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Friday, January 24, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/world/zombie-apocalypse-in-gaza-us-doctors-witness-unimaginable-suffering/

World

‘Zombie Apocalypse’ in Gaza: US doctors witness unimaginable suffering

The situation in Gaza

Published 30 July 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Image from an emergency ward at Al-Shifa hospital after Israeli bombings in October.
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Thousands of lives are at stake every day in Gaza’s few functioning hospitals. Medical staff are working in inhumane conditions, according to two American surgeons on the ground, who confirm that the combination of bombing and blockade has created an almost apocalyptic situation.

Surgeons Mark Perlmutter and Feroze Sidhwa have extensive experience working in conflict zones, but neither was prepared for the level of suffering they witnessed in war-torn Gaza this spring.

“This is what we imagine the first weeks of a zombie apocalypse would look – and smell – like”, they write.

In an interview with CBS News, Perlmutter claims that Israeli snipers are deliberately shooting children.

– I have two children that I have photographs of that were shot so perfectly in the chest, I couldn’t put my stethoscope over their heart more accurately, and directly on the side of the head, in the same child. No toddler gets shot twice by mistake by the ‘world’s best sniper.’ And they’re dead-center shots, he says.

“The US can stop this”

Since the start of the war, large numbers of people have sought refuge in Gaza’s hospitals, hoping to escape the war. But while the UN and other aid organizations struggle to deliver essential supplies, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt remains closed.

Shortly after the war broke out, doctors in Gaza reported a very serious humanitarian situation that has since escalated sharply.

– We are talking about another catastrophe, another war crime, a historical tragedy, Mohammed Qandeel, a doctor at Nasser Hospital, told Politico in October.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, between 35,000 and 40,000 residents have been killed since Israel began its campaign in the territory following a deadly attack by the terrorist-labeled Hamas in Israel last October.

But both Perlmutter and Sidhwa believe the U.S. has the power to stop what is happening in Gaza. As a Jewish American, Perlmutter says he cannot support what Israel is doing in Gaza, and that it has nothing to do with his support for Israeli society as a whole.

“The moment the United States cuts off military aid to Israel the bombs will stop falling and the troops will withdraw. We must decide, once and for all: are we for or against murdering children, doctors and emergency medical personnel? Are we for or against demolishing an entire society? Are we for or against starvation?” the surgeons concluded.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/following-the-ceasefire-gazans-search-for-the-dead/

World

Following the ceasefire: Gazans search for the dead

The situation in Gaza

Published today 9:31
– By Editorial Staff
The Palestinian Civil Defense says it has already found hundreds of bodies.
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Since the ceasefire took effect in Gaza, rescue workers and civilians have started to dig out bodies from the rubble of Israeli bombings.

In the first few days of the ceasefire, at least 200 dead have been found, and the Palestinian Civil Defense estimates that another 10,000 missing people are still buried under the rubble.

Rescuers and family members are working feverishly to find and identify the dead.

– In every street there are dead. In every neighborhood there are people under the buildings, said Abdullah Al-Majdalawi, a 24-year-old civil defense worker in Gaza City.

Civil Defense estimates that it will take at least 100 days to recover all the bodies, but the lack of bulldozers and other essential equipment could prolong the process further.

Many of the recovered bodies are in poor condition, making identification difficult, reports British state broadcaster BBC.

The UN has previously estimated that around 60% of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during the 15 months of fighting. The images now being broadcast around the world show widespread devastation, particularly in northern Gaza.

Palestinian civil defense under pressure

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, says that 48% of civil defense personnel have either been killed, injured or detained during the conflict.

In addition, 85% of the agency’s vehicles and 17 out of 21 facilities are reported to have been damaged or destroyed, further hampering rescue efforts.

According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 47,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, most of them women and children. Another 111 000 have been injured. However, these figures have not been independently verified.

The ceasefire, which came into force on January 19, has given the more than two million inhabitants of Gaza a much-needed break from the fighting.

At the same time, humanitarian aid has been able to increase significantly, with over 630 trucks crossing the border on the first day – the largest delivery since the beginning of the war.

Although the ceasefire has brought a halt to the bombing, Gaza is facing a huge humanitarian crisis.

The UN World Food Program (WFP) reports that more than two million Gazans are now homeless, without income and completely dependent on food aid for their survival.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/qatar-confirms-ceasefire-in-gaza-starting-sunday/

World

Qatar confirms ceasefire in Gaza starting Sunday

The situation in Gaza

Published 16 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the agreement “an important first step” and urged the parties to stick to their commitments.
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Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement that will take effect on Sunday, January 19. Qatar, which mediated the negotiations, confirmed the news during a press conference on Wednesday evening.

The truce includes the release of hostages, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the hope that the fighting will eventually stop completely.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Al-Thani, announced on Wednesday that the ceasefire will have an initial duration of six weeks, according to Swedish TV4.

The Prime Minister expressed hope that the truce will lead to a permanent solution.

– Hopefully, these are the last negotiations leading to a permanent ceasefire.

Under the three-stage agreement, Hamas will, in phase one, release 33 Israeli hostages (out of a total of 98) in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners. The parties have also agreed to allow daily shipments of up to 600 trucks of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reports.

The “Trump effect” may have played a role

Political analysts and experts believe that US President-elect Donald Trump may have had an indirect impact on the agreement.

Isabell Schierenbeck, a political scientist at the University of Gothenburg, says: “Trump’s upcoming inauguration has probably acted as a catalyst for the parties to reach a ceasefire. There is a clear political signal that it may be more difficult to negotiate in the future”, she says in a comment to Stampen-owned Göteborgs-Posten.

Trump himself has taken credit for the agreement, expressing this on his social platform Truth Social.

