Gaza youth revisit scars of war

1 / 2
2 / 2
Updated 14 September 2017
Follow

Gaza youth revisit scars of war

WASHINGTON/GAZA CITY: “At bedtime, I am afraid to turn the lights off. I am not a coward, it is just that I worry that this bulb hanging from the ceiling is the last light that remains (shining) in my life.”
Soon after he penned these words, Moath Al-Hajj, a young artist from a Gaza refugee camp, passed away in his sleep.
After not hearing from him for two days, his friends broke down the door of his house, and found him huddled with his blanket in a place in which he lived alone for 11 years.
Al-Hajj lived in Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s most crowded refugee camps.
Raised in the UAE, he returned to Gaza to join the Islamic University, but remained there, experiencing three wars and a decade-long blockade.
Somehow, the young man maintained a semblance of hope, as expressed in his many drawings and emotive commentary.
Al-Hajj learned to live in his own world ever since he was young. The outside world to him seemed unpredictable and at times cruel.
When his mother passed away, he was only 1 year old. His father died of cancer in the UAE, so due to circumstances beyond his control, Al-Hajj lived alone.
Keeping him company were his friends in the neighborhood, but mostly his self-effacing yet profound artistic expressions.
“Smile, may the war feel shame,” was one of his cartoons. In it, a little girl with a flowery dress turns her back to the reader.
Al-Hajj’s art characters always had their eyes closed, as if they refuse to see the world around them and insist on imagining a better world inside their own thoughts.
After his body was thoroughly examined, doctors concluded that he died from a stroke.
His heart, heavy with untold personal and collective miseries, had just given in. And just like that, one of Gaza’s finest young men was buried in an ever-crowded graveyard.
Social media buzzed with statements of condolence, mostly by young Palestinians from Gaza devastated to hear that Al-Hajj’s last light had been extinguished, and that the young man’s life had ended while the siege and state of war remain.
In that same week, Palestinians commemorated the three-year anniversary of the end of Israel’s devastating war against Gaza.
The war had killed more than 2,200 Palestinians, the vast majority of them civilians, and 71 Israelis, most of them soldiers.
The war left Gaza in ruins, as more than 17,000 homes were completely destroyed and thousands of other structures — including hospitals, schools and factories — were destroyed or severely damaged.
The war shattered whatever semblance of economy Gaza had had. Today, 80 percent of Palestinians there live below the poverty line, most of whom depend on humanitarian aid.
A whole generation of Palestinians in Gaza have grown up knowing nothing but war and siege, and have never seen the world beyond its deadly borders.
Following are the voices of some of these young Gazans, who kindly shared their tragic personal stories, hoping that the world will heed their calls for freedom and justice.

Isra Migdad, an Islamic finance student
“After our house had been partially damaged during the 2014 Israeli war, it took my family about a year and a half to rebuild it, due to the delay in construction material being allowed into Gaza and because of the prohibitive prices of such material, when it’s available.
“I lost my master’s degree scholarship in 2014 due to the closure and my family’s difficult financial situation after the war.
“I’ve spent the last three years applying for scholarships, only to learn that many universities in Europe know nothing, or very little, about the Israeli siege on Gaza and the continued closure of the borders.
“I attained another scholarship, only to lose it again since I didn’t have enough time to complete my travel procedures and negotiate an exit from Gaza.
“I want a better life, but I also love Gaza. Yet the situation is becoming more difficult with each passing day.
“It’s hard to find a stable job, and even if one gets an opportunity elsewhere, it’s nearly impossible to get out.”

Ghada, 23, studied English literature, works as a translator
“Day by day, the situation in Gaza becomes more complicated and even worse than before. Since the last war to this day, nothing seems to get better. Nothing at all.
“During my work at the Palestinian Trade Center (Pal-Trade), which focuses on the Palestinian economy, every day I see people struggling in all economic sectors.
“The electricity crisis is destroying businesses everywhere. The agriculture sector is in ruins as farmers can’t export their products, and can’t even access the Palestinian market in the West Bank.
“Despite substantial donor pledges to support reconstruction following the 2014 conflict, the situation for Palestinians living in Gaza has never been worse.
“Moreover, people in Gaza are facing a dire shortage of drinkable water and an adequate and equitable sanitation system.
“Even the sea has become polluted because of the sewage that’s dumped daily. There’s little hope on the horizon for better conditions.”

