Gaza and Genocide

 

So South Africa has  charged genocide against Israel's war in Gaza and Israel maintains it has followed the laws of war.  Where would I weigh in?  I am inclined to agree with Kevin Drum, who says that Israel has committed war crimes, but they do not rise to the level of genocide.

Or rather, I agree, up to a point.  Israel has committed war crimes, but they do not rise to the level of genocide -- yet. Estimated dead are about 1% of the Gaza population.  Drum points out that this is all too common in major wars.  But I would add a proviso there.  Wars that kill 1% of the population are all too common.  Wars that kill 1% of the population in 100 days are a different matter.  And if this war continues for all of 2024, as Israeli leaders say they intend, then the killing could be a whole lot worse.  The Gaza war differs from any other war in memory in its geography.  A land only 25 miles long and 7 miles wide, with its borders walled in leaves no room to flee.  

Furthermore, with borders sealed off, only a trickle of aid is entering, via Egypt.  A quarter of the population is at risk for starvation.  And now Netanyahu is demanding closure of the border crossing to Egypt as a condition for ending the war.  How is one to interpret that other than a call to starve the entire population?  Netanyahu has also refused to allow displaced Gazans back into the north, saying that the area is still a war zone and not safe.  Of course, the entire strip is a war zone and not safe.  In the north, Israelis are at least claiming they can reduce the intensity of fighting.

Looking back on the earlier days of the war, many of our concerns seem almost quaint.  There was pressure for Israel not to shut off water and electricity.  Is there even a water or electric system left?  There were calls for Israel to let in fuel for desalination plants, hospitals, and bakeries.  Are there any desalination plants, hospitals or bakeries left?  Once we anxiously followed premature babies being evacuated from hospitals.  Now the only question is whether there are any functioning hospitals.

I don't know what the US is doing right now, but to my mind our focus should be simple.  We should be pressuring Israel to open up its own entries into Gaza and allow in aid -- food, water, medicine, tents, winter clothes and blankets, fuel, generators, etc etc in mass quantities.  There are no excuses.  Starvation is at hand.  It must be stopped.