The hunger killing Gaza’s children has a clear cause that few are willing to name out loud — RT World News

In the wake of Israel's February 29 massacre of at least 115 starving Palestinians queuing for food aid, there was little to no outrage from the same Western media that would have screamed if The perpetrator was Russia or Syria.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, early on the morning of Thursday, February 29, Israeli forces opened fire on unarmed Palestinians waiting southwest of Gaza City to receive desperately needed food aid. as a result of, 115 civilians were killed And more than 750 wounded.

Famous American commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano said in a The last interview With award-winning analyst Professor Jeffrey Sachs, “Innocent Gaza civilians lined up to get flour and water from an aid truck, and Israeli forces slaughtered more than 100 of them. This must be one of the most reprehensible public massacres in which they have participated.

Unsurprisingly, the official Israeli version of events places the blame on the Palestinians themselves. It is assumed that the deaths and injuries were caused by the stampede, and that Israeli soldiers only opened fire when they felt threatened by the crowds. Even BBC Quote An army lieutenant said that the forces did this “cautiously [tried] To disperse the mob with a few warning shots.” Mark Regev, a special advisor to the Israeli prime minister, went so far as to tell CNN that Israeli forces were not directly involved in any way, and that the shooting came from… “Palestinian armed groups”

But the testimonies of survivors and doctors tell a different story, saying that the majority of those treated after the incident were killed by Israeli forces. However, older media reports use a characteristically neutral formulation when evidence begins to pile up against Israel. 112 were killed in chaotic scenes when Israeli forces opened fire near aid trucks, according to Gaza officials. a Guardian title is reading. The Palestinians always seem to be fair “death,” He is not being killed, and it appears that the Israeli forces have just done that “He started shooting” nearby. Pervert Drafting agreements It continues even though responsibility has been attributed to Palestinian officials present at the same address – officials such as the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, which has been quite clear in accusing Israel of commit a “massacre” As part of a “War of genocide.”

The article finally quotes the acting director of Al Awda Hospital as saying that most of the 161 people treated appeared to have been injured by gunshot wounds. The confusing title is likely intentional, based on the fact that most people haven't bothered to read the entire article.

In a report published by Euro-Med on March 3, Euro-Med stated that members of its field team were present at the time of the incident and carried out “Israeli tanks documented their heavy shooting towards Palestinian civilians as they attempted to receive humanitarian aid.” The report goes on to quote Dr. Jadallah Al-Shafi’i, head of the nursing department at Al-Shifa Hospital, the main hospital in Gaza, saying: The victims included paramedics and rescue workers. That's when you heal “They noticed that dozens of people were killed and wounded by Israeli fire.”

The report also cites Dr. Amjad Aliwa, an emergency specialist at Al-Shifa Hospital who was also on the scene when Israel opened fire. According to Eliwa, the Israeli fire began. “As soon as the trucks arrive on Thursday at 4 a.m.”

But the February 29 massacre, while tragic, is only part of the current phase of the Israeli war on Gaza: the deliberate starvation of Palestinians. As with the massacre itself, the entire issue is subject to non-intrusive verbal treatment by the official media.

On February 29, The New York Times published an article condition whose title, “Famine stalks the children of Gaza” He suggests that the famine is a mysterious, malevolent force with a will of its own, avoiding mentioning the Israeli blockade as its clear cause.

Again, as with the Guardian article, in a few paragraphs, the New York Times article points out that “Hunger is a man-made disaster” It describes how Israeli forces prevent food deliveries and how Israeli bombing makes it dangerous to distribute aid.

As Professor Sachs advertiser, “…Israel has starved the population of Gaza. Hungry! I am not using an exaggeration, I am literally talking about starving the population. Israel is a criminal, and is in a non-stop war crime mode now. I believe in genocide mode.”

Everyone who was concerned knows that the February 29 massacre was not the first incident of its kind, and most likely it will not be the last. Topic on Twitter/X Outline This, pointing out “Before yesterday’s ‘flour massacre’, the IDF had for weeks been indiscriminately shooting starving Gazans waiting for aid trucks in the exact same place, almost every day!”

the string (Warning: graphic images!), compiled by Gaza analyst and Euro-Med communications chief Mohamed Shehadeh, gives examples of Israeli soldiers shooting Palestinians every day in the week leading up to February 29.

