allow access for rescue teams and work to save those trapped beneath the rubble.”
The Civil Defense added, “Citizens in northern Gaza are facing death and Israeli extermination in silence, while the occupation has entirely disrupted our teams’ operations, confiscated their vehicles and equipment, displaced them, and arrested some,” and described Israel’s actions as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”
The agency noted that for the 14th consecutive day, the Israeli army has prevented teams from conducting their operations in northern Gaza.
After weeks of intense bombing by Israeli warplanes, northern Gaza has taken on an apocalyptic look.
After weeks of intense bombing by Israeli warplanes, northern Gaza has taken on an apocalyptic look. (screengrab)
Key Highlights from weekly Gaza report: UN office for humanitarian affairs
For almost a month, all attempts by humanitarian organizations to deliver food to people in the besieged areas of North Gaza governorate have been blocked by the Israeli authorities.
In central and southern Gaza, more than 100 kitchens producing 400,000 meals a day are at risk of shutting down due to supply shortages.
Health-care conditions in North Gaza remain critical with the Kamal Adwan Hospital hit twice in the past week and the delivery of life-saving supplies to the Al Awda Hospital denied.
Over 42 million tons of rubble and a large concentration of explosive hazards pose an imminent threat to civilians, while the entry of specialized personnel and equipment and the conduct of explosive ordnance disposal activities are restricted.
Ten per cent of all journalists working in Gaza have been killed since October 2023, reports the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, as the Israeli authorities still ban the entry of foreign journalists.
Two elderly Palestinians in northern Gaza die waiting at Israeli checkpoint
The two elderly individuals, both ill and in wheelchairs, passed away in the afternoon as they waited for several hours at the checkpoint, witnesses said.
They had been trying to cross the Israeli checkpoint with their families and other displaced Palestinians from the town of Beit Lahia, they added.
The two elders were held by Israeli forces at the checkpoint near the Civil Administration area east of the Jabalia refugee camp, enduring hours-long delays .
Witnesses said that the displaced people, including the two elders, were forced to wait for long hours under the sun in harsh conditions at the Israeli checkpoint, as they sought passage following Israeli warnings for residents to evacuate the area.
Early Tuesday, the Israeli army dropped leaflets over several neighborhoods in Beit Lahia, ordering residents and displaced people to evacuate the area and head south via Salah al-Din Road, east of the Jabalia refugee camp.
The Israeli military destroyed the only firefighting vehicle in the northern Gaza Strip
The Israeli military destroyed the only firefighting vehicle in the northern Gaza Strip (Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza])
West Bank: Israeli operation that killed 8 Palestinians ‘involved lethal war-like tactics’
At least eight people were killed in an Israeli military raid and air attacks on the occupied West Bank.
UN chief’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that Tuesday’s operations in Jenin “involved lethal war-like tactics”.
At least seven people have been killed after Israeli forces carried out a raid in the occupied West Bank.
Dujarric added that the operation “seems to exceed law enforcement standards”.
“This has included air strikes and shoulder-fired explosive projectiles, resulting in fatalities.”
The dead included Hani Ali Bani Awda, 52, who was killed and dismembered when Israeli forces fired anti-tank grenades at his home in the town of Tamoun, south of Tubas, and Aref Mohammed Aref Bani Awda, 40.
Mohammad Hassan Musa Asous, 44, and Shawqi Fayyad Hassan Asous, 40, were assassinated by Israeli forces in the village of Ash-Shuhada, southwest of Jenin.
Also on Tuesday, Israeli forces killed four Palestinian men during a brutal attack on the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin in the northern West Bank: Abdullah Khaled Abu Zaid, 22, Majdi Hamza Saba’neh and Omar Mustafa Saba’neh, and Nasr Kamil.
Palestinians from the occupied West Bank who were killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday, Nov. 5
Palestinians from the occupied West Bank who were killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday, Nov. 5 (IMEMC)
Israel builds military outposts in Gaza
After weeks of footage showing the Israeli occupation army demolishing the homes of displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, Israel’s Channel 14 reported yesterday that the occupation state has now begun building military outposts in Rafah.