Banias Harb, a teacher
“The unprecedented closure and blockade imposed on Gaza have created a feeling of helplessness.
“The most frustrating problem that youths have been suffering from is the closure of the Rafah border crossing.
“Gaza’s youths constitute about a third of the Palestinian population, yet less than 10 percent of all youths have been able to see what’s beyond Gaza. We feel abandoned, alone.”

Kholod Zughbor, has a degree in English literature from Al-Azhar University, Gaza
“The siege on Gaza has been in place since 2006. The situation has been terrible here, even before the wars started. Unemployment among Gaza’s youth is estimated at 60 percent.
“I’ve witnessed three wars. I saw life gradually worsen, especially after the last one. Three years after the 2014 war, the situation is getting harder and more miserable.
“Gaza is still far from full recovery, and what has been built is only a drop in the ocean of destruction.”

Sondos, a social worker, has a degree in English literature
“As a social worker, I’ve visited more than 350 families impacted by the war and its aftermath.
“They’re burdened by deep psychological scars, and are constantly overshadowed by the feeling of impending catastrophe.
“In every house I’ve visited there’s a heartbreaking story of poverty, unemployment, fear of the future, fear of another Israeli war.
“Without outside pressure on Israel, Gazans will continue to relive this nightmare in their open-air prison.
“They can’t reconstruct their demolished homes, import their basic needs, or have access to electricity and clean water on a regular basis.
“But Gaza will continue to hang on to life and won’t fall into despair. Our youths will continue to pursue higher education and will labor to achieve their goals, no matter the odds.
“They’ll continue to use their imagination to overcome all hurdles, as we’ve done for many years. Courage and determination are our most prized qualities.”

— Yousef Aljamal, a writer and Ph.D. student from Gaza, contributed to this feature.


Middle East latest: Israeli defense minister officially steps down

Updated 10 sec ago
Follow

Middle East latest: Israeli defense minister officially steps down

Israel has been rocked by Gallant’s dismissal, with the news setting off mass protests across the country
Israel Katz, his replacement, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister

TEL AVIV: Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant officially stepped down Friday in a ceremony that replaced him with Israel Katz, the former foreign minister, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant earlier this week.
Israel has been rocked by Gallant’s dismissal, with the news setting off mass protests across the country. Many in Israel view Gallant as the sole moderate voice in a far-right government, and see his removal as a sign that the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu has lost interest in returning hostages still held in Gaza.
Israel Katz, his replacement, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister.
Also Friday, the Israeli military body handling aid to Gaza, COGAT, said it is preparing to open a new aid crossing into Gaza as the deadline for a US deadline to increase desperately-needed aid into the war-ravaged territory approaches. But the body did not say when the crossing will open nor if aid will be delivered to north of Gaza, where the UN and aid groups say the humanitarian situation is most dire.
The United Nations humanitarian office says Israel’s monthlong offensive in northern Gaza is preventing the estimated 75,000 to 95,000 Palestinians in the north from receiving essential items for their survival.
On Thursday, the Israeli military says it will allow 300 truckloads of humanitarian aid supplied by the United Arab Emirates to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days. That’s less than the 350 trucks per day that the United States said it wants to see enter the war-ravaged territory.
The Israel-Hamas war began after militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others. Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half of those killed were women and children.
Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since the conflict erupted, more than 3,100 people have been killed and some 13,800 wounded in Lebanon, the health ministry reported.

