The image above is of controversial French President Emmanuel Macron. You either love him or you hate him. He has stoked controversy by telling the BBC that Israel must stop bombing Gaza and killing civilians, particularly women and children. There was “no legitimacy” for the bombing, Macron told the BBC in an interview published late on Friday, adding that a ceasefire would benefit Israel.
The image left is of Wael Dahdouh. We have not heard from NCF member Wael Dahdouh (whose wife and children were killed) since Friday. This is his last message, “Strength, solidity, fortitude, composure and courage all derive from God Almighty first. And then as a reaction to what is happening (in Gaza). My family is just one of the families that were targeted and martyred in Gaza. And we suffered this pain. But we ultimately derive this power from God first, as I said, and from our feeling that we should be faithful to the blood of my wife, son, daughter, grandson and relatives. A moment of loyalty to all those who fall daily by the hundreds in the Gaza Strip. In loyalty to Her Majesty (the press), in fulfillment of this humanitarian mission that we carry out, in fulfillment of this duty that we perform in all professionalism, objectivity and transparency. All the people watch us among the rubble, the destruction, the body parts, the bodies and the wounded everywhere, and you see how we cover it all. We check for accuracy. We may sometimes publish pictures that contradict the journalistic charter and press laws in the world, but we always investigate accuracy, objectivity and transparency, and yet journalists are targeted, as there are dozens of journalists martyred, and many families of journalists were martyred, and my family is among these targeted families who were martyred. Despite all that, we are continuing our work, as the biggest message on what has happened and is still going on in Gaza, is to stay on top of our work at all costs.”
The Next Century Foundation is saddened by the dire situation in Gaza. Mohamed Rantisi tells us, through his friend, NCF member Nagia Said, “The Gaza Strip is subject to a hateful tough siege that has made Gaza a place of stone age. Gaza has run out of every basic of life. Getting a gallon of water needs planning and queuing for hours. Bread has become scarce. For 30 days, no drop of fuel entered Gaza, and that made the hospital stop functioning.
Surgical operations are performed without anaesthesia. We lost many family and close friends. My wife lost her father and brother without being able to say goodbye to them.”
The Death Toll
Israel Dead: Israel has confirmed 1,166 dead thus far since and including the deaths on October 7th (a very slightly lower figure than the original 1,400 estimate). The names of and details of those killed in Israel in Hamas attacks, and those Israelis killed in the subsequent Israel-Hamas War can be found here. This is a regularly updated list but it will not show the very latest situation. Of these 327 are soldiers. The remainder are civilians. They are mostly young people. (the NCF Secretary General comments: the link is worth looking at. It does not justify the complete and permanent ethnic cleansing of Northern Gaza, as seems to be emerging as the strategy being adopted by the IDF, but it does explain the hardening of attitudes in Israel where the Gaza campaign is regarded by some as an existential issue).
Gazan Dead: Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed 11,078 people, mostly civilians, according to figures released on Friday from the Gazan Health Ministry. These are the latest figures we have available. The current actual figure if it could be calculated would, of course, be significantly higher. Muhammed Zaqout, director of hospitals in Gaza, said the Health Ministry has been unable to update the death toll since Friday as medics are unable to reach areas hit by bombardment. “The situation is extremely dire,” he said. “Ambulances are unable to reach people under the rubble.”
Our full report follows
Israel’s bombing of Gaza has now reached its second month. Significant swaths of the region have been reduced to rubble.
The Gaza War has sparked worldwide demonstrations and marches. Approximately 4,200 demonstration events connected to the war occurred in almost 100 nations and territories during the first three weeks of the current round of hostilities, accounting for 38% of all demonstration events registered internationally.
Most demonstrations have been peaceful, as was the largest in the world thus far, that on Saturday in London. This pro-Palestinian march in London on Armistice Day drew substantial numbers, with the Metropolitan Police reporting around 300,000 attendees (but the UK police are notorious for underestimating numbers) and organisers estimating a higher figure of nearly 800,000, which would make it one of the largest marches in British history (you will note that a couple of the demonstrators are masked – that is because some activists are disturbed by the police’s practice of using facial recognition software):
Israel
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that there would be no fuel given to Gaza and, “We will not have a ceasefire without the hostages returning home . . . We will completely destroy Hamas’ ability to lead Gaza,” adds Mr Netanyahu. He continues, “Israel will not stop.”
