Israeli brutality

The Israeli military killed 28 people in what is being reported as a retaliatory attack over rocket attacks emanating from the Palestinian territories. The unacceptable escalation comes as violence has continued for three days despite Egyptian mediation efforts and was reportedly caused by the first confirmed Israeli death caused by a rocket attack. But the Palestinian groups also need to wake up. Israel’s advanced defences have reduced rocket attacks to nothing more than a nuisance. The Iron Dome and David’s Sling interceptors have shot down 96% of rockets, and only a handful of those that actually hit caused significant damage.

Meanwhile, each attack gives PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies enough cause to justify trampling the Palestinians in ‘revenge’. As things stand, the Islamic Jihad group has, by its own admission, lost more senior figures in the fighting — five — than the entire state of Israel. In fact, Israel also claims that five Palestinians, including a little girl, were killed by Islamic Jihad rockets that failed to make it into Israeli territory. Meanwhile, in killing the armed Palestinians, Israel’s reckless disregard for passers-by and other civilians is made obvious by the nature of the victims, which include young children and elderly and infirm people.

While the Israelis claim their civilian victims are all caused by crossfire or other collateral damage factors, recent history is proof that the country’s military actively ignores the rules of war and other safety protocols. Just look at the airstrike on the Associated Press office or the murder of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last year, which Israel only apologised for yesterday, despite footage immediately emerging to rubbish their efforts to avoid responsibility for her death. Even then, not a single Israeli soldier has been punished for the military’s killing of 20 journalists since 2001. Most do not even get an apology, except for Abu Akleh, who was American; and this meant that, unlike the other victims, almost all of whom were Palestinian, her life mattered.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2023.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.