Netanyahu sacks defense minister Gallant; his replacement is anti-Palestinian to the core
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on 5 November, citing a lack of mutual trust and disagreements on the “management” of the war in Gaza and Lebanon.
In a one-sentence letter handed to Gallant personally, Netanyahu tells the outgoing war chief, “Your tenure will end 48 hours from the receipt of this letter.” “I would like to thank you for your service as defense minister,” the letter, released by the premier’s office, concludes.
“Unfortunately, although in the first months of the war there was trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the Defense Minister,” Netanyahu said in a video statement released Tuesday night.
He also accused Gallant of indirectly aiding Israel’s enemies.
“I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider,” he said. “They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy — our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.”
Foreign Minister Israel Katz will replace Gallant as head of the defense ministry. Gideon Saar, a minister without a portfolio who was recently rumored to be Gallant’s replacement, will be appointed as foreign minister.
Three of Gallant’s most prominent remarks that have drawn international scrutiny and allegations of potential violations of international law:
On Oct. 9, 2023, Gallant announced a “complete siege” on Gaza, saying: “There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed.” (A severe blockade has sparked international criticism, with concerns that it constitutes collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.)
In the same announcement, Gallant referred to Hamas militants as “human animals,” declaring: “We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.” (The language has been condemned for its dehumanizing tone, which could incite violence against civilians.)
In August 2023, Gallant warned of potential action against Hezbollah, stating that Israel could “return Lebanon to the Stone Age” if attacked. (That remark was interpreted as a threat to use disproportionate force against civilian infrastructure.)
Israel Katz, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, has already taken some memorable actions against Palestinians, including:
Two days after October 7th, Katz issued an order to “immediately cut off the water supply from Israel to Gaza,” adding, “Electricity and fuel were cut off yesterday…All the civilian population in Gaza is ordered to leave immediately. We will win. They will not receive a drop of water or a single battery until they leave.”
Katz also declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres “persona non grata in Israel” for criticizing the country’s war on Gaza.
While serving as Israel’s foreign minister, he threatened “severe consequences” for nations that officially recognize Palestinian statehood. Nearly 150 of the 193 United Nations member states recognize Palestine.
In 2022, as a member of the legislature he said, “Yesterday I warned the Arab students, who are flying Palestine flags at universities: Remember 48. Remember our independence war and your Nakba, don’t stretch the rope too much. […] If you don’t calm down, we’ll teach you a lesson that won’t be forgotten.”
In one of his final acts as foreign minister, Katz on Monday initiated the process of annulling the 1967 agreement between Israel and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
(Left to right) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, newly appointed defense minister Israel Katz
(Left to right) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, newly appointed defense minister Israel Katz (Wikimedia Commons)
52 Nations Call for Global Arms Embargo on Israel
The Foreign Ministry of Turkiye sent the UN a letter signed by 52 nations and two organizations calling for a halt in military transfers to Israel, stating the Israeli army is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for the arms embargo on Israel while speaking at a news conference in Djibouti on 1 November.
While attending the Turkiye–Africa collaboration meeting, Fidan announced that the group letter was sent to the UN and that it must be “repeated at every opportunity that selling arms to Israel means participating in its genocide.”
Israeli settlers acquire hundreds of high-caliber rifles to ‘prepare for war’ in West Bank
Israeli settler and leader of the Samaria Regional Council in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, Yossi Dagan, has purchased more than 500 rifles to arm emergency security teams, and is now working to further upgrade their equipment in preparation for a future war with Palestinians, Masar News reported on 5 November.
Dagan purchased dozens of advanced sniper rifles after raising almost one million shekels ($270,000) from supporters of the Council around the world.
Masar News notes that “These moves indicate a major shift in the settlers’ strategy” and show the settlers’ readiness for war in the West Bank.
Early last month, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced that over 120,000 firearms have been distributed among Jewish settlers in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war last year.
