Israel Massacres
Documenting Israeli Atrocities
Against Palestinians
October 2023 - To?
Israel’s ongoing apocalyptic military campaign against Gaza comes on top of its 75+ years of persecution, displacement, and terrorism of Palestinians.
It has resulted in mass destruction, displacement of over 90% of the Gazan population, and the deaths and maiming of tens of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children.
Below we document what many authorities are calling war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Our aim is to give a voice to the voiceless, and raise awareness of the need for international action to ensure Palestinian people are finally free of brutal occupation and colonialization.
WARNING: This website contains extremely graphic content and viewer discretion is advised.
Genocidal Intent: In Their Own Words
Senior Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister, the President, and the Minister of Defence, have publicly used dehumanizing and totalizing language about the Palestinians, signalling their intent to destroy and displace the population of Gaza, while imposing an unrelenting siege, and intentionally depriving them of the conditions of life necessary for human survival. Perhaps most disturbingly, Netanyahu cited the Biblical ‘Amalek’ story to justify the Gaza killings. The Amalek were a nation condemned to utter extermination in the Bible, as mentioned in 1 Samuel 15:3 “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
These compilations of statements from Israeli leaders and opinion shapers, both past and present, are by no means exhaustive, and reveal the genocidal intent behind the current military onslaught against the Palestinians.
Civilian Massacres: Nowhere is Safe
On October 10, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson announced dropping “hundreds of tons of bombs,” as “the emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy.” In fact, in less than one month after the onset of its bombing campaign, Israel dropped more than 25,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip, equivalent to two nuclear bombs, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.
Palestinians have been killed in their thousands, when homes, schools, hospitals, shelters, mosques, churches, refugee camps and “evacuation” routes have been mercilessly bombed. The following graphic videos and images present just a fraction of the tragic loss and suffering. Unfortunately, even day brings further similar horrific loss and limbs.
The Assessment of Experts:
Israeli War Crimes and Genocide
Leading UN figures and departments, international law experts, as well as worldwide human
rights bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have released statements
asserting that Israel is committing various war crimes against the Palestinians, ranging from
forceable transfer of the civilian population, to collective punishment, to disproportionate use
of force. Some have warned of a genocide in the making or even an actual genocide, given
the statements of intent of the Israeli leaders, combined with the total siege, destruction, and
killing on the ground.
‘This is a text-book case of genocide’
Resignation letter of Craig Mokhiber, director of the New York office of the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights.
As a human rights lawyer with more than three decades of experience in the field, I know well that the concept of genocide has often been subject to political abuse. But the current wholesale slaughter of the Palestinian people, rooted in an ethno-nationalist settler colonial ideology, in continuation of decades of their systematic persecution and purging, based entirely upon their status as Arabs, and coupled with explicit statements of intent by leaders in the Israeli government and military, leaves no room for doubt or debate. In Gaza, civilian homes, schools, churches, mosques, and medical institutions are wantonly attacked as thousands of civilians are massacred. In the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, homes are seized and reassigned based entirely on race, and violent settler pogroms are accompanied by Israeli military units. Across the land, Apartheid rules.
This is a text-book case of genocide. The European, ethno-nationalist, settler colonial project in Palestine has entered its final phase, toward the expedited destruction of the last remnants of indigenous Palestinian life in Palestine. What’s more, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, are wholly complicit in the horrific assault. Not only are these governments refusing to meet their treaty obligations “to ensure respect” for the Geneva Conventions, but they are in fact actively arming the assault, providing economic and intelligence support, and giving political and diplomatic cover for Israel’s atrocities.
atrocities.
(Letter to High Commissioner for Human Rights, 28th October)
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24103463-craig-mokhiber-resignation-letter
‘Warning of ethnic cleansing’
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.
Israel has already carried out mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians under the fog of war. Again, in the name of self-defence, Israel is seeking to justify what would amount to ethnic cleansing.
Any continued military operations by Israel have gone well beyond the limits of international law. The international community must stop these egregious violations of international law now, before tragic history is repeated. Time is of the essence. Palestinians and Israelis both
deserve to live in peace, equality of rights, dignity and freedom
(UN Press release, 14th October)
‘A genocide in the making’
UN experts call on international community to prevent genocide against the Palestinian people
Grave violations committed by Israel against Palestinians in the aftermath of 7 October, particularly in Gaza, point to a genocide in the making, UN experts said today. They illustrated evidence of increasing genocidal incitement, overt intent to “destroy the Palestinian people under occupation”, loud calls for a ‘second Nakba’ in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory, and the use of powerful weaponry with inherently indiscriminate impacts, resulting in a colossal death toll and destruction of lifesustaining infrastructure.
(UN Press release, 16th November)
‘Collective punishment of Gazans is a war crime’
Amnesty and Human Rights Watch
“The collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population amounts to a war crime – it is cruel and inhumane.” (Amnesty International press release, October 12th)
“The Israeli government’s disproportionate response – it has cut water, food, fuel and electricity to the more than 2.2 million people living in Gaza – constitutes an act of collective punishment, which is also a war crime” (Human Rights Watch letter to EU foreign ministers on Gaza, November 8th)
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/08/human-rights-watch-letter-eu-foreign-ministers-gaza
Palestinian Steadfastness: Strength Through Faith
Having already endured years of living in the largest open-air prison in the world that is Gaza, the Palestinians have now had to experience further displacement, destruction of their properties, and the loss of multiple family members in the indiscriminate bombing campaign, Nevertheless, inspired by their faith, they have remained steadfast and resilient in the face of such adversity, refusing to be cowered and determined to stand firm on their land.
The videos in this section inspire us to have hope with them, despite the desperation of the situation.