Turkiye, Greece must work together to resolve host of issues, Turkish minister says

Updated 08 November 2024
Follow

Turkiye, Greece must work together to resolve host of issues, Turkish minister says

  • Issues between NATO allies Turkiye and Greece are not limited to disagreements over maritime boundaries and jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean

ANKARA: Issues between NATO allies Turkiye and Greece are not limited to disagreements over maritime boundaries and jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday, adding the historic rivals must work together to resolve them.
Speaking at a press conference in Athens alongside his Greek counterpart, Fidan also repeated Ankara’s view that a federation model to resolve the dispute over the ethnically-split island of Cyprus was no longer viable, calling for a two-state solution.
He also said Turkiye wanted to deepen cooperation with Greece on irregular migration and counter-terrorism, while increasing cooperation on tourism and cultural affairs.


HRW urges immediate action on incendiary weapons amid Gaza, Lebanon wars

Updated 08 November 2024
Follow

HRW urges immediate action on incendiary weapons amid Gaza, Lebanon wars

  • Weaponry ‘among cruelest in modern warfare’: Human Rights Watch
  • ‘A complete ban on incendiary weapons would undoubtedly have the greatest humanitarian benefits’

LONDON:Countries must work to prohibit the use of incendiary weapons amid growing evidence of their harm on civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, Human Rights Watch has said.

The organization released a 28-page report examining the recent use of the weaponry, which can inflict “excruciating burns, respiratory damage and psychological trauma.”

The report draws on HRW interviews with survivors of incendiary weapons, medical professionals and members of civil society.

It comes ahead of a UN meeting in Geneva next week of states party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

HRW urged those countries to condemn the use of incendiary weapons and commit to redressing two loopholes in the treaty’s Protocol III that undermine the protection of civilians.

Since October 2023, Israel has widely deployed airburst and ground-launched white phosphorus munitions in populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon, photographic evidence has shown.

Bonnie Docherty, senior arms adviser at HRW, said: “Incendiary weapons are being used in several conflicts, endangering civilian lives and livelihoods.

“Governments need to take immediate action to protect civilians, civilian infrastructure and the environment from the horrific effects of these weapons.”

HRW described incendiary munitions as “among the cruelest weapons in modern warfare.” As well as harming people, the weapons also cause socioeconomic and environmental damage by burning homes and crops, it said.

Israel has used white phosphorus munitions, a type of incendiary weapon, in at least 17 Lebanese municipalities, including five cases of illegally deployed airburst weapons over southern Lebanon, between October 2023 and June this year.

CCW Protocol III, signed by 117 countries, contains loopholes permitting white phosphorus and features weaker regulations for ground-launched munitions than air-launched weaponry, HRW said.

Hundreds of Lebanese civilians have been displaced following Israeli white phosphorus attacks, with survivors suffering respiratory damage months after exposure.

Lebanese olive groves, a crucial source of income for many, have also come under attack, with white phosphorus able to start wildfires and cause long-term damage to soil quality.

Internationally, pressure has mounted in recent years to address the proliferation of incendiary weapons.

At the most recent CCW meeting last November, more than 100 countries condemned the humanitarian consequences of the weaponry.

HRW urged countries at next week’s Geneva meeting to “initiate informal consultations” that address the loopholes in Protocol III.

Docherty said: “Governments should seize the moment to reiterate their concerns about incendiary weapons and discuss ways to strengthen the law to better protect civilians.

“A complete ban on incendiary weapons would undoubtedly have the greatest humanitarian benefits.”


Israel must comply with ICJ measures to prevent genocide: UN human rights chief

Updated 08 November 2024
Follow

Israel must comply with ICJ measures to prevent genocide: UN human rights chief

  • Volker Turk’s office publishes report covering violations between November 2023, April 2024
  • UN Human Rights Office: Almost 70% of fatalities in Gaza are children, women

NEW YORK: The UN high commissioner for human rights on Friday called on Israel to “fully and immediately” comply with the provisional measures issued in January by the International Court of Justice demanding action to prevent a genocide from being perpetrated against the Palestinians.

Volker Turk also called on states to honor their obligations under international law and “assess arms sales or transfers and provision of military, logistical or financial support to a party to the conflict, with a view to ending such support if this risks serious violations of international law.”

