Gaza: A Brief Modern History Outline

Pre-1917 - Gaza part of the Ottoman Empire

1917 - Gaza conquered by British Army and subsequently becomes part of Mandate Palestine

1948 - Gaza conquered by Egypt and is ruled under a military governor. 

1948-1956 - Gaza is main base for Fedyeen terrorists infiltrating Israel

1956-1957 - Gaza is briefly under Israel military occupation

1967 - Gaza is militarily occupied by Israel following Egyptian initation of hostilities

2005 - Israeli Disengagement of total withdrawal from Gaza

2006 - Operation Summer Rains

2007 - Hamas assume Gaza governorship

2008 - Operation Hot Winter

2008/9 - Operation Cast Lead

2012 - Operation Pillar of Defense

2014 - Operation Protective Edge

2021 - Operation Guardian of the Walls

2023 - Swords of Iron War

Kalman Liebskind on the Media

Excerpted in translation from Kalman Liebskind's column of September 6, 2024 entitled "Who Do You Hate More? Sinwar or Netanyhau?"

"Our mainstream press mentions the same Sanhedrin court. In almost every important issue on the agenda, there are no disputes, there are no arguments for and against. Everyone thinks the same. Everyone talks the same. And as a citizen - not as a journalist, just as a citizen - it's scary. Because in the weighty issues on our agenda, it cannot be that in every discussion between the right and the left and between the opposition and the coalition, one side is always right and one side is always wrong.

And in our case, it is impossible to take seriously a press that proceeds entirely from the premise that its side - the one that seeks to fully accept Hamas's demands - is the just one, the humane one, the one that cares for the abductees, and the other side - the one that demands to be insistent with Hamas and not yield - is made up of a collection of heartless people who are not interested in the fate of the abductees and all that matters to them in life is that Netanyahu remains in power.

This week, Shmuel Rosner and the Jewish People's Policy Institute published a survey conducted immediately after the announcement of the murder of the six abductees. Two positions were presented to the respondents regarding the abductees deal, and they were asked to answer which of them was closer to their own position. 49% of the Jews answered that "Israel must not relinquish control of the Philadelphi corridor, even if because of this there would be no kidnapping deal." 43% answered that "Israel should give up control of the Philadelphi corridor to allow a deal to release hostages." 

Leave the nuances for a moment. Leave aside the fact that Hamas did not respond positively to the deal in question. Let alone the fact that the terrorist organization is not satisfied with the Philadelphi corridor but wants many other important things. Leave aside the fact that we have seen different and varied polls in their results, to a large extent depending on the poll taker and the wording of the questions. Also leave aside the question of what you would answer if you yourselves were asked.

The results of all the surveys, and as mentioned, regardless of their exact bottom line, show that there is a serious disagreement in Israeli society on the question of the right price to pay in the deal. And the fact that the media, which are supposed to reflect this controversy, make sure not to do so, and conduct aggressive propaganda in favor of one position and the complete delegitimization of the other position - is nothing but a professional crime.

Because what is happening these days in the media is something that even I, whose opinion on the Israeli press I have been posting here for many years, have not seen for a very long time. Everything is allowed. Everything is normal. The red lines, if there were any, were completely erased. One by one, all the reporters, moderators, presenters and commentators stepped forward and explained, some with blunt words and some with even more blunt words, that the Israeli government was to blame. A brutal terrorist organization is massacring innocent Jews, and the Israeli press places all the blame on its own government. Hamas's job is to murder us, our own job is to submit to all of its demands, and if we don't do it, fully - it is quite clear that our hands are covered in blood. We have a government of traitors, we have a government of murderers, we have a government of the irresponsible, we have a government that Hamas was willing to do anything to free its abductees, but it stubbornly says no. I ask seriously: what is the difference between the position of the leader of Hamas, and the position voiced this week by our current affairs broadcasts?

And this is not new. Our press has failed miserably in its almost singular role in every contact we have had with the enemy in recent decades. In the Oslo agreement, in the withdrawal from Lebanon, in the Disengagement, in the Shalit deal. In all these events, which ended in rivers of Jewish blood, there was no press that asked questions, there was no press that demanded answers, there was no press that raised doubts, there was no press that criticized.

I know the constant responses that come whenever I make claims of this kind, responses that wonder "why do you deal with the press all the time?". The answer is simple. Because I believe in the role of journalism and its power to correct, check, investigate, monitor, and prevent disasters before they occur. And in all these respects, Israel has no press. There is a huge collection of people with political positions, legitimate positions, of course, who flock like a herd after every political step that fits their agenda without stopping for a moment and without doing their job.