“Over 120,000 weapons were distributed to eligible citizens, while tens of thousands more received conditional approvals,” he said on his X account. “We intend to continue arming Israel. That’s what we did, and that’s what we’ll continue to do!”
NOTE: Israel has illegally built around 280 settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are home to more than 700,000 illegal settlers. Israeli settlements and settlers on Palestinian land are a violation of international law, and considered by many Palestinians to be the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement.
Some settler groups, moreover, have a history of violence against Palestinians, often with the assistance of Israeli military forces.
In a landmark advisory opinion on July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Jewish settlers Israeli security forces amid raid in Hebron, West Bank
Jewish settlers Israeli security forces amid raid in Hebron, West Bank (Anadolu/Getty Images)
Israel manages massive destruction in Lebanon, but no real “progress”
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) on 5 November,
“Within the framework of the destructive war waged by the Israeli military on Lebanon, in an area roughly three kilometers deep that extends from Naqoura to Khiam, more than 37 towns have been totally wiped out, and more than 40,000 housing units have been completely destroyed” (emphasis added).
Israel released footage on Monday showing the detonation of entire neighborhoods, and scores of houses in southern Lebanon’s Mays al-Jabal.
Several videos of home demolitions carried out by Israeli forces have surfaced since Tel Aviv launched its failed ground operation in southern Lebanon, which began at the very start of October.
Despite the destruction, Israeli forces have been unable to achieve the goal of pushing Hezbollah away from the border, establishing a buffer zone, and securing the return of tens of thousands of settlers who were evacuated from their northern settlements at the start of the war last year.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported last week that despite deploying 50,000 soldiers to Lebanon, the army was unable to “capture even a single village.” It notes that five divisions were deployed, three times the force that was sent into south Lebanon and defeated in 2006.
The Hebrew newspaper also reported on 4 November that Israel is facing a serious shortage of troops.
Images of Ramyah, a village in southern Lebanon, before and after the Israeli military blew up at least 40 buildings in the past two weeks, according to a Times analysis.
Images of Ramyah, a village in southern Lebanon, before and after the Israeli military blew up at least 40 buildings in the past two weeks, according to a Times analysis. (Munira Khayyat, via X; Georges Haddad, via X)
Israeli attacks have killed 151 emergency workers in Lebanon
The World Health Organization (WHO) says emergency medical services in Lebanon have reported 201 attacks over the past year following the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The attacks have resulted in 151 deaths and 212 injuries, it said.
The violence “is hindering the rescue and relief efforts, and ultimately contributing to high death rates,” it added.
Medics in Lebanon have accused Israel of directly targeting them in attacks that rights experts say amount to war crimes.
A view of damaged building after Israeli airstrike on Beirut, Lebanon on October 3, 2024. It was reported that 6 people were killed and several people were wounded in the attacks.
A view of damaged building after Israeli airstrike on Beirut, Lebanon on October 3, 2024. It was reported that 6 people were killed and several people were wounded in the attacks. (Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images)
New Israeli Law Empowers Education Ministry to Immediately Dismiss Arab Teachers Suspected of Sympathy With “Terrorist” Orgs (like UNRWA)
Israeli lawmakers passed a law on Tuesday authorizing the education minister to withdraw funding from schools where “expressions of sympathy with terrorist acts are occurring or being permitted.”
The law also allows the Education Ministry’s director general to summarily dismiss teachers without prior notice if they “demonstrate sympathy with a terrorist organization” or “issue statements praising, supporting or encouraging” terrorist acts. The legislation passed with 55 votes in favor and 45 against.
Following the law’s passage, Amit Halevi, who introduced the law, declared, “Today, the Knesset is taking the most crucial step in the war against our enemies: striking at terrorism’s strongest foundation – education.” He added, “This law will ensure that Israeli students are educated in justice, science, and compassion, rather than terrorism, injustice and barbarism.”
