Classroom massacre: Survivors say Israel executed innocents in Gaza school At least seven bodies of displaced Palestinians, including women, children and babies ‘shot point-blank’ were recovered at the Shadia Abu Ghazala School. Dozens of displaced Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on schools in Gaza [Fadi Whadi/Reuters] By Mohamed Zaanin Published On 26 Dec 2023 https://www.aljazeera.com/features/...-say-israel-executed-innocents-in-gaza-school Jabalia, Gaza Strip – Bodies were piled up instead of books in the classroom. Bullet holes pockmarked some walls. Others were charred, apparently by fire. Displaced families were sheltering in the United Nations-run Shadia Abu Ghazala School west of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza when Israeli soldiers entered the building. What followed was a massacre, according to witnesses and families of those who were killed in the early December assault. Videos and images obtained by Al Jazeera showed bodies discovered on December 13 piled up inside the school. Since then, survivors of the attack, and family members of the victims who have returned to the school to look for their loved ones, have come forward to recount the horror of those moments. Witnesses said several people, including women, children and babies, were killed execution-style by Israeli forces while they were sheltering inside the school. A father of one of the victims said he was asleep with his wife and six children when Israeli soldiers “suddenly stormed” the school. “They entered the classroom we were in and fired directly at those present without uttering a word,” he said. “They prevented me from speaking, asking questions, or commenting on anything, and every time I tried to talk to them, they silenced me,” he recalled. The man believes he was ordered to then leave the school because of his “old age”. “They expelled about 20 people from the school, stripped them of their clothes, and interrogated them,” he said. ‘Shot at directly’ The footage shows traces of blood and remnants of the victims’ belongings that were with them before they were killed, while bullets had pierced the classroom walls where bodies were found. Saeed Jumaa’s sister was among those killed along with her husband and children. Jumaa said he was able to return to check on his relatives in the school several days later when Israeli forces left, but was “shocked to find that everyone in it had been executed in a brutal manner”. “In the room were my sister’s husband and next to him, their sons Maysara and Ahmed. My sister in the corner was hugging her remaining children,” Jumaa said. Israeli forces killed them by “firing at them point-blank”, he said. Their bodies were “swollen and filled with worms”, he added. According to Jumaa, Israeli soldiers had “written something in Hebrew” on his nephew’s face. “We did not understand the meaning, and we were in a hurry to bury them days later as their bodies had decomposed,” he said. Another witness who found the bodies in the classrooms said there were no signs of a missile strike or any shells inside the classrooms, adding that the victims were “shot at directly” by ground troops. In total, at least seven bodies were found inside three different classrooms. Four were in one room, two in the second room and one was in the third. Dozens of displaced Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on schools in Gaza, including at least three in Jabalia. At least 50 people were killed in an attack on Al Fakhoura school last month. An air attack on Abu Hussein School just days later killed at least 30 people. Nearly 1.9 million people of Gaza’s total 2.3 million population have been displaced across the Strip since the start of the war, according to the United Nations. UN-run schools have become overcrowded shelters for thousands of displaced Palestinians. Many had believed that the UN designation of these buildings would keep them safe from the constant Israeli bombardment. Israel’s relentless attacks have killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian health officials. Most of those killed are children and women. Source: Al Jazeera
Keep in mind this sounds like the propaganda arm of Hamas. I don't think this is the health ministry which has reported accurate death tolls in the past:
Turkey’s Erdogan says Netanyahu no different than Hitler as Gaza is bombed The Turkish president asks if what the Israeli leader is doing in the besieged enclave is ‘any less than what Hitler did’. Erdogan’s remarks come as Turkey ratchets up criticism of Israel over the Gaza attacks [File: Brendan McDermid/Reuters] Published On 27 Dec 2023 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023...hu-no-different-than-hitler-as-gaza-is-bombed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, likening Israel’s assault on Gaza to Nazi Germany’s killing of Jews. In remarks at an awards ceremony in capital Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan asked what difference there was between Netanyahu and Hitler. Netanyahu later responded by pointing to Turkey’s own history of alleged rights abuses. “They used to speak ill of Hitler. What difference do you have from Hitler? They are going to make us miss Hitler. Is what this Netanyahu is doing any less than what Hitler did? It is not,” Erdogan said. “He is richer than Hitler, he gets the support from the West. All sorts of support comes from the United States. And what did they do with all this support? They killed more than 20,000 Gazans,” he said. Erdogan’s remarks have come as Turkey ratchets up criticism of Israel, reversing a trend of growing ties between the two nations before Israel’s assault on Gaza took a devastating humanitarian toll that has sparked outrage across the region. The Turkish leader has previously levelled harsh criticism