Despite US elections, Harris, Democrats green-light genocide

Israel’s mass killings across northern Gaza have increased. Its bombings across densely populated areas of Lebanon continue daily. The constant Israeli attacks have caused the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and extensive destruction of residential buildings and public infrastructure, particularly intensifying in northern Gaza, where over 400,000 people have sought shelter in recent days.

Since early October 2024, more than 55,000 Palestinians have been displaced from the Jabaliya area alone, with many still trapped in their homes, facing imposed critical shortages of water and food. The collapse of essential services exacerbates the humanitarian crisis: only three out of ten hospitals in northern Gaza remain operational, operating at minimal capacity. These hospitals are struggling with severe shortages of fuel, blood, trauma treatments, and medications, forcing women to give birth amidst heavy bombardment. On 15 October, 2024, WHO warned that Kamal Adwan hospital remains overwhelmed, handling 50 to 70 new injured patients daily despite partial evacuations. This is a manufactured state of crisis, as Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and its complete siege of northern Gaza, continues to prevent aid trucks from delivering food, water, or medical supplies to a captive population.

The human toll is stark, with the Gaza Ministry of Health reporting at least 42,344 Palestinians killed and 99,013 injured from 7 October 2023 to 15 October 2024. We know that these numbers are vast undercounts and do not reflect the true severity of the situation, as they only include people whose bodies have been both recovered and identified. The true death count is likely in the hundreds of thousands.

Northern Gaza specifically has seen numerous massacres in the last days alone, particularly impacting UNRWA installations, resulting in many deaths and injuries. Five new attacks were reported during the latest period, including airstrikes on UNRWA schools and distribution centers in Jabalia camp. On 14 October, Israeli airstrikes near a UNRWA school injured three children, while shelling at a distribution center resulted in ten deaths and over forty injuries. Additional attacks on safe zones have led to significant casualties among internally displaced persons (IDPs). Israel has killed at least 563 IDPs and 1,790 injured in these attacks since October.

Despite White House assurances on the delivery of aid, only 93 humanitarian trucks were allowed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing from 1 to 7 October, a stark decline from the pre-October 7, 2023 average. Israel continues to disrupt the work of aid agencies, with less than a third of coordinated movements facilitated without major issues. As a result, essential supplies like food, fuel, and medical resources are critically low, jeopardizing the population's survival. This, as noted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is by design.

Water and sanitation infrastructure is largely nonfunctional, with up to 85% of facilities out of service, leading to reduced water supply and contamination issues. The WASH Cluster reports that two-thirds of Gaza families access less than 6 liters of water per person daily, and only a quarter have access to soap. Again, this isn’t a byproduct of war but rather a strategy implemented by the Israeli