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Let's Go Back A Year

Using the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, which is part of the Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center, the government institution for commemorating the legacy of the Israeli intelligence community, I went back to the end of August 2023 to see and be reminded what was the situation, as regards open intelligence, of the events leading to the Hamas attack on October 7.

Aug. 30-Sept 5

The Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to develop and improve their rocket systems. An attempt to smuggle explosives from the Gaza Strip to Judea and Samaria was foiled. For the third consecutive week, Palestinians demonstrated at the border security fence. The national authority for return marches in the Gaza Strip has begun rebuilding the return camps and preparing them for the possible renewal of the marches. The leaders of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) met in Beirut with the Iranian foreign minister and Hezbollah’s secretary general.

Sept. 6-12

On the eve of the Jewish High Holidays, the Israeli media reported that senior IDF officers warned Hamas through intermediaries not to engage in escalation. Hamas denied the reports and emphasized it would continue to fight Israel in every arena.

On September 12, 2023, the joint operations room of the military-terrorist wings of the Palestinian organizations held its fourth “military” maneuver, which included live fire, rocket launches towards the sea and a simulated attack on an Israeli position. Hamas banned protest demonstrations near the security fence after that became a condition for the resumption of activity at the Kerem Shalom Crossing, which was suspended after an attempt to smuggle weapons. The chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza participated in the negotiations for reopening the crossing.

Sept. 13-20

This past week riots were renewed along the Gaza border, and Palestinians threw IEDs and hand grenades, burned tires and launched incendiary balloons. One Palestinian was killed by IDF forces in the southern Gaza Strip and five others were killed by an explosive device in the eastern Gaza Strip before it could be thrown at Israeli soldiers. The apparent cause of the riots was the breakdown of talks between Mohammed al-Emadi, chairman of Qatar’s National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, and the Hamas leadership regarding the amount of Qatar’s financial support for the Gaza Strip, and other excuses included the arrival of Jewish worshipers at the Temple Mount compound on Rosh Hashanah and the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Following the riots the Erez Crossing remained closed to laborers and businessmen who wanted to enter Israel.

Sept. 20-27

This past week violent clashes continued along the border security fence in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians shot at IDF forces and threw IEDs. The number of incendiary balloons launched at the Israeli communities near the border rose, causing several fires. In response, the IDF attacked several Hamas positions near the Gaza border. Several boats sailed from Gaza port in a staged “protest flotilla.” Israel left the Erez crossing closed to the entry of Palestinian workers into Israel (a situation which has lasted more than 12 days). International and Arab efforts at mediation have yet to bear fruit. Reports continue about the Hamas administration’s severe financial hardship.

A meeting was held in Beirut by the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the deputy secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). They expressed support and pride for the activities and attacks of the “resistance” [terrorist attacks] in Judea and Samaria and emphasized the importance of escalation and armed “resistance” [terrorism] against Israel.

Were there indications that Hamas was deterred? 

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What Happened to the Starvation? And the Famine and Malnutrition?

On March 18, 2024, an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) was published.

It read:

The IPC acute food insecurity analysis conducted in December 2023 warned of a risk that Famine may occur by the end of May 2024 if an immediate cessation of hostilities and sustained access for the provision of essential supplies and services to the population did not take place. Since then, the conditions necessary to prevent famine have not been met and the latest evidence confirms that Famine is imminent in the northern governorates and projected to occur anytime between mid-March and May 2024.

According to the most likely scenario, both North Gaza and Gaza Governorates are classified in IPC Phase 5 (Famine) with reasonable evidence, with 70% (around 210,000 people) of the population in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe)...The famine threshold for household acute food insecurity has already been far exceeded and, given the latest data showing a steeply increasing trend in cases of acute malnutrition, it is highly likely that the famine threshold for acute malnutrition has also been exceeded. The upward trend in non-trauma mortality is also expected to accelerate, resulting in all famine thresholds likely to be passed imminently.

The southern governorates of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, and the Governorate of Rafah, are classified in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). However, in a worst-case scenario, these governorates face a risk of Famine through July 2024.The entire population in the Gaza Strip (2.23 million) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity. 

