Israeli bombings level buildings, target hospitals, schools, civilian infrastructure

Stop the Airstrikes! End the Zionist Occupation of Palestine!: Global unity statement by Silenced Suffering campaign signed by several rights groups*:

***

We, the organizations engaged in the Silenced Suffering campaign, condemn the indiscriminate airstrikes of the US-backed Israeli forces that are currently decimating the besieged Palestinian city of Gaza. Each of our organizations is united against the bombings and indiscriminate shelling of rural communities around the world, and the blatant destruction of civilian life and infrastructure in Gaza, the area known around the world as the “largest open air prison,” is no different.
On October 7th, Palestinian resistance fighters waged a military operation that destroyed and seized Israeli military hardware and vehicles, engaged soldiers and civilian paramilitaries within illegal Israeli settlements, and took hostages in the hopes of exchanging them for the over 5,200 Palestinian political prisoners currently held by Israel. In response, Israel declared war, mustered its troops for a ground invasion, and began airstrikes all throughout the densely urban areas of Gaza.
The airstrikes are following the usual bloody recipes of all Israeli bombing campaigns: leveling multi-storey buildings to the ground; targeting hospitals, schools, and civilian infrastructure; giving little to no warning for evacuations; and blocking all entry and exit to and from Gaza. Israel has made it clear that they will most likely send in ground troops to “destroy Hamas’ ability to govern,” suggesting that Israel will once again move in to directly occupy Gaza for the first time since 2005.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed over 5,000 people in nine different bombing campaigns since 2006. In addition, the ongoing Israeli blockade has held back much-needed supplies of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies and threatens a complete media blackout should an Israeli invasion commit further crimes against humanity. This has been possible only because of the nearly $260 billion the US has given to the Israeli military since the catastrophic Nakba conquest of Palestine by Zionist forces in 1948.
While Israel is the number one recipient of US military aid, other recipients include: the Philippines, Indonesia, West Papua, Burma, South Korea, India, and Pakistan, among others. We therefore raise our voices in collective condemnation and collective resistance with the Palestinian people in our fight to expose and oppose the hidden massacres of communities by imperialist and puppet state forces. Let us build an international united front that will fight for peoples’ rights against militarism and wars of aggression from one end of the world to the other!
Silenced Suffering calls on all organizations, rural and urban-based, to join us in building global solidarity against bombings targeted and/or indiscriminately against civilian, rural, and indigenous communities across the world. Oppressed peoples of these territories and areas who suffer the brunt of the colonizers’ and aggressors’ attacks need all the help that movements across the globe can extend. There is a pressing need to strengthen our organizations’ capacities for monitoring, reporting, and campaigning against these bombings, shellings, and airstrikes.
---

*Signed:
International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation
People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty
Asia Pacific Research Network
Resist US-Led War Movement
Karen Human Rights Group (Myanmar)
Sandugo Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples (Philippines)
Innabuyog - Alliance of Women’s Organizations in the Cordillera (Philippines)
Tanggol Magsasaka (Philippines)
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Philippines)
Arab Protection for Nature (Jordan)
Arab Network for Food Sovereignty (West Asia)
Roots for Equity (Pakistan)
Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (Pakistan)
Revolutionary Students Front (India)

Comments

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront under scrutiny after Subhash Bridge damage

By Rosamma Thomas* Large cracks have appeared on Subhash Bridge across the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, close to the Gandhi Ashram . Built in 1973, this bridge, named after Subhash Chandra Bose , connects the eastern and western parts of the city and is located close to major commercial areas. The four-lane bridge has sidewalks for pedestrians, and is vital for access to Ashram Road , Ellis Bridge , Gandhinagar and the Sabarmati Railway Station .

No action yet on complaint over assault on lawyer during Tirunelveli public hearing

By A Representative A day after a detailed complaint was filed seeking disciplinary action against ten lawyers in Tirunelveli for allegedly assaulting human rights lawyer Dr. V. Suresh, no action has yet been taken by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, according to the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

Farewell to Robin Smith, England’s Lionhearted Warrior Against Pace

By Harsh Thakor* Robin Smith, who has died at the age of 62, was among the most adept and convincing players of fast bowling during an era when English cricket was in decline and pace bowling was at its most lethal. Unwavering against the tormenting West Indies pace attack or the relentless Australians, Smith epitomised courage and stroke-making prowess. His trademark shot, an immensely powerful square cut, made him a scourge of opponents. Wearing a blue England helmet without a visor or grille, he relished pulling, hooking and cutting the quicks.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

Differences in 2002 and 2025 SIR revision procedures spark alarm in Gujarat

By A Representative Civil rights groups and electoral reform activists have raised serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Gujarat and 11 other states, alleging that the newly enforced requirements could lead to large-scale deletion of legitimate voters, particularly those unable to furnish documentation linking them to the 2002 electoral list.

From crime to verdict: The 27-year journey that 'rewarded' the destroyers of Babri Masjid

By Shamsul Islam Thirty-three years ago, on December 6, 1992, a 16th-century mosque was reduced to rubble by a frenzied mob orchestrated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its political fronts. The demolition was not a spontaneous outburst of Hindu sentiment; it was the meticulously planned culmination of a hate campaign that branded Indian Muslims as “Babur-ki-aulad” and the Babri Masjid as a symbol of historical humiliation.

Search This Blog