at Netanyahu and Israel, calling Israel a “terror state” with “unlimited” Western support in November. Under Hitler’s rule, Nazi Germany embarked on an effort to systematically eliminate European Jews, killing six million through death and labour camps, mass shootings, and a variety of other methods. The Israeli prime minister later hit back at Erdogan, criticising Turkey for its own record of alleged rights abuses at home and in its conflict with Kurdish armed groups. “Erdogan, who commits genocide against the Kurds, who holds a world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his rule, is the last person who can preach morality to us,” Netanyahu said in a statement. Despite such firm criticism, Turkey has maintained commercial ties with Israel throughout its nearly three-month assault on Gaza in a “genocidal” campaign that has killed more than 21,000 people, wounded 55,000 others and displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population. Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
Search and rescue efforts for those trapped under rubble continue after Israel bombed the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza on December 25, 2023. (Photo: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images) 'This Is What the US Chose': Israel Targets Refugee Camps in Central Gaza "So long as Netanyahu faces no consequences, even more innocent civilians will face death and starvation," said one U.S. lawmaker. Jake Johnson Dec 27, 2023 https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-refugee-camps The Israeli military on Tuesday expanded its ground assault to refugee camps in central Gaza, forcing displaced people to flee in terror from an area that was once considered a relative safe zone as the rest of the strip came under near-constant bombardment. Over the weekend, U.S.-armed Israeli forces pummeled central Gaza with airstrikes, reducing the Maghazi refugee camp to ruins and killing more than 100 people in one of the deadliest bombings since the devastating military campaign began in early October. Many more people are believed to be trapped under the rubble in Maghazi. The Associated Pressreported Tuesday that the Israeli military has "ordered residents to evacuate a belt of territory the width of central Gaza, urging them to move to nearby Deir al-Balah." According to the United Nations, more than 61,000 people were sheltering in the area Israel is now targeting. "Residents of central Gaza described shelling and airstrikes shaking the Nuseirat, Maghazi, and Bureij camps," AP reported. "The built-up towns hold Palestinians driven from their homes in what is now Israel during the 1948 war, along with their descendants." One mother of four toldMiddle East Eye that she "started crying hysterically" when she heard the news that Israel had deemed areas of central Gaza battle zones and issued evacuation orders. "Where would I go with these children?" she asked. "We do not have any relatives in Deir al-Balah." Seif Magango, a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office, said in a statement Tuesday that he is "gravely concerned about the continued bombardment of Middle Gaza by Israeli forces." "It is particularly concerning that this latest intense bombardment comes after Israeli forces ordered residents from the south of Wadi Gaza to move to Middle Gaza and Tal al-Sultan in Rafah," Magango continued. "Israeli forces must take all measures available to protect civilians. Warnings and evacuation orders do not absolve them of the full range of their international humanitarian law obligations." Israel's expansion of its ground assault came days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approved a binding resolution calling for an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza and urgent steps to "create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities." An initial draft of the resolution called for an "urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities," but the U.S.—which has veto power at the UNSC—watered the measure down. The U.S. ultimately abstained from the final vote, allowing it to pass. Passage of the U.N. resolution has done nothing to deter the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from intensifying their attacks on areas packed with civilians, many of whom have been displaced multiple times in less than three months. More than 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million has been forced to flee their homes due to Israel's airstrikes and ground invasion, which began following a deadly Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Around 60% of Gaza's housing infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged by Israeli forces, leaving displaced people with nothing to return to—if they're able to return at all. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly suggested Monday that he's looking for countries to "absorb" displaced Gazans, intensifying fears that a goal of the ongoing assault on Gaza is the permanent removal of the Palestinian population. The U.S., meanwhile, has not wavered in its unconditional military support for Israel, even as the country's government has defied its meager calls for the protection of Gaza civilians. The Biden administration has reportedly delivered more than 10,000 tons of military equipment to Israel since October, including 2,000-pound bombs that Israel has dropped on densely populated areas. In a social media post on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) argued that the Biden administration's "begging Netanyahu to safeguard civilians while sending him weapons and abstaining on even the most modest U.N. resolution has failed." "So long as Netanyahu faces no consequences," Doggett added, "even more innocent civilians will face death and starvation."