The IPC latest report, published June 4 reads (FRC=Famine Review Committee):

The FRC does not find the FEWS NET analysis plausible given the uncertainty and lack of  convergence of the supporting evidence employed in the analysis. Therefore, the FRC is unable to make a determination as to whether or not famine thresholds have been passed during April. As the FRC does not find the FEWS NET analysis plausible for the current period, the FRC is unable to endorse the IPC Phase 5 (Famine) classification for the projection period. However, this FEWS NET projection is in line with the FRC projection done in March 2024, which has not yet been updated.

In other words, there is no starvation, nor famine nor malnutrition in Gaza.

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How Many? (Or, Gaza Arithmetic)

How many casualties are there amongst Gaza's population?

It depends.

At the New School last week, it was up to 40,000 dead.

Ken Roth has it as more than 34,000 and 77,700 injured.

UN data suggests large revision in Gaza war casualty figures. In reports released on May 6 and 8, previous estimates based on info provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, the Government Media Office in Gaza, and Israel were seemingly halved. On May 6, the UN disclosed that 34,735 individuals had reportedly lost their lives in Gaza, with over 9,500 women and over 14,500 children among the reported casualties. However, just two days later, on May 8, revised figures showed a total of 34,844 fatalities, including 4,959 women and 7,797 children.

Then again, the UN Halves Its Estimate of Women and Children Killed in Gaza.

At OCHA on May 10, one can read that "Between 7 October 2023 and 9 May 2024, at least 34,904 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 78,514 Palestinians were injured, according to MoH in Gaza."

Yesterday, the BBC reported that "more than 34,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry."

Reuters, today, reads: "The Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 35,000, according to Gaza health officials who fear many more bodies are lost under the rubble."

According to UPI, "The death toll in Gaza has since surpassed 35,000 people, according to Gazan health officials, who claim many of the victims are women and children."

And today, AP reads similarly: "Israel’s offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza."

However, are those figures reliable?

Are they statistically possible?

Could there be flaws?

Has the data been reviewed and checked?

Are perhaps they are faked?

Maybe there's no evidence of errors?

What's really going on?

They a scam?

Perhaps manipulated?

Wait. Is this an old story?

And why is it important?

UPDATE:

UN blames ‘fog of war’ for major overcounting of Gazan child deaths

And Israel's official estimation: in excess of 14,000 terrorists; 16,000 civilians

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Jews in Ottoman Gaza

 From this article:

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Being a Torah-Licensed Scoundrel

In Volume 53, Issue 1 of European Judaism, Jeremy Schonfield published Kaddish for Gaza

Some Liturgical Ground Clearing. Schonfield views the recital by young Jews of the Mourners’ Kaddish for Palestinians shot while trying to break through the border as being a misunderstanding about the different ways Kaddish is used in Traditional and Progressive contexts. Mourners’ Kaddish is, of course, for deceased relatives and he questions whether the reciting was appropriate as none of the Gaza victims were Jewish and whose intentions were uncertain.

But he has an alternative recital: an act of text study could have been used to highlight moral ambiguity, followed by Kaddish de-Rabbanan, the traditional coda to a study session. This would have avoided offence to Muslims and to Jews, and have ensured that the act of reciting Kaddish refers in this case not to the dead but to the moral problems raised by their killing. The article relates to a 2018 event and 

questions the appropriateness of reciting Mourners’ Kaddish for the Gaza victims, none of whom were Jewish and whose intentions were uncertain. Instead, an act of text study could have been used to highlight moral ambiguity, followed by Kaddish de-Rabbanan, the traditional coda to a study session. This would have avoided offence to Muslims and to Jews, and have ensured that the act of reciting Kaddish refers in this case not to the dead but to the moral problems raised by their killing.

Schonfield is a professor at Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and Lecturer in Liturgy at Leo Baeck College, London and scion to an orthodox rabbinical family. He, then, would know what is is to be a scoundrel with a Torah license (or with the permission of).

He factually describes the action of the Gazan Arabs as a “march over the border to Israel”.

In other words, an invasion, akin to an act of war. And he undoubtedly is aware that those protests were distected by Hamas, with Hamas cordinators in the field, with weapons such as IEDs, other explosives, firebombs, rocks and then incendiary kites and balloons later employed. This was not in the least a non-violent demonstration.  The participants were urged to rip out the hearts of the Israelis they encounter once over the border.  The peacefulness, so-called, was admitted to be a deception. Even though this was the third time this act of Kaddish recital for dead terrorists was enacted, and even if we can find some way to excuse the young Jews, to ignore the character and purpose of the march protests two years later is truly astounding.