You can bet that if those Syrian or Russian soldiers shot starving civilians, the outrage would be on the front page, 24/7, for weeks. Regardless, they wouldn't even have to do that – the mere hint of the accusation was enough to spur the press into action.

Famine in Syria was another matter

The New York Times article cited above points this out “Reports of starvation are difficult to verify from a distance.” but 'Verify from afar” This is exactly what the New York Times and other Western media have done repeatedly in Syria over the years.

In the areas occupied (at that time) by the Al-Nusra Front, the Army of Islam, and other extremist terrorist gangs that the West and the major media called: “Rebels” It was food aid always The terrorists seized it and blocked it off from the civilian population, causing famine in some areas. Madaya, west of Damascus, east of Aleppo, and later Eastern Ghouta, were the noisiest areas. launched a campaign on In legacy media, he covered the broader US-led campaign to overthrow the Syrian government.

Claims that the government was starving civilians were mostly supported “Anonymous activists” Or activists who pledge allegiance to Al-Nusra, or even ISIS, He was very frank.

As I could see and hear whenever one of these areas was liberated, ample amounts of food and medicine were sent, but the civilians never saw this. Repeatedly in eastern Aleppo. Madaya, al-Waer, eastern GotaFor example, civilians complained that terrorist factions stockpiled food and medicine, and if they sold them to the population, they were at exorbitant prices that people could not afford.

In the old city of Homs in 2014, which at the time was called “the old city” by the old media. “Capital of the revolution” The hungry inhabitants I met told me of things precious to the West “Rebels” He stole every morsel of food from them, and anything of value as well.

However, media headlines about these areas Shouted About the famine, and outright blaming the Syrian government, and they were Accompanied by Disturbing images of emaciated civilians (some of whom were… Not even from Syria) aims to arouse strong emotions among readers and viewers. The same media largely chooses not to show it to you The emaciated, hungry Palestinians in Gaza.

Honestly, Syrian The cities that surround it Terrorist forces Besieged and bombed, hunting and hunger, received almost no media coverage. This did not fit NATO's narrative “Rebels”= Good, Asad = Bad.

But in Gaza, the world is watching in real time as Palestinians die from ongoing, preventable starvation.

Open borders

A few days ago, the Executive Director of Palestinian Medical Aid, Melanie Ward, in an interview with CNN, described Israel as the cause of the famine in Gaza.

“It's very simple: because the Israeli army won't let him in. We could end this famine tomorrow simply if they let us reach the people there. But that's not allowed. The important thing is the world [on October 9]”Nothing will get in” Ward said.

The famine was described as “The fastest decline in population nutritional status ever recorded. What that means is that children are starving at the fastest rate the world has ever seen. We could end it tomorrow, we could save them all. But we can't.”

This was echoed by UNICEF. the press release For February 2024 a report It is noted that 15.6% (one in six children) under two years of age are “Severe malnutrition” In northern Gaza. “Of these, approximately 3% suffer from severe wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, which puts young children at risk of medical complications and death unless they receive urgent treatment.” UNICEF notes.

the worst, “Since the data was collected in January, the situation is likely to be more serious today,” he added. UNICEF warns, also pointing to the rapid increase in malnutrition “Dangerous and completely preventable.”

Professor Sachs made an important point: “This will stop when the United States stops supplying ammunition to Israel. It won't stop at any self-control in Israel, there is none… They believe in ethnic cleansing or worse. The United States is the only support…that does not stop this massacre.”

Airdropping small amounts of food aid into Gaza is not the solution. It legitimizes Israel's deliberate starvation in Gaza, and makes Palestinians running for aid vulnerable to the Israeli army to maim or kill them. The only solution is to open the borders immediately and allow entry Hundreds of Aid trucks parked in Egypt. And ending the Israeli bombing of Gaza.