As you read this report, that Gaza is now uninhabitable, recall the Israeli statements & conduct that South Africa's ICJ application referred to. This report also confirms the urgency cited by South Africa for issuing provisional measures against Israel's genocide
Remember that making Gaza uninhabitable was a war aim. How do we know? Israeli generals involved in the fighting said it on Israeli TV ("fallow land", "scorched earth"). Here is how South Africa quotes them in the ICJ application 2/7
In addition to genocidal intent, as South Africa shows, Israels' pattern of conduct shows a genocidal intent. The "evacuation" orders and the massive destruction makes large parts of Gaza unliveable. 3/7
The UN now says that food insecurity in Gaza is "the highest levels.. ever recorded”. Thus, South Africa was right to list this as part of genocidal actions. 4/7
In reaction to the ICJ application, Israel now says that it will emphasise it allowed humanitarian aid. But South Africa already anticipated this, emphasising both that it pales compared to what is needed, and continuing the military actions inhibits it. UN agrees. 5/7
Some Israeli legal scholars defend Israel on the grounds that not all of the alleged instances of actions & statements, that South Africa cites, are necessarily genocidal. But South Africa already replied to this: not all of them need to be for the Court to issue an order. 6/7
This Guardian report, then, confirms the urgency that South Arica cited in its ICJ application for Provisional Measures. Let us hope the ICJ rises to the challenge. 7/7
Recall also that Israeli TV commentators, like South Africa, have understood Israel's actions in Gaza to mean that it seeks to make it uninhabitable. Here is a reminder 8/8
UN Commission: “There is no escape from the conclusion that Israel has employed sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians to terrorise them and perpetuate a system of oppression that undermines their right to self-determination.” ohchr.org/en/press-relea…
"Specific forms of sexual and gender-based violence – such as forced public stripping and nudity, sexual harassment including threats of rape, as well as sexual assault – comprise part of the Israeli Security Forces’ standard operating procedures toward Palestinians."
"Other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, including rape and violence to the genitals, were committed either under explicit orders or with implicit encouragement by Israel’s top civilian and military leadership, the report said."
It is welcome that @genocide_watch joins the increasing consensus that recognises that Israel is committing genocide. For an organisation committed to "prevention" the statement comes a year late. 2/
2nd problem is that it (a) asserts without evidence, citing in a link a propaganda group (the Defamation League!) that Hamas' intent is to destroy the "Jewish people"; (b) borrows from Netanyahu's propaganda is the reference to "existential threat". Yet: 3/
As Israel continues its genocidal attack on North Gaza and burns Kamal Adwan hospital. Here is a reminder of the AP report in Nov on Israel's attacks on hospitals and the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry in Oct. re systematic attack on health care: 1/5
"The AP spent months gathering accounts of the raids on al-Awda, Indonesian and Kamal Adwan Hospitals... It found that Israel has presented little or even no evidence of a significant Hamas presence..." 2
The UN Commission of Inquiry (October): "The Commission finds that Israel has implemented a concerted policy to destroy the health-care system of Gaza... collective punishment..." 3
To recap: we have now at least 3 reports based on Israeli soldiers' testimonies that say that Israel's numbers about "combatants" killed are fabricated: 1/4