Israel's 'war crime': 18,000 children died not just from bomb explosions but also starvation

By Sandeep Pandey*

Last year 6 years old Madiha was a guest during Diwali at our home in Lucknow. Listening to the sound of fire crackers bursting outside she remarked, ‘It appears as if we’re in Gaza.’ She has probably no idea of the extent of damage and loss of life that has taken place in Palestine but can relate to sound of crackers as bombs exploding over Gaza.

She will be sad to know that about 18,000 children have died over the last year out of over 42,000 killed, which is more than 40%, not just from bomb explosions which she can imagine but also from starvation.

Israel is not engaged just in a war, it is committing war crimes, violating all norms of a war. It has bombed hospitals, refugee camps and choked life saving supplies including food to Palestinians. If it was any other country which did not have the tacit and overt support of United States and its allies, it would have been tried for war crimes.

US and the western countries are as much guilty of ignoring war crimes as Israel is of committing them, for it is they who can bring pressure on Israel to end this war. But they are not doing it. They are debating whether it is ‘genocide’ yet or not. The actual number of people killed is by some estimates more than double of above-mentioned.

Some people are already calling it a holocaust. What the Germans did to Jews cannot become a justification for Jews committing the same crime against Palestinians. Israel is trying to erase the existence of Palestine but the Palestinians are valiantly fighting back. In this fight for survival they are supported by Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Most other counties are either supporting Israel or are silent. India is uncertain.

It stands with the Israeli government but doesn’t want to be seen as supporting the massacre of Palestinians. South Africa demonstrated rare moral uprightness in today’s warped world of geo-politics by taking Israel to the International Court of Justice.

Hamas and Hezbollah are described as terrorist organisations whereas both contest elections. In 2006 Hamas won the mandate to rule Palestine but was prevented from forming government in West Bank.

Hezbollah has representation in the Lebanese Parliament. It is unclear why they are described as terrorist organisations? If it is because they carry out attacks then how are the armies of elected governments any different?

In the current war itself Israel has killed many more the number of times of people Hamas may have killed in its entire history.

Hamas abducted close to 250 Israelis on 7 October, 2023, which cannot be justified in any way. But what justification can be there for over 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, most of them totally innocent? How are they any different from hostages?

Banning UNRWA would be disastrous especially for Palestinian children, who would be denied life saving support and would be left to die

Considering that Palestine is surrounded on all sides by Israel and the only crossing into Egypt, Rafa is now closed, Palestine is often described as world’s largest open jail. If number of people killed in an attack is a criteria for describing an attack as ‘terrorist,’ then world’s biggest terrorist attack would be the bombing of Hiroshima.

The U.S. has till date not apologised for Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings. So, it is a coloured perspective. Merely, because it controls the United Nations, the crimes of U.S. and its allies are ignored and much smaller state and non-state groups who are aligned against the U.S. interests are described as ‘terrorists.’

Now Israel is trying to ban United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which was created to cater to the over 7,00,000 Palestinian refugees who were evicted from their homes in 1948 and their descendants continue to live in refugees camps. One of the recent Israeli attack has been on the Jabalia refugee camp in north Gaza.

UNRWA employs 30,000 Palestinians to carry out its relief work related to health, education, development, etc., out of which Israel has submitted a document on 12 individuals accusing them of having participated in the 7 October attack last year and it claims that about 190 of them are associated with Hamas.

UNRWA after carrying out its investigation terminated the services of 9 personnel.

But it is ridiculous that on the pretext of a some undesirable elements who might have infiltrated the agency, Israeli government is bent upon demonising an entire international agency as a supporter of terrorism. It has scant regard for the UN or its Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, exhibiting arrogant tendencies.

The effect of banning UNRWA would be disastrous as number of Palestinians, especially children, would be denied life saving support and would be left to die. Israel is finding every way in which it can harm the Palestinians. When will the so called progressive democracies of the world decide to bell the cat? Has not enough human rights violation already taken place?

---

*General Secretary, Socialist Party (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.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

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...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Adani Group declares it will "self-finance" Australian coal mining project: Traditional group registers fresh opposition

By A Representative The controversial Adani Group's Carmichael coal mine and rail project in Queensland, Australia, will be "100% financed" through the Group’s own resources, Adani, Mining CEO Lucas Dow has said. A South Asia Times, Melbourne, report has quoted Dow as saying in Queensland, “We have already invested $3.3 billion in Adani’s Australian businesses, which is a clear demonstration of our capacity to deliver a financing solution for the revised scope of the mine and rail project." Dow Pointing out that "the project stacks up both environmentally and financially", he added, "Today’s announcement removes any doubt as to the project stacking up financially... The Carmichael Project will deliver more than 1,500 direct jobs on the mine and rail projects during the initial ramp-up and construction phase, and will support thousands more indirect jobs, all of which will benefit regional Queensland communities.” The project faces fierce opposition ...

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu* There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...

Job opportunities decreasing, wages remain low: Delhi construction workers' plight

By Bharat Dogra* It was about 32 years back that a hut colony in posh Prashant Vihar area of Delhi was demolished. It was after a great struggle that the people evicted from here could get alternative plots that were not too far away from their earlier colony. Nirmana, an organization of construction workers, played an important role in helping the evicted people to get this alternative land. At that time it was a big relief to get this alternative land, even though the plots given to them were very small ones of 10X8 feet size. The people worked hard to construct new houses, often constructing two floors so that the family could be accommodated in the small plots. However a recent visit revealed that people are rather disheartened now by a number of adverse factors. They have not been given the proper allotment papers yet. There is still no sewer system here. They have to use public toilets constructed some distance away which can sometimes be quite messy. There is still no...

Breathless in Delhi: Lives lost while governments trade blame

By Sunil Kumar* The world today is battling the grave threat of climate change . If this crisis deepens further, it may endanger the very survival of humanity. Even imperial powers express concern—though largely to shift responsibility onto others. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-30), held in Belém, Brazil from November 10–21, ended without concrete results, despite coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement . India strongly argued that developed nations should not expect developing countries to compensate for their own failures, since they are the historical and primary contributors to carbon emissions. This was precisely why countries like the United States chose not to participate.

Search This Blog