I think I’ve been talking and writing about Gaza for at least the past three years. Yes, even before October 7, 2023. That’s because between 2013 and 2023, 2.1 million Palestinians lived in Gaza, which is smaller than County Louth, Ireland’s smallest county.
In this shockingly tight region, 40% of the population was under 14 years old. Some 53% of people in this shockingly tight region, yes over half lived below the poverty line. Bombings around Gaza city were a frequent occurrence, and 87% of children risked developing post-traumatic stress. Between 2013 and October 6, 2023, the IDF killed some 6, 735 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
In October 2023, as the world knows, Hamas attacked a location in Israel and killed some 2,000 Israelis. This was a brutal attack, but as we see, it was just one-third the number of Palestinians killed by the IDF over the previous ten years.
Since then, Israel has unleashed violence on Gaza, a conservative estimate of Palestinians killed by the IDF is somewhere around 50,000 and being added to every day, as food, water and medical supplies have been cut off by Israel.
I list these figures to support two points only. One, the state of Israel has been killing Palestinians for years before Octber 7, 2023. Would these killings have had anything to do with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023? There clearly is: October 7 has been compared to a prison break and its brutality does not take away to any degree that description.
The second point is the use of the term ‘war in Gaza’. If you hear a news outlet use this term, you’ll know that they are twisting the truth – better known as lying. There is no war in Gaza. There is a clear attempt to destroy Gaza and evict or kill any Palestinians the IDF comes on.
I don’t need to tell you these things – you know them already. The question that history will ask will be “What did you do to prevent this genocide?”
In recent days,both Micheál Martin and Simon Harris have denounced what’s happening in Gaza. Question: 50,000 people had to be killed before you noticed what was going on?You should have been screaming it from the rooftops for well over a year now. Ireland’s political leaders shame us beyond words.
Very well said Jude. I gave up on RTE news. I Dont watch it anymore. I dont think they so much fear telling the truth about the Israelis, but they are more afraid of their own government and the money that comes from the TV licence.
I get my news now from Virgin TV. Its more of a tabloid network which likes reporting more about film and sports celebrities, than the real news that matters, but when it comes to Gaza and the Israelis, it seems to have far more freedom to say it as it is. at least you dont get the feeling that the person reading out the reports knows they are telling you porky’s !
What are the other Muslim countries in the region doing in the meantime to help Palestine during the so called “genocide”? This constant guilt tripping by Irish commentators such as yourself Jude is getting tiresome.
Anyway, so long as Hamas exist, Israel will keep attacking Palestine, it’s that simple. The attack on October 7th was the largest killing of Jews since WW2.
As far as Israel are concerned Hamas are an existential threat to the Jewish race. If you care so much about Palestine you should be calling for Hamas to completely disband and for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. Then Netanyahu would lose the leverage he has at the moment.
Like all wars, it is the innocents who suffer most. The people who support Israel do not give a fig for the Palestinians, the people who support Hamas could not care less for the Jews. Israel has a bigger military, Hamas are more fanatical. If Hamas had the weaponry they would destroy Israel. I am not sure how much diplomatic pressure can be brought to bear on that crook Netanyahu. Maybe Pope Leo can help.