– This epic ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November, he wrote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly thanked Donald Trump in a phone call for his role in making the truce possible.

Some hope but also uncertainty

The ceasefire is welcomed by many international actors as an important step towards reducing tensions and delivering much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, among others, expressing his support for the agreement and stressing the importance of getting aid to those in need.

Despite this, there is still uncertainty about how sustainable the agreement will be. Previous ceasefires have been broken by both sides, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas remains deeply rooted.

According to local reports, both sides plan to use the ceasefire to redeploy their forces, raising fears that fighting could resume with renewed intensity after the agreement ends.

Swedish foreign minister: “Greatly welcomed”

Several countries, including Sweden, have welcomed the agreement. The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard (M), expresses cautious hope.

– The news of a ceasefire in Gaza is greatly welcomed. At last, several hostages can be reunited with their families. My thoughts are with the families of those who have not returned alive. It is now absolutely essential that the ceasefire eases the immense suffering of Gaza’s civilian population and increases access to humanitarian aid, writes the Foreign Minister in a comment to TV4.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Draft ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas (according to Associated Press).

PHASE 1: (42 days)

  • Hamas releases 33 hostages, including female civilians and soldiers, children and civilians over 50.
  • Israel releases 30 Palestinian prisoners for every civilian hostage and 50 for every female soldier.
  • Fighting stops, Israeli forces move out of populated areas to the outskirts of the Gaza Strip.
  • Displaced Palestinians start returning home, more aid enters the Strip.

PHASE 2: (42 days)

  • Declaration of “sustainable calm”.
  • Hamas releases remaining male hostages (soldiers and civilians) in exchange for a yet to be negotiated number of Palestinian prisoners and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.

PHASE 3:

  • Bodies of deceased Israeli hostages are exchanged for bodies of deceased Palestinian soldiers.
  • Implementation of a reconstruction plan in Gaza.
  • Border crossings into and out of Gaza are reopened.

https://nordictimes.com/world/israel-continues-bombing-humanitarian-zone-hundreds-killed/

World

Israel continues bombing “humanitarian zone” – hundreds killed

The situation in Gaza

Published 16 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The "humanitarian zones" in Gaza are also frequently targeted by Israeli bombings.
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Despite calls for Gaza’s civilian population to seek shelter in so-called humanitarian zones, these continue to be attacked by Israeli warplanes.

Since May last year, at least 97 airstrikes have been carried out against areas set up to protect Palestinian civilians, killing at least 550 people.

– We have said it so so many times. There is no safe zone in Gaza. No place is safe. No-one is safe. No place is spared, explains Juliette Touma, from the UN refugee agency UNRWA.

The BBC analyzed the Israeli attacks and found that the humanitarian zone, which includes the towns of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, has been heavily shelled. More than a million people live here – many in makeshift tent camps with limited access to food, water and medical care.

The IDF established the zone in October 2023 with the promise to keep civilians out of danger. But according to the UN and humanitarian organizations, the reality is different.

According to the BBC, more than 550 people have been killed in the 97 attacks documented in the zone – although Israel itself has only admitted responsibility for a minority of these. The analysis also shows that attacks have taken place near hospitals and residential complexes.

– We were displaced to Khan Younis because it was designated as a safe zone, but in fact we find nothing here but insecurity. We have been denied the true sense of security, with fear dominating our lives, says Khaled, who was urged by the IDF to move to the area.

Journalists are killed

The Israeli army itself routinely claims that it is only attacking Hamas – and that the terrorist group is using the civilian population as human shields and using the humanitarian zone to attack Israeli targets with rockets.

Assessors, however, dismiss these explanations, saying that Israel uses the zone’s “humanitarian” status as a front, and that it is subject to frequent bombardments in the same way as the rest of Gaza.

The UN and human rights groups working in the area note that no “safe zones” exist in Gaza today. Gavin Kelleher of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) stresses that even the areas where refugees have been ordered to seek refuge can be attacked by warships or drones at any time.

More journalists have been killed in Gaza than in any other war and the Israeli military has also been accused of deliberately killing journalists and photographers to prevent any war crimes from being documented.

At the same time, very few journalists are granted Israeli permission to enter Gaza at all, and because reporting on the ground is so limited, it is often very difficult to get a picture of the scale of Israeli attacks.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/un-organization-defies-israeli-ban-stays-in-gaza/

World

UN organization defies Israeli ban – stays in Gaza

The situation in Gaza

Published 16 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
International staff will be forced to leave - but local aid workers will continue their work as far as possible.
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UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, will continue its work in Gaza – despite Israel’s ban on the organization.

– We will however stay and deliver, explains the organization’s director Philippe Lazzarini.

Last autumn, Netanyahu’s government decided to ban the UN organization from conducting any activities in Israel or occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli government justified the decision with accusations that UNRWA was linked to Hamas and that UNRWA staff participated in the 7 October attacks – accusations that the organization itself denies.

However, the Swiss Philippe Lazzarini, who currently heads the refugee agency, declares that it will not accept the ban, which comes into effect at the end of the month. On the contrary, UNRWA will continue its relief work in Gaza as far as practically possible.

– UNRWA’s local staff will remain and continue to provide emergency assistance and, where possible, education and primary healthcare, he explained.

“Withdraw under protest”

Meanwhile, it is understood that Israel will refuse to issue visas to international UN staff, making it virtually impossible for them to enter Gaza.

– These staff will be compelled to withdraw under protest, it says.

Lazzarini further stresses that aid workers are already being threatened and harassed by Israeli authorities and that threats against UNRWA staff are expected to increase further in the future.

He warns that the complete disappearance of the refugee agency from the Palestinian territories will only add to the suffering and misery already endured by the civilian population.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com