NOTE: The Israeli government has declared a number of groups to be part of or sympathetic to Hamas (allegedly a terrorist group), or even terrorist groups in their own right, including six Palestinian civil society groups; UNRWA (the UN humanitarian arm for Palestinian refugees); various Israeli leaders have also accused Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the World Health Organization, the United Nations as a whole, Jewish Voice for Peace, and IfNotNow of backing or spreading propaganda from Hamas, as well as Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, college students and Jewish professors all over the world; similarly the entire countries of Spain, South Africa, as well as the US State Department, and all the children of Gaza over the age of four – all are alleged supporters of Hamas (and thereby “sympathetic toward a terrorist organization”). (Links to accusations that these and many other groups and individuals are Hamas supporters are here – with thanks to Mehdi Hasan.)
NOTE: The use of the word “terrorist” for a group that resists occupation and oppression is a political, not fact-based choice. In reality, international law supports the efforts of resistance groups against an occupying power, the UN extending that right to the point of armed resistance. Hamas has clearly and openly stated that its enemy is not the Jewish people, but the supremacist ideology of Zionism – the ideology under which Israel dispossessed 750,000 Palestinian people and exiled them to Gaza and other locations.
RECOMMENDED READING: How Does Israel Justify Mass Killings? It Starts in the Schools.
Palestinians walk near a pile of rubble on a rainy day in Jabaliya, Gaza on September 01, 2024.
Palestinians walk near a pile of rubble on a rainy day in Jabaliya, Gaza on September 01, 2024. (Mahmoud İssa – Anadolu Agency)
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STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – NOVEMBER 5, 2024:
Palestinian death toll from October 7, 2023 – November 5, 2024: at least 44,159* ( 43,391 in Gaza* – 69% are women and children, according to Gaza’s Media Office). [The Ministry’s figures have been contested by the Israeli authorities, although they have been accepted as accurate by Israeli intelligence services, the UN, and WHO. These data are supported by independent analyses, comparing changes in the number of deaths of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff with those reported by the Ministry, which found claims of data fabrication implausible.]
This is expected to be a significant undercount since thousands of those killed have yet to be identified – and at least 768 in the West Bank (~166 children). This does not include an estimated 10,000 more in Gaza still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children).
In July 2024, the Lancet said: “Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37,396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.
Ralph Nader earlier estimated 300,000 Palestinians may have been killed in Gaza.
At least 45 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 25 from West Bank).
At least 41 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition (at least 37 of them children)**.
About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million population are currently displaced.
Almost 500,000 Gazans are currently experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Palestinian injuries from October 7 – November 5, 2024: at least 108,647 (including at least 102,347 in Gaza and 6,300 in the West Bank, including 830 children). [It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.]
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – November 5, 2024: ~1,574 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 396*** military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza (most recent: Nov 2); 39 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel) and~10,000 injured.
The death toll in Lebanon since October 8, 2023 is at least 3,002, with 13,492 injuries. An estimated 1.34 million have been displaced.
NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.
*Previously, IAK did not include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile was being disputed. However, given that much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, Israel had previously bombed the hospital and has attacked many others, Israel is prohibiting outside experts from investigating the scene, and since the UN and other agencies are including the deaths from the attack in their cumulative totals, if Americans knew is now also doing so.
**Euro-Med Monitor reports that Gaza’s elderly are dying at an alarmingly high rate. The majority die at home and are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries. Additionally, according to Euromed, thousands have died from starvation, malnourishment, and inadequate medical care; these are considered indirect victims as they were not registered in hospitals.
***The figure does not include the reportedly 56 Israeli soldiers – nearly 16% of the total Israeli military deaths – killed due to friendly fire in Gaza and other military-related accidents.
† For most of the conflict, women and children accounted for about 70% of deaths in Gaza, with children making up a little over 40% of those killed, according to official statistics.
Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.
Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org
Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
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How Does Israel Justify Mass Killings? It Starts in the Schools.
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The unpublished genocide diaries of Refaat Alareer
https://israelpalestinenews.org/gazans-trapped-alive-rubble-israel-blocks-rescue-day-395/
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