The massacre of Palestinians continues into its tenth month. According to the Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), the death toll has exceeded 38,000, but these figures are conservative as medics only count those admitted to hospitals. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble of destroyed neighbourhoods that have yet to be rebuilt.

According to a study published last week by the prestigious British Medical Journal, The Lancet, the likely number of war-related deaths in Gaza is over 186,000: in addition to counting those who died under the rubble, the study pointed to indirect deaths due to lack of food, water and shelter. With almost all of Gaza’s hospitals out of action due to Israeli bombardment, an unknown number of people have been buried in improvised graves throughout the besieged enclave.

For months now, Israel has intensified its indiscriminate bombing of homes, schools, mosques, hospitals, UN buildings and even “safe zones” designated as such by the Israeli army.

On 13 July, Israel fired heavy rockets at a makeshift tent city near Khan Younis, killing more than 90 people, mostly women and children, and wounding more than 300. The Israeli military said the intended target was Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. However, the Hamas press office later said that Deif was alive and safe. A day later, Israeli warplanes struck a UN school housing only civilians, also killing dozens of refugees.

UN officials say Gaza is no longer safe: nearly 2 million people have been displaced more than once, at least 700,000 Gazans face hunger and severe food........

© New Eastern Outlook