Dahr Jamail: The Monstrosity of War

[WilliamPitt]

Civilian deaths increase as Israel moves deeper into Gaza. (Photo: Abid Katib / Getty Images Europe)

The Monstrosity of War
By Dahr Jamail
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Tuesday 06 January 2009

"Foreseen for so many years: these evils, this monstrous violence, these massive agonies: no easier to bear."

-Robinson Jeffers, American poet

Agence France-Presse reports that the first person killed when the Israeli military began to enter Gaza on Saturday was a Palestinian child.

On Sunday, a Palestinian woman and her four children were blown to pieces when Israeli warplanes bombed their home. They are among the 521 victims (at the time of this writing) of the ongoing air and ground assault on the Gaza Strip by a 9,000 strong force, which the Israeli government has launched on one of the most densely populated tracts of land in the world, home to 1.5 million Palestinians, half of them under 17 years of age.

"The ground invasion was preceded by large scale artillery shelling from around 4 P.M., intended to 'soften' the targets as artillery batteries deployed along the Strip in recent days began bombarding Hamas targets and open areas near the border," Israel's Haaretz newspaper wrote of the onslaught. "Hundreds of shells were fired, including cluster bombs aimed at open areas."

Israel began the military assault on Gaza on November 4, breaking the truce that Hamas had observed for many months. It went on to block food supplies to be delivered into Gaza by the UN Relief Works and World Food Program. The next casualty was the crucial fuel delivery service used to run Gaza's power plant. Finally, Israel banned journalists and aid workers from entering Gaza.

It is important to note that in mid-December, during a visit to Israel, UN Human Rights Investigator Richard Falk called the Israeli blockade of Gaza "a crime against humanity" and a "flagrant and massive violation of international law."

Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University and United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, urged the UN to invoke "the agreed norm of a responsibility to protect a civilian population being collectively punished by policies that amount to a Crime Against Humanity." Falk also called for an International Criminal Court investigation of Israeli military and civilian officials for potential prosecution.

For this, he was detained at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport for 20 hours before being expelled from Israel.

As Israeli tanks and ground troops pour into Gaza to engage in the worst kind of combat (should we even measure types of warfare against one another?), urban warfare, the atrocities on both sides continue, and one may assume that the situation will only worsen with time, as it inevitably does in progressive stages of war.

"Operation Cast Lead" as Israel's latest offensive is named, has claimed, since December 27, over 520 Palestinian lives. Gaza medical officials put the number of wounded at over 2,400, most of them civilians.

Hamas rockets have killed five Israelis, one of them a soldier and four of them civilians. As with Israeli attacks that kill and wound Palestinian civilians are a war crime, Hamas firing their grossly inaccurate rockets into Israel, which then wound and kill Israeli civilians, is also a war crime.

The rest: http://www.truthout.org/010609A

[bigtree]

1. .

[Idealism]

2. Here is a chart of diesel allowed into Gaza in the last two months

?t=1231271851

Well below even the Israeli Supreme Court mandated levels.

http://www.gisha.org/index.php?intLanguage=2&intItemId=1429&intSiteSN=113

News Release, Sunday, January 4, 2009-For Immediate Release

Following prevention of fuel supplies, destruction of electricity lines:
Gaza Electricity, Water and Sewage Systems on Verge of Collapse

· 7 of 12 power lines damaged à 75% of Gaza's electricity cut off.
· Gaza City, including Shifa Hospital, entirely without electricity.
· Over half a million residents cut off from water supply.
· Sewage spilling into streets, risk of more flooding.
· No fuel permitted into Gaza since start of military operation.

Gaza's water and sewage system is on the verge of collapse following bombardments that have destroyed electricity lines and months of preventing fuel supplies needed to produce electricity,utility officials in Gaza warned today. 75% of Gaza's electricity has been cut off, just as hospitals, water wells, and other humanitarian institutions most need electricity to treat casualties of the fighting and provide basic necessities to civilians. Hospitals, including Gaza's main Shifa Hospital, are struggling to function under 24-hour per day power outages.
As of yesterday, all Gaza City and most of the Northern Area are without electricity and there is limited electricity in Rafah, following attacks yesterday that shut down 6 of 10 power lines from Israel and 1 of 2 power lines from Egypt. Gaza City's local power plant shut down Dec. 30, after months in which Israel prevented supplies of industrial diesel needed to generate electricity. No fuel has been permitted into Gaza since the military operation began on Dec. 27. The Gaza Strip is currently receiving just 25% of its total electricity need of 240 MW. Palestinian technicians cannot reach the damaged lines because of the military attacks; other repairs must be made on the Israeli side.
Maher Najjar, Deputy Director of Gaza's water utility (CMWU), warned that 48 of Gaza's 130 water wells are not working at all due to lack of electricity and damage to the pipes. At least 45 additional water wells are operating only partially and will shut down within days without additional supplies of fuel and electricity. Well over half a million people are entirely cut off from supply of water, and the rest are in danger of losing water supply within days. In addition, sewage is flooding into populated areas, farmland, and the sea, after 5 of Gaza's 37 wastewater pumping stations shut down due to lack of electricity. The remaining 32 stations, operating only partially, will shut down within 3-4 days if they don't receive more fuel.
According to Mr. Najjar, CMWU: "The water and sewage system in Gaza is collapsing, cutting people off from water supply and causing sewage to flood the streets."
According to Shifa Hospital, fuel reserves for back-up generators will run out by the end of the week. The generators are insufficient to heat the wards or properly operate oxygen machines. The hospital has had no electricity for the past 48 hours.
According to Nidal Toman, Engineer and Project Manager for GEDCO, Gaza's electricity company, Israel has yet to coordinate repair of the lines or approve the entrance of necessary spare parts: "Eight months ago we made an orderly request for … spare parts. The order was paid in full. For the past eight months, the parts have been stuck in Ashdod Port and Karni Crossing, but Israel adamantly refused to allow them into Gaza," said Mr. Toman.
According to Gisha Director Sari Bashi: "How many civilians must go without water and how many hospital patients must go without electricity before Israel recognizes the humanitarian crisis and restores fuel and electricity supply?"
Israel has deliberately restricted fuel supplies into Gaza since October 2007 and especially since November 4, 2008, despite repeated calls by human rights groups to restore supply. The groups have claimed that under international law and Israel precedent, Israel must take responsibility for the welfare of the civilian population suffering from the effects of the military attacks. For details on fuel supply restrictions into Gaza and a protest from human rights groups, click http://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/Press%20Materials/HR%20groups%20-%20resumption%20of%20gaza%20fuel%20supplies%201-1-09%20-%20online%20version.pdf">here.

[laststeamtrain]

3. K & R - Everything Israel does is seen as something the US does.

It's not because the Palestinians are stupid, it's because they're smart.

There may be no ultimate solution but that's no reason not to try to minimize the blood shed.

The US must try to be a fair broker.

There's your legacy right there.

[Gregorian]

4. Militaries are something to eliminate, not enlarge.

And of course it is well known that civilians are part of the mess.

Why are people so stupid? War, and the cost of maintaining militaries to fight them, are counterproductive to everything we elect governments to do for us.

Just remember people, this planet is finite.

[WilliamPitt]

5. .

[sinkingfeeling]

6. In 1967 I admired Israel and how swiftly they defeated much greater numbers. Over the years,

watching them building their 'settlements' on occupied land, segregating the Palestinians and treating them worse than animals, I've changed my mind. Both the US and Israel believe they are protected by 'god' and need not follow the rules established for others nor international law.