Biden administration again bypasses Congress on emergency weapons sale to Israel 29 December 2023 https://www.lbc.co.uk/world-news/65f8b73b2f2d4ac9aad622ff752cc126/ The second emergency determination covers a 147 million-dollar sale of equipment needed to make the 155mm shells Israel has already bought function. For the second time this month the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel as the country continues to prosecute its war against Hamas in Gaza under increasing international criticism. The US State Department said on Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had told Congress that he had made a second emergency determination covering a 147.5 million-dollar (£115 million) sale of equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed to make the 155mm shells that Israel has already purchased function. “Given the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs, the secretary notified Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine an emergency existed necessitating the immediate approval of the transfer,” the department said. “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against the threats it faces,” it said. We continue to strongly emphasise to the government of Israel that they must not only comply with international humanitarian law, but also take every feasible step to prevent harm to civilians US State Department The emergency determination means the purchase will bypass the congressional review requirement for foreign military sales. Such determinations are rare, but not unprecedented, when administrations see an urgent need for weapons to be delivered without waiting for members’ approval. Mr Blinken made a similar decision on December 9, to approve the sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than 106 million dollars (£83 million).
Ukraine Faces Growing Calls From US to Cede Land to Russia Dec 30, 2023 By Benjamin Lynch https://www.newsweek.com/republican-jd-vance-ukraine-russia-war-1856685 A Republican senator has said Ukraine could give land to Russia in "America's best interest" to put an end to the war there. Ohio Senator J.D. Vance said it was preposterous to think that the Ukrainian military was going to force Russian troops back to the border crossed during the invasion in February 2022. Vance told CNN's State of the Union: "What's in America's best interest is to accept Ukraine is going to have to cede some territory to the Russians and we need to bring this war to a close." The Biden administration has been a staunch backer of Ukrainian efforts to repel Vladimir Putin's Russian invaders, but President Joe Biden has faced difficulty getting his latest request for funding through Congress. Newsweek contacted representatives of Vance and the White House by email on Saturday. Vance speaks to supporters at an election watch party at the Renaissance Hotel on November 8, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. He is one of a number of Republicans opposed to further aid to Ukraine. Andrew Spear/Getty Images A Republican-controlled House has not approved Biden's funding request of $106 billion, which includes $61 billion in additional aid for Ukraine. Also contained in the bill are funds for Israel and U.S. border security, a key negotiating point for Republicans. "What we're saying to the president, and really to the entire world, is you need to articulate what the ambition is; what is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn't?" Vance said. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimated that more than $79 billion in financial, humanitarian and military aid had been sent by the U.S. to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Vance isn't alone in his party. In February, Florida Representative Matt Gaetz introduced a resolution co-sponsored by 10 other House Republicans to end aid to Ukraine. Part of the frustration for conservatives is the lack of movement in the war. That is, significant numbers in aid has been sent to Ukraine, but it remains unlikely that it will become victorious against Putin's forces and push them out. Security expert Dr. Rod Thornton of the Defense Studies Department at King's College London in the U.K. told Newsweek previously that the war is expected to remain as something of a stalemate for months to come. "What we are going to end up is a frozen conflict," Thornton said. "We are going to end up with Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine and the front lines aren't going to move." ....................... The writing is on the wall! Saving Israel from sling throwing turban headed sandal wearing Ahabs is top priority. American politics is controlled by zionists and evangelical lobbyists who wilfully turn a blind eye to Right Wing Jewish corruption and who are happy to see money plowed in the direction of Israel and to starve Ukraine and the Palestinians. Also, they don't mind Russia winning, but just don't turn off any of the money taps to Israel. You can clearly see both Republicans and Democrats are easily manipulated. Supplying aid to Ukraine was never a problem until Israel got itself into trouble because of its own incompetence and apartheid behaviour.
A follow-up story from Al Monitor with more information. Israel's Netanyahu bows to far right's demands on postwar Gaza as US frustration grows Minutes before the first war cabinet meeting on the plan for the aftermath of the Gaza war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu removed the issue from the agenda. https://www.al-monitor.com/original...hts-demands-postwar-gaza-us-frustration-grows