The IDF launched "Operation Protective Edge" on the 8th of July, more than a month ago. The operation involved shelling and a ground offensive.
More than 1800 people have died in Gaza, 3 civilians have died in Israel. 64 members of the IDF have died.
The UN estimate that more than 68% of the Palestinian dead are civilians, including 377 children and 196 women. The UN says that 2744 children have been injured - and they're referring to war wounds, not bruises. But what do these statistics mean?
Sadly, I feel that these numbers do not do justice to those dead and injured children - those children were not terrorists... perhaps their siblings or relatives may become terrorists in response to the grief they are carrying.
Children were playing on Gaza beach and were hit by a shell. They were playing on a beach. That's a disturbing mental image. When you see pictures of tiny corpses wrapped in cloth or children with shrapnel wounds and missing limbs. That is disturbing footage. And when I think of how many families in Gaza must be in anguish - how many mothers have held their baby's corpses? How many father's have lost their sons? How many children have lost their siblings? That is a disturbing reality, one which has compelled me to write this entry.
I have an 8 year old sister. If she died of an illness I would be distraught. However if she was murdered while she was playing in the park, I'm not even sure how I would feel - how can I guess how I would I feel in that situation? And I can only think that my mother would breakdown. Yet the appalling truth is that many people have numbed themselves to the suffering of the Palestinians.
I've stumbled across some deplorable justifications for the actions of the IDF in Gaza on social media and in articles. I'll run through a few and give my blunt opinion on them:
1) "Civilian casualties are a reality of warfare". These people are dressing up the phrase "shit happens". They're forgetting another reality: that Gaza is a strip of land - (hence Gaza strip) densely populated and can simply not be shelled without civilian casualties. The actions of the IDF have proven that the Israeli government are indifferent to the death of civilians in Gaza.
2) "There are far more people dying in conflicts within Arab countries such as Syria". Since when was it a contest? This opinion confuses me. It reminds of me of the debate around drug abuse, for instance heroin overdoses. Someone might say: "Well, far more people are dying from alcohol poisoning". That doesn't mean that heroin overdoses aren't an issue! What is that person suggesting: that it's worse to die from alcohol poisoning? Or maybe that alcohol poisoning is a "bigger" issue based on the number of deaths? To simply dismiss the conflict in Gaza is an insult to the civilians (many of whom were children) who have died there.
3) "The IDF's actions were justified - Hamas were firing rockets into Israel". It is true that Hamas were firing rockets into Israel. 3 Israeli citizens were killed by Hamas rockets and the lives of Israeli citizens were disrupted by rocket alarms. But does that justify the murder of 377 children? Does that justify injuring 2744 children? Can the murder of children ever be justified?? Those children weren't firing the rockets, and those injured (war wounds, not bruises) kids might not even have homes to return to... IDF shells killed those children. Was the IDF response proportionate? Does the IDF have the right to repeatedly violate UN resolutions?
A few interesting facts, people and perspectives:
The US government gave the IDF $8.5 million per day of 2013.
Gerald Kaufman - Jewish Labour MP , very heavy in his criticism of the Israeli government but not without a degree of validity
Gideon Levy - an Israeli journalist