JACKSON: Keep your eyes on Gaza
As we continue to process the victory of President-elect Donald J. Trump, I urge you not to lose sight of the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur for the UN on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 and human rights expert, has indicated that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Her report last month solidified these claims.
"There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide…has been met," she said in front of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March.
At this time, at least 43,712 people, including 16,765 children, have been killed. Approximately 70 percent of Palestinians killed were women and children, and 80 percent were killed in residential housing, indicating a clear violation of the international laws of proportionality and civilian distinction.
It is difficult to imagine how the situation in Gaza could get worse, but I am sickened by how it has.
In mid-October, the Israeli military launched an offensive in northern Gaza, attacking the Jabalia refugee camp, where thousands were trapped, 90 were wounded and 22 were killed. This attack shows once again the Palestinians are not safe anywhere in Gaza.
On October 13, President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s administration issued an ultimatum to Israel requiring an increase in the humanitarian aid flowing to Gaza or risk the withholding of military aid from the U.S., with a deadline of 30 days.
In this letter, Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanded that at least 350 trucks carrying humanitarian aid be allowed into Gaza daily. Halfway through this 30-day period, only 71 humanitarian aid trucks were brought into Gaza per day.
Why would the Israeli government listen to the Biden administration? When the Israeli military launched an assault on Rafah this past May, which Biden stated would be a red line, the administration momentarily withheld high payload munitions but quickly approved the transfer of $1 billion in weapons to Israel.
The Biden administration has consistently failed to hold the Israeli government responsible for the atrocities it has committed in Gaza.
As Israel attacks and kills Palestinians, it is increasingly attempting to resettle Gaza. At a conference in late October, far-right Israeli groups stated the necessity to permanently occupy the Gaza Strip, where their government is carrying out a genocide.
Perhaps most concerning is that several government members, including the finance and national security minister, attended this event. This event was protested by some Israelis who just want the war to end. Despite protests, high-ranking officials still support settling in Gaza. Let us not forget the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
While many preached in the early days of the war that Israel would leave Gaza, it has become increasingly clear that they will not.
At the end of October, the Knesset voted to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which provides food, healthcare and protection to two million Palestinians living in Gaza.
The United Nations calls the outlawing of UNRWA "unlawful" and an act of "collective punishment." One of the few avenues of support for Palestinians has been disrupted, exacerbating the already lethal conditions in Gaza.
On November 8, the Famine Review Committee warned that famine is imminent in northern Gaza, resulting from population displacement, scarcity of humanitarian aid and destruction of healthcare infrastructure. This situation requires immediate action, namely the increase of aid trucks into northern Gaza, which has been drastically reduced.
Leaders in the Israeli military falsely claim that there are no civilians left in northern Gaza, meaning no humanitarian aid is needed. In a statement to the Israeli press, an Israeli military general explained that the military is close to completing a full-scale evacuation of northern Gaza and that these residents will not be allowed back. While these statements have been walked back, it is an admission that Gazans are being systematically dispossessed.
While many different tragic events are occurring across Gaza, the key is that as Palestinians, especially in the northern region, are assaulted, starved and killed, the Israeli government continues to take actions that exacerbate Palestinian suffering.
The Biden administration's deadline is this week, yet there is no indication of change by the Israeli government. Since this administration has consistently failed to hold the Israeli government accountable, I have little hope that this will be different.
The incoming Trump administration will certainly only lead to greater support of the Israeli government. Though Trump has only given vague statements about bringing the Israel-Hamas War to an end, his usage of "Palestinian" as a slur during a debate with Biden and his promise to deport American pro-Palestinian advocates demonstrates the Islamophobic values and beliefs that his administration will bring.
I beg you to keep your eyes on Gaza. Now is not the time to look away. In the final months of the Biden administration, keep challenging the indiscriminate support of Israel's genocide by calling your elected officials, joining protests and using your voice.
At the very least, bear witness as an act of resistance to the oppressive forces exploiting our short attention spans.
Kate Jackson is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in history and minoring in critical intelligence studies. Her column, "Writer's Block," runs on alternate Thursdays.
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