His warning comes as a new report by his office, published on Friday, warned that “if committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, (Israel’s violations) may constitute genocide.”

In January, after considering an original case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide, the ICJ issued a ruling that included provisional measures ordering Israel to take action to prevent and punish the commission of, or the incitement to commit, genocide; to halt the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians; and to immediately facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

Turk said Israel’s compliance with the ICJ ruling is now “even more critical and urgent” in light of the new report, which details “the horrific reality that has unfolded for the people of Israel and Gaza since 7 October 2023,” and concludes by demanding justice with respect to the grave violations of international law that have been committed.

The ICJ measures are also more pertinent than ever given the most recent events, Turk said, including Israel’s operations in northern Gaza and its adoption of legislation banning the main UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.

“It is essential that there is due reckoning with respect to the allegations of serious violations of international law through credible and impartial judicial bodies and that, in the meantime, all relevant information and evidence are collected and preserved,” said Turk.

The new report covers violations that occurred from November 2023 to April 2024, including the killing of civilians and breaches of international law that it said could amount to war crimes.

“If committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population, further to a State or organizational policy, these violations may constitute crimes against humanity,” the report says.

Turk urged support for the work of accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, in relation to the conflict in Gaza, for the exercise of universal jurisdiction to investigate and try crimes under international law in national courts, and for compliance with extradition requests of suspects of such crimes to countries where they would receive a fair trial.

The report highlights repeated statements from Israeli officials calling for Gaza’s entire destruction and the exodus of its people.

It documents Israel’s efforts to “rationalize discrimination, hostility and violence towards, and even the elimination of, Palestinians.”

The report underscores how civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks, including through the initial “complete siege” of Gaza, as well as Israel’s continuing “unlawful failures” to allow the entry of humanitarian aid, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and mass displacement of Palestinians.

“This conduct by Israeli Forces has caused unprecedented levels of killings, death, injury, starvation, illness and disease,” the reports says, adding that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have also committed serious violations of international law on a wide scale

“The rules of war, in force now for 160 years, were designed to limit and prevent human suffering in times of armed conflict,” Turk said.

“Their wanton disregard has led to the current extremes of human suffering which we continue to see today.

“It seems inconceivable that the parties to the conflict refuse to apply universally accepted and binding norms developed to preserve the very bare minimum of humanity.”  

The UN Human Rights Office says close to 70 percent of fatalities in Gaza are children and women, indicating “a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction and proportionality.”

The continuation of these attacks “demonstrates an apparent indifference to the death of civilians and the impact of the means and methods of warfare selected,” the report states. 

It also raises concerns over the forcible transfer of Palestinians, attacks on hospitals in “apparent systematic fashion” as well as journalists, and the reported use of white phosphorus munitions.

“Our monitoring indicates that this unprecedented level of killing, and injury of civilians is a direct consequence of the failure to comply with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law — namely the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack,” Turk said. 

“Tragically, these documented patterns of violations continue unabated, over one year after the start of the war.

“The trends and patterns of violations, and of applicable international law as clarified by the International Court of Justice, must inform the steps to be taken to end the current crisis,” he added.

“The violence must stop immediately, the hostages and those arbitrarily detained must be released, and we must focus on flooding Gaza with humanitarian aid.” 


Lebanon state media says Israel blows up houses in 3 border villages

Updated 08 November 2024
Follow

Lebanon state media says Israel blows up houses in 3 border villages

  • ‘Since this morning, the Israeli enemy’s army has been carrying out bombing operations inside the villages of Yaroun, Aitaroun and Maroun Al-Ras in the Bint Jbeil area’

BEIRUT: Lebanon state media said the Israeli army on Friday detonated explosives planted inside houses in three border villages that have been battered by the Israel-Hezbollah war.
“Since this morning, the Israeli enemy’s army has been carrying out bombing operations inside the villages of Yaroun, Aitaroun and Maroun Al-Ras in the Bint Jbeil area, with the aim of destroying residential homes there,” the official National News Agency said, the latest in a string of similar incidents that have impacted the flashpoint border area.