Violence Happening in Palestine: Everything You Need To Know
On May 7th, the citizens of Palestine were performing their daily prayers in al-Aqsa mosque, which is one of the holiest places of worship for Muslims globally, when gunshots were heard, and bombs were thrown at old men, women, children, and individuals of all ages. The doors were shut open as soldiers marched in, holding massive guns and explosives. Stun grenades were thrown on children as young as five years old by the Israeli forces, and rubber bullets were shot on the elderly and the young alike.
On May 10th, the Israeli forces fired missiles on the houses of Civilians in Gaza, which reportedly killed 20 people, including nine children, and injured 65 civilians.
On May 16th, the Israeli forces bombed the buildings of international press outlets in Palestine. Al-Jazeera’s building was turned into a pile of sand and rocks after it was hit by a deadly missile. The building also housed residential apartments and the AP bureau. Israel’s bombardment of the major complexes in Gaza was only to vent an Israeli soldier’s frustration caused by a failure to stop rocket fire from Gaza, as revealed by an Israeli soldier in an interview on Israeli Channel 12 who was a participant in the bombardment of the nine multi-story buildings. In that interview, one of the pilots stated, “I went on a mission to carry out airstrikes with a feeling that destroying the towers is a way to vent frustration over what is happening to us and over the success of the groups in Gaza in kicking us.”
When the entire Muslim community was celebrating Eid, a religious festival, the Palestinians were mourning the loss of their children, mothers, fathers, and in worst-case scenarios, their entire family members too.
According to official reports, 40,000 individuals in Gaza have been forced out of their homes due to the bombardment of their residential areas, which has compelled them to seek refuge in hospitals, offices, and the remains of buildings that have been destroyed. With the spread of COVID-19’s third wave in Gaza, there has been a lack of beds for the injured citizens and the patients suffering from COVID-19.
What Is Happening in Sheikh Jarrah?
Palestinian families face forced evictions from their homes in broad daylight or in the late hours of the night. This happened because the courts of Israel have ruled that the settlers of Israel can move into Palestinian homes in occupied east Jerusalem. However, this isn’t the first time this has happened. In 2009, three families were forcibly evicted from their homes, and Israeli families occupied their residents. According to IMEU, more than 200 Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah have faced forced eviction.
Announcement of Ceasefire
On May 20th, the Israeli Government announced the ceasefire in Gaza after facing heavy international backlash from protests that were taking place globally. Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, the Israeli troops attacked the innocent civilians of Jerusalem while they were sitting peacefully with their family members in their homes or walking on the streets to buy groceries.
Violence Against Palestinians - An Ongoing Issue
Violence against Palestinians has been an ongoing issue. Last year, an autistic man named Eyad al-Haq was killed by the Israeli police as he was on his way to his reading school for disabled individuals. A year after his anniversary, his mother expresses her grief and mourns the death of her only son, who was not only disabled and unarmed but was also completely harmless and innocent.
In 2007, Israel imposed a land, air, and sea blockade on the Gaza strip, making it difficult for Palestinians to travel and for goods to reach their state. Students could not travel abroad to complete their higher education. Individuals with underlying health conditions were banned from traveling to a country with a better health infrastructure to receive treatment for their illness because the Israeli Government has denied them permission.
According to official reports, 70% of the Palestinians in Gaza are refugees, the ones who were the victims of the Nakba campaign in 1948. The Nakba campaign was an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Palestinians. During the formation of Israel in 1948, more than 750,000 Palestinians were killed or were forcibly convicted from their homes. They resorted to living in refugee camps at the outskirts of the country, without proper means of leading their lives or consuming clean water or food. 73 years later, the Palestinians are still forced out of their homes in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah and Gaza. According to the UN, 80% of the Humanitarian aid in Gaza resides under the poverty line, and 1 in 3 people in Gaza cannot afford nutritious food. This means, approximately 2 million individuals in Gaza cannot afford to buy or consume healthy food. Ever since the attacks have been going on, the suicide rates have drastically increased due to the negative effects of war and the Israeli violence on the mental health of youngsters and older adults.
What Do The Stats and Reports Say?
According to official reports, 250 people, including 65 children, have been killed by Israeli forces since 7th March. And over 1,700 people have been injured. According to a report by the United Nations six years ago, Gaza may become inhabitable by 2020, which is happening right now. And the mass massacre of innocent civilians might prove their reports to be true. Critical infrastructure has been targeted and destroyed by the Israeli militants. The after-effects of the horrendous attacks have physically or emotionally touched nearly every individual in Gaza. 11 girls killed in Gaza’s bombing in mid-March were part of the program helping them cope with war trauma.
Operation Law and Order
On May 23rd, Israeli authorities launched an operation “law and order,” which was a campaign of terror and intimidation against the public of Palestine who protested against the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and their attack on the al-Aqsa mosque. This campaign is intended for revenge and intimidation against the protestors, and so far, they have arrested more than 1,500 people.
A victim of Israeli violence stated in an interview with al-Jazeera, “Israeli forces badly beat up the arrested Palestinians specifically on their heads and faces.” He further added, “The beatings are among the worst I’ve come across and have resulted in broken bones.”
On May 18, a Palestinian man named Yasin Sbeih was arrested by the police after protecting a 15-year-old Palestinian girl who was being physically assaulted by Israeli police at Damascus Gate. Sbeih spent a week in detention before being released. He suffered from painful injuries on his ribs, two black eyes, and a burst eardrum.
Sbeih stated to Al-Jazeera, “The girl was sitting on the steps not doing anything before they started attacking her,” he said. “All three of us were arrested, and the commanding officer told his unit that they shouldn’t beat us in front of security cameras.”
Social Media Campaigns in Support of Palestine
Supporters and protesters took to social media and used the hashtag #SaveSheikhJarrah across multiple social media platforms to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians. A nonprofit organization named IMEU is bringing forth reliable news and video footage about the atrocities occurring in Palestine at the hands of the Israeli forces. They also use their social media platform to inform the public about the history of the Israeli occupation. Their social media accounts are:
Twitter: @theIMEU
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/
It is important to know that even the smallest action of resharing, retweeting, or rewriting factual information regarding the atrocities happening in Gaza can help the helpless civilians of Palestinians.