In a televised message commemorating the first month of Israel’s battle with Hamas, Netanyahu again warned Hezbollah that “it will be making the mistake of its life” if it opens a new front in the fight “from its base in Lebanon”.
Asked if they feel part of the country, 70% of Arab Israelis polled said “yes”. This was up from 48% in June, an Israel Democracy Institute poll showed. Asked if they would leave Israel if offered an alternative Western citizenship, 59% said they would stay.
Algeria
Algeria’s Foreign Ministry has voiced grave concern about Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza, accusing it of breaching international humanitarian standards. Algeria has also urged quick international engagement to safeguard the Palestinian people, whose rights it has highlighted as critical to conflict settlement.
Brazil
Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira, Brazil’s Foreign Minister, stated that his country “received with dismay the news that Israeli forces called for all civilians — more than one million — living in northern Gaza to leave within 24 hours.” Veira, pointed to the UN’s estimate that such a large-scale movement of people might result in “unprecedented levels of misery” for civilians, while asking for a stop to violence on both sides.
European Commission warns of an ‘apocalypse’ in Gaza
The current disaster in Gaza risks worsening, according to European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic. Speaking to Turkish journalists in Brussels, Lenarcic emphasized the importance of a truce in the continuing crisis in Gaza in order for humanitarian supplies to reach the Palestinian enclave.
Germany
Speaking at a Berlin synagogue, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Berlin would not tolerate anti-Jewish hatred. Activists have seen a rise in antisemitism in Germany since October 7.
India just calls for a truce
India’s stance on the Middle East conflict is proving divisive at home, as New Delhi attempts to strike a balance between Israel and the Palestinians as daily pictures of death and damage come from Gaza.
India has a long history of supporting Palestinian rights, notably via voting at the United Nations. So New Delhi’s swift condemnation of the Hamas attack on Israel, as well as its decision to abstain from a General Assembly resolution asking for a humanitarian truce in Gaza, has raised eyebrows and infuriated India’s opposition.
India was one of 44 nations that did not vote on Oct. 27, when Jordan’s proposed UN cease-fire resolution was overwhelmingly supported. New Delhi supported a modification made by Canada, with whom it is entangled in a separate diplomatic controversy over the shooting of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia, to add a denunciation of Hamas. The amendment, however, fell short of the two-thirds majority required.
India has also continuously supported, co-sponsored, and voted in favour of United Nations resolutions supporting the Palestinian cause, especially their right to self-determination.
Iraq
Iraq has also condemned the Gaza assaults as a continuation of “Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians”.
Iran
Nasser Kanaani, a spokeswoman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, has portrayed Palestinian resistance as a “legitimate reaction to Israel’s provocations”.
Jordan
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi says, “Hamas Is An Idea And Ideas Do Not Die“. He added that, without addressing the Palestinians’ rights and establishing a Palestinian state, security and stability will never be achieved, and war will break out “every five or six years.” He also stated that Jordan is working to refute Israel’s narrative about the war.
Qatar
Qatar has urged all sides to de-escalate and exhibit caution amid the deteriorating crisis in Gaza, blaming Israel for an escalation of abuses of Palestinian rights, including in regard to arrests at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the international community to press Israel to uphold international law and the Palestinian people’s historical rights, as well as to avoid additional bloodshed against Palestinian civilians. Qatar has reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, including the formation of an independent state based on 1967 boundaries with East Jerusalem as its capital.
South Africa
South Africa and Bolivia have broken ties with Israel, while a number of other nations have recalled their ambassadors and embassy personnel. This has set back Israel’s recent efforts to build relations with several countries that have boycotted it for decades.
United States opposes Israel’s ‘reoccupation’ of Gaza
The US has stated that it does not accept Israel’s “reoccupation” of Gaza, after the announcement by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his country will take “overall security responsibility” for the area.
“Generally speaking, we do not support the reoccupation of Gaza, and neither does Israel,” said State Department deputy spokeswoman Vedant Patel.
United Kingdom
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to fire Home Secretary Suella Braverman for attacking the police’s handling of a pro-Palestinian march this weekend which in the event was largely peaceful (see below).
Image used first above by nguyễn dũng from Pixabay
