A massive death toll in Gaza today as the Israeli government bombs another school. 100 deaths is the number most outlets and reporters are going with currently (the number has climbed throughout the day) such as Neri Zilber (FINANCIAL TIMES OF LONDON) who quotes Dr Taisir al-Tanna stating, "There are lots of dangerous injuries. This has been a very bloody day." ALJAZEERA notes the death toll continues to climb. ALJAZEERA also notes that the school was hit with three bombs while AP explains, "Video from the scene showed walls blown out on the ground level of a large building. Concrete chunks and twisted metal lay atop the blood-soaked floor, along with clothing, toppled furniture and other debris. A blackened car with the windows blown out was covered in rubble." Josh Salisbury (LONDON EVENING STANDARD) adds, "Empty food tins lay in a puddle of blood, and burnt mattresses and a child's doll lay among the debris."
Yet another school bombed. Ramy Inocencio (CBS NEWS) notes that "at least four schools in Gaza City" were already bombed this week. While most outlets are going with five schools bombed in seven days, some aid agencies are saying it was seven schools bombed in the last seven days. Barbara Plett Usher and Thomas Mackintosh (BBC NEWS) add, "According to the United Nations, 477 out of 564 school buildings in Gaza had been directly hit or damaged as of 6 July, with more than a dozen targeted since." Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy (AP) help with the count by noting that "at least 21 -schools have been attacked] since July 4 leaving hundreds dead, including women and children. " So we're looking at approximately 498 schools at least (adding BBC and AP's totals and remember there's an overlap of two days which is why I'm saying "approximately") 498 of 564 schools have been bombed during this never ending assault on Gaza. That's 88.297% of the schools in Gaza.
, Abeer Salman, Ibrahim Dahman, , and CNN) quote Francesca Albanese (UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories stating that the Israeli government actions were "genociding the Palestinians one neighborhood at the time, one hospital at the time, one school at the time, one refugee camp at the time, one 'safe zone' at the time." Nagham Mohanna (THE NATIONAL) reports:
Sarah Esleem said she was looking for her father and brother, who had attended the fajr prayer in the mosque. She had been searching for them along with her mother and sisters, but without success.
“My father and brother are our pillars in life. We hope they are still alive and that we don’t lose them because our lives without them won’t be easy at all,” she told The National.
“I just want to understand why innocent civilians praying are being targeted in such a brutal way. Israel keeps claiming it has military targets, but that’s a lie, as everyone being killed is a civilian, mostly children and women,” she said.
Sofia Ferreira Santos (BBC NEWS) reports:
US Vice-President Kamala Harris has condemned the loss of civilian life in an Israeli air strike against a school building in Gaza on Saturday.
[. . .]
Ms Harris said "far too many" civilians had been killed "yet again"and reiterated calls for a hostage deal and a ceasefire, echoing comments made by the White House.
[. . .]
Speaking at a campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona, Ms Harris said Israel had a right to "go after Hamas" but also has "an important responsibility" to avoid civilian casualties.
The Democratic Party's presidential candidate also reiterated calls for a ceasefire and a hostage deal.
Nada AlTaher (THE NATIONAL) reports, "Egypt has accused Israel of deliberately hindering Gaza ceasefire talks after an air strike on a school that killed more than 100 people and injured dozens of others on Saturday morning." Arpan Rai, Alexander Butler and Salma Ouaguira (INDEPENDENT) add, "The Iranian foreign ministry has condemned the attack and accused Israel of carrying out 'genocide and crimes against humanity'." IRAQI NEWS AGENCY notes:
Iraq condemned the Zionist aggression on the Al-Taba’een school in Gaza on Saturday.
According
to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received by the
Iraqi News Agency (INA), the ministry expressed its strong condemnation
of the "barbaric Zionist attack" that targeted the school in the Daraj
neighborhood of Gaza City early this morning.
And ALJAZEERA notes:
- Action for Humanity said Israel has attacked seven schools in Gaza in the past seven days and said the UK cannot continue to export arms to Israel “while there is a clear and evident risk they could be used to violate international law”.
- Medical Aid for Palestinians said that further statements of concern or condemnation from the UK government will “not be enough” and that civilians in Gaza need “decisive and immediate action” to end their humanitarian catastrophe.
- Islamic Relief said it was “horrified” and “appalled” at the “massacre of dozens of civilians at one of the school shelters where we have been distributing daily hot meals to displaced families”. It said that Israel’s policy of displacing civilians, denying them aid and then attacking the schools they shelter in is “completely inhumane”.
Algeria has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to take place on Tuesday after an Israeli strike on a Gaza school killed about 100 people at the weekend, according to state media.
The request was made "based on the recent dangerous developments in the occupied Palestinian territories," including the school strike, the Algerian Press Service said.
The strike on Gaza city's Al Tabaeen school early on Saturday morning killed about 100 people and wounded hundreds more, according to local authorities, prompting renewed outrage at continuing attacks against civilians in the enclave.
Algeria's request was submitted in consultation with Palestinian authorities and has support from other Security Council members, APS added.
Gaza remains under assault. Day 309 of the assault in the wave that began in October. Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion. The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction. But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets: How to justify it? Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence." CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund." ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them." NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza." The slaughter continues. It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service. Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide." The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher. United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse." THE NATIONAL notes, "Gaza death toll rises to 39,790 with 92,002 wounded." Months ago, AP noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing." February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home." February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:
Anas Al Sharif is the only remaining Al Jazeera Journalist in the North of Gaza that Israel hasn’t assassinated (yet). pic.twitter.com/0Hi8dhD5lg
— Rizzo (@rizhauddin) August 11, 2024
And Anas Al Sharif is under threat:
In the light of the statement made by the Israeli military spokesperson, Al Jazeera Media Network views this as a blatant act of intimidation and incitement against our colleague Anas Al Sharif, said Al Jazeera in a statement yesterday.
Such remarks are not only an attack on Anas’s character and integrity but also a clear attempt to stifle the truth and silence those who are courageously reporting from Gaza.
“Al Jazeera remains committed to supporting its journalists as they continue to uphold the principles of free and fair reporting, despite the dangers they face. Al Jazeera will not be intimidated, and will continue shining a light on the realities of the conflict, ensuring that the world hears the voices of those who are suffering.”
The statement added: “Anas Al Sharif, like many of his brave colleagues, is committed to uncovering and sharing the realities of the situation on the ground, no matter how difficult or dangerous it may be.
The Israeli government has killed at least 160 journalists in Gaza since October 7th.
Turning to Iraq, IRAQI NEWS AGENCY types:
Deputy Special Representative of The United Nations Assistance Mission
for Iraq (UNAMI), Claudio Cordone, commended the role of the Iraqi
government in addressing violence against women and supporting women's
rights.
During
the Conference on Combating Violence Against Women, which was followed
by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Cordone stated: "I commend the Iraqi
government's commitment to combating violence against women and
supporting the rights of Iraqi women in general. I also welcome the role
of the Prime Minister in urging government bodies to expedite the
implementation of decisions related to women
What a load of garbage. As RUDAW notes today:
The Iraqi government’s council for women’s affairs will hold a meeting
to discuss concerns that a highly-controversial proposed amendment to
the Personal Status Law could walk back human rights in the country,
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced on Saturday.
“The Higher Council for Women will soon hold a specialized workshop to
discuss all the observations raised regarding the Personal Status Law,”
Sudani said during an event for the Islamic day for the elimination of
violence against women.
Rights activists have strongly protested the bill to amend the 1959
Personal Status Law, which would effectively legalize child marriage and
give religious authorities regulatory power over inheritance and
marriage.
The Iraqi parliament conducted the first reading for the bill on Sunday,
but has yet to vote on the amendment. If it is passed, Iraqis would be
allowed to choose either Shiite or Sunni rules at the time of marriage
to govern all personal status-related matters in their family.
The proposed bill specifies following the provisions of the Jaafari
school of jurisprudence for the Shiite sect, which permits marriage for
girls as young as nine and boys at fifteen.
THE GUARDIAN's Zainab Al Mashat and Omar Al Jaffal noted Friday:
The Shia religious groups that dominate the political system in Iraq have been pushing to erode women’s rights in the country for more than a decade.
Unlike neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Iraq does not have a system of male guardianship requiring women to have the permission of a husband, father or male guardian to make crucial life choices such as marriage.
However, a new proposal, which passed its first reading in the Iraqi parliament this week, would give religious authorities the power to decide on family affairs, including marriage, divorce and the care of children
“This is a catastrophe for women,” said Raya Faiq, who is the coordinator for a coalition of groups which are opposing the law change. The group includes some Iraqi MPs.
“My husband and my family oppose child marriage. But imagine if my daughter gets married and my daughter’s husband wants to marry off my granddaughter as a child. The new law would allow him to do so. I would not be allowed to object. This law legalises child rape.”
During protests organised by the coalition this week in the capital, Baghdad, and in several other cities in Iraq, supporters of the new law confronted opponents and accused them of “moral decadence” and “following western agendas”.
Although Iraq has outlawed marriage under the age of 18 since the 1950s, one survey by the UN children’s agency, Unicef, found that 28% of girls in Iraq had married before they reached the age of 18.
This is what the US invasion of Iraq created. No democracy was built. No weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq. But the US government did manage to install a bunch of cowards who fled Iraq and to promote religious extremists. And now we're really seeing the damage from US "assistance" to Iraq.
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Idiot of the Week: Catilin Johnston8 hours ago
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