Moreover, even when he acknowledges that Hamas admits

that fifty of the sixty-two dead had been members of their organisation...[and] Islamic Jihad claimed three others. 

he adds

These numbers are not necessarily accurate, since the need to emphasise that Hamas is in control of Gaza would encourage the percentage to be increased,

Noting that in any case, there seemed to have been 10 innocent civilians, or rather, non-combatants, he sarcastically adds

unless one thinks that living in Gaza and therefore perhaps voting for Hamas is a capital crime

While it may not necessarily be a capital crime, it could (should?) be a crime to support a terrorist organization that almost exclusively targets Jewish civilians. That there has been no true popular revolt or any serious street protests against the Hamas rule in Gaza since 2006, surely the population at large is not wholly innocent even if only ethically.

Putting words into someone elses mouth is another trick. Schonfield writes

why shoot to kill, the media asked

But not all the victims, that day, or on other Fridays, were shot to death on purpose. A fair percentage, the majority I would think, were victims of stray bullets or got in the way or richochets. If there was a purpose involved, it was to prevent damage to the fence that would allow murderous hordes to stream through to nearby kibbutzim or to neutralize those using lethal weapons themselves.

He is sloppy when writing

invaded Gaza in 2014 to destroy tunnels that could have been located from inside Israel

But the tunnels were only discovered to exist after those hostilities began and the Hamas terrorists emerged. And as further evidence of his military expertise, he suggests in the future:

wider belts of barbed wire

which means that Israel has to withdraw further into its own terriotry as to extend the fence area into Gaza he would, I presume, term extending the occupation. 

He mentions

the Israeli army’s morality

yet applying immorality to Hamas is mssing. 

Further on, he refers a Midrash in connection to God supposedly prohibiting the angels to rejoice over the drowning Egyptians recorded in Sanhedrin 39B:

R. Samuel b. Nahman said in R. Jonathan's name: What is meant by, And one approached not the other all night? In that hour the ministering angels wished to utter the song [of praise] before the Holy One, blessed be He, but He rebuked them, saying: My handiwork [the Egyptians] is drowning in the sea; would ye utter song before me!

I cannot but assume that he ignored an alternate well-known reading, that God intended that only He as their creator could rejoice but ot them.  They had no right as they were not involved in any form of responsibility for the Egyptians but, he, Hod, surely could because he was meting out true justice. The right to sing exists but belongs only to the proper authority.

At that section he brings three examples of Biblical models dealing with the punishment of sinners - Avraham and Sodom, the drowning Egyptians and the Purim story with the killing of the Persians in large numbers. Why not mention the Seven Nations (Mishneh Torah, Sefer Shoftim, Melachim Umilchamot 5:4)?  Why not mention the very reasonable two-stage approach in the next chapter at 6:1? Has not Israel over and over attempted to negotiate with Hamas?

At the bottom of page 134, I would suggest he mixes up the din rodef with a matter of a burglar writing

Killing a burglar may thus be murder under certain circumstances in Jewish, as it is in British, law

But Rashi at the source, Exodus 22:1  indicates that a thief sneaking in to a house may be killed: The Torah teaches, ‘If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first’.”:

This is not murder for he (the intruder) is as if dead already. From this the Torah teaches us that if one comes to kill you, you should rise prior to kill him. And in this case (our verse) he (the intruder) has come with intent to kill you,

Even if Schonfield disagrees, he need deal with this general rule. Indeed, can a civil law be applied to a war situation, as is at the Gaza border? 

He also adds that minimum force must be used but that is if only possible, which in this case, it is not. There are crowds, en masse, trying to get at the fence, to damage it, or undercover of the civilians launch all sorts of weapons and attempt to get across. The soldiers plead through loudspeakers, drop leaflets, contact Hamas leadership and, by the way, the weekly protests have been going on for a long time. Anybody approaching is surely aware of the danger. But no, Schonfield is captive of his on ideology, writing, in clear dissonance of the truth, that

There is also doubt about the murderous intent of women and children who may have been told by their leaders that the way ahead was clear and that the soldiers would not harm them.

Of course, soldiers should do all possible to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. But this attack on IDF morality, employing misreadings of Biblical and Rabbinical texts is niot helpful in the least, especially as it was published to justify even a Kadissh D’Rabbanan for these terrorists.

If he had included one call to Hamas to cease this action, I could have found at least one point in his favor.

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Gaza Hot Spots in Israel

From the research of Yoav Tepper, as published in Makor Rishon:

The results of rocket, mortar and missile fire from the Gaza Strip in to Israel.

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The Qatari Solution to the Gaza Problem

Qatar keeps dumping money on Gaza. Some $30 million today and $1 billion over the past few years.

I have an alternative suggestion.

Qatar is 11,581 square kilometers in area.

<sup>Gaza is 365 square kilometers in area.

Qatar's population is about 2,650,000.</sup>

Gaza's population is almost 2,000,000.

It's obvious.

Why send Qatar money to Gaza?

Send Gazans to Qatar.

More than enough room.

Okay, there may be citizenship problems but it's no big deal to be a citizen of Gaza either.

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Zionism, Ms. Rose, Evolved From Gaza

I once worked with, or for, Jacqueline Rose. 

Not in the for-pay sense.  I read through a long review essay she composed on a novel Ze'ev Jabotinsky wrote, after we met and discussed matters at my first Limmud. Sorry, can't find that text now. I have also commented on her forays against Zionism.

In an interview with her now, I caught this

She has also written extensively – attracting some criticism – about the history and nature of Jewish nationalism, using the techniques of psychoanalysis to call for it to confront its fractured psyche. “You can feel her pain throbbing through these essays,” wrote the late Peter Preston in a review of her 2007 book The Last Resistance, which sought to track the evolution of Zionism to modern day Gaza.

Let me be concise reacting to this

the evolution of Zionism to modern day Gaza

Zionism, in part, evolved from ancient and pre-modern Gaza. 

In 2005, Israel destroyed Jewish post-1967 Gaza.

That brought us a continuous rain of rockets and mortars.And terror tunnels.

In 1948, the Jewish kibbutz Kfar Gaza was destroyed by invading Egyptian troops.

That brought us the fedayeen and constant, daily terror all throughout the 1950s.

In 1929, the small Jewish community in Gaza City was chased out by the Mufti's terror gangs in an act of ethnic cleansing.

In 1662, Shabbtai Tzvi had himself pronounced Messiah in the sizable and important Torah center that was Gaza.

In the late 16th century, Israel Najara composed the Shabbat hymns we sing at our table in Gaza.

Jews lived in Gaza in the Ottoman period, the Crusader period, the Early Arab period, Byzantine period and all the way back in time to the Talmudic and Biblical period

I  repeat: Zionism evolved from Gaza.

And from Judea.

And from Samaria.

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Follow-Up on "A Prince and the Tale of 'Palestine'"

The previous blog.

The follow-up:

One more:

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Nothing New with 'Gaza is in the Headlines'

Gaza and violence and headlines is an old story.

From the Palestine Post:

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That's A Lot of Journalists

According to the well-placed and well-connected PCHR group report, this past Friday's count of killed and wounded amongst those who attempted either to breach and/or damage the security barrier dividing the territory of Gaza ruled by the terrorist entity Hamas and Israel's sovereign state area was but one civilian killed while 338 others were wounded.

Of course, there is no real way to confirm such figures as all medical units are either linked to Hamas or supervised by Hamas.

What is notable is the continuing sharp decline of the numbers of persons killed or wounded, something I blogged previously:

Obviously, either IDF snipers are improving their technical capabilities, or there is less smoke or the Gazans are getting more careful, the drop in the statistics of dead and wounded is quite impressive. [And] While all figures of dead and wounded must be treated with certain circumspection and even doubt, especially as regards the number of injured, and to the identity label of "journalists"...

And now, to that label "journalists".

According to yesterday's summation, 41 "journalists" were wounded and 2 killed.

Journalism in a war-zone is a particularly dangerous profession. Two weeks ago, in a suicide bomb attack, 9 were killed in Afghanistan (a 10th was shot that same day in another location).

According to the International Press Institute, in all of the last year from May 2017, 46 journalists worldwide lost their lives since last May in targeted attacks. Another source for detailed information is here. Between 1992 and the beginning of 2018, 119 journalists were killed in the severe fighting in Syria alone. Yet another source lists 115 professional journalists killed in the past 15 years.

I found no source for numbers of wounded/injured which I sought for a comparison between the events at the Gaza border and those in other hot spots around the globe.

In any case, the figure appears quite large and would indicate, given the probabilities, that either there truly are hundreds of press persons in the area, or that, given the stark reduction overall in injuries since the first Friday, indeed Israel forces are targeting the media or, that these journalists are not all journalists.

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Meanwhile, In Gaza, They're..."Fuming"

Anger as Palestinian Authority cuts Gaza salaries and pays late

As per Reuters:

MAY 3, 2018
The Palestinian Authority cut salaries for its staff in Gaza by 20 percent on Thursday and failed to make up for skipping the previous month’s pay, leaving civil servants in the impoverished territory fuming 

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Reaction to Natalie Portman (An Artistic Work-In-Progress)

1.

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9.

From her statement:

My decision not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others. Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because...the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.

P.S.  Atrocity is an extremely cruel, violent, or shocking act; a shockingly bad or atrocious act, object, or situation and, most relevant, (usually pl) acts of extreme cruelty, esp against prisoners or civilians in wartime.

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The IDF vs. Gaza's "Great Return" March

The fourth Friday of the "Great Return" March from Gaza, April 20, whereby many thousands of Arabs are attempting to breach the border with Israel and in the process are shooting, tossing firebombs, damaging the fence itself, flying kites with molotov cocktails attached and other violent acts, has finished.  The IDF made a special effort to warn people not to approach the fence.

Yesterday's claimed injuries and fatalities were:

4 Civilians, including [1] Child, and Wounding 274, including 41 Children, 6 Women and 1 Journalist

I found there this cumulative table:

Let's retrace:


On 13 April 2018...2 Palestinian civilians were killed...393 Palestinian civilians, including 67 children, 10 women, 4 journalists and 3 paramedics were wounded

On 06 April 2018...9 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and a journalist, were killed while 3 other civilians succumbed to their wounds they sustained on the first Friday of the Return March. Moreover, 608 others, including 80 children, 8 women, 4 journalists and 6 paramedics, sustained wounds...

and on 30 March 2018...13 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed on the same day, while 1067 others, including 208 children and 40 women, sustained wounds...

Obviously, either IDF snipers are improving their technical capabilities, or there is less smoke or the Gazans are getting more careful, the drop in the statistics of dead and wounded is quite impressive.

While all figures of dead and wounded must be treated with certain circumspection and even doubt, especially as regards the number of injured, and to the identity label of "journalists", it should be obvious that the "Great March" is but a great demarche by Hamas to hide their goals of Israel's extinction as a Jewish state which the world press and diplomatic echelons refuse to counter.

And it isn't working except as a propaganda tool.

For example, so tweeted Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process:

It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children! How does the killing of a child in #Gaza today help #peace? It doesn’t! It fuels anger and breeds more killing. #Children must be protected from #violence, not exposed to it, not killed! This tragic incident must be investigated.

That is propping up propaganda*.  As a friend of mine tweeted back:

The age of criminal responsibility in Bulgaria is 14.

and I tweeted: 

I want to know too what exactly were the circumstances of what this 15 yr old was doing there? Was he playing with fire? Was he easily identifiable as 15 yrs old or perhaps his age wasn't on his forehead & he was engaged in endangering actions?

Is it not outrageous to swarm attack a border? Seek to breach it?

Until the "international community" and "human rights groups" align themselves with facts and truths, their emotions are not enough to solve problems.

_________

*

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How "Great" is That March? Greater Palestine

Arabs of Gaza are engaged in this Great March campaign.

Buit what exactly do they want?

Here's the picture, in a short version, of their territorial demands:

and here is some more explicit detail from Iqbal Jassat, Executive Member of Media Review Network, Johannesburg, South Africa, published in the Palestine Information Center site, a Hamas-affiliated web site:

Great March of Return: a New Defiance Campaign

Palestinians have geared up to mobilize en masse in what has been dubbed as Great March of Return. Starting Friday 30th March 2018, thousands upon thousands head towards homes and lands from which they were forcibly expelled...

...Concealing the ugly reality of Zionism’s imposition of a foreign entity (Israel) and the consequences of the Nakba (catastrophe) which to date are eminently visible throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories OPT, Palestine ’48 and refugee camps...a return to an understanding of the enormity of losses suffered by the Palestinians at the hands of a racist colonial entity supported and facilitated by the British government a century ago...

The Great March of Return has the support of all the Palestinian factions – Hamas, Fatah, the PFLP and Islamic Jihad. Expected to continue until 15 May to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, it’s demands will hopefully resonate across all corners of the world: Right of Return to their pre-1948 homes!

And some people talk disparagingly of the concept of "Greater Israel".

This is Greater Palestine. Not "two states living side-by-side".

P.S.

Um Farid al-Dalais got ready to take part in the Great March of Return to the east of Al-Bureij refugee camp, wearing her traditional peasant dress (Thobe), which she cherishes.“Today I came to the border wearing my Thobe to demand my right of return to the town of Asdod

Here they come:

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