Israel's Genocidal War in Gaza: Dehumanisation and Erasure of Palestinian Lives

Strategic Insights -

The UN commission, led by Navi Pillay, has declared Israel's war in Gaza a genocide, a conclusion supported by numerous human rights groups and observers. The dehumanisation of Palestinians by the Israeli public and politicians is a process that has been ongoing since the country's inception, with the Nakba in 1948 marking a significant turning point. The current conflict in Gaza has further exemplified this dehumanisation, with Israeli officials justifying the killing of tens of thousands of civilians as necessary to destroy the city.

Key Takeaways:

  • The dehumanisation of Palestinians by the Israeli public and politicians is a process that has been ongoing since the country's inception.
  • The UN commission, led by Navi Pillay, has declared Israel's war in Gaza a genocide, a conclusion supported by numerous human rights groups and observers.
  • The 1948 Nakba marked a significant turning point in the dehumanisation of Palestinians, with the destruction of Palestinian villages and the establishment of the state of Israel.
  • Israeli officials have justified the killing of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza as necessary to destroy the city.
  • The Israeli public's response has been lacklustre, with anti-government demonstrations focusing on securing the return of Israeli captives rather than demanding a halt to the slaughter.
  • A poll found that 76% of Jewish Israelis surveyed either fully or partially agreed that none of the remaining Palestinians in Gaza were innocent.
  • The Israeli Defence Minister has openly bragged about Gaza being burnt, with the UN Children's Fund describing it as the last refuge for families in the northern Gaza Strip.
  • Israeli officials, including David Hacohen, have been documented denying that Palestinians are even human as early as 1967.
  • Research has shown that one in 10 Israeli schoolchildren thought of Palestinians as animals, a mindset that has become embedded in the culture.
  • Israeli analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg described the deliberate campaign of settler groups and their allies on the religious right to take control of institutions governing Israeli life.

Statistics:

  • 76% of Jewish Israelis surveyed either fully or partially agreed that none of the remaining Palestinians in Gaza were innocent.
  • 10% of Israeli schoolchildren thought of Palestinians as animals.
  • 1,139 people were killed during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
  • 2.2 million Palestinians remain in Gaza.
  • 64,900 Palestinians have been killed in the current conflict.
  • A displaced Palestinian woman sits with children amidst devastated tents following an overnight Israeli strike.
  • Israel's war on Gaza has led to the destruction of the city, with tens of thousands of civilians remaining.

Sources:

  • Navi Pillay, head of the UN commission, declaring Israel's war in Gaza a genocide.
  • Al Jazeera, reporting on the Israeli public's response to the conflict.
  • UNICEF, describing Gaza City as the last refuge for families in the northern Gaza Strip.
  • Israeli Defence Minister, bragging about Gaza being burnt.
  • David Hacohen, denying that Palestinians are even human as early as 1967.
  • B'Tselem, concluding that Israel's war on Gaza amounts to genocide.
  • Orly Noy, journalist and editor of the Israeli Hebrew-language magazine Local Call.
  • Yair Dvir, spokesperson for the Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem.
  • Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, concluding that Israel's war on Gaza amounts to genocide.
  • The Nakba, the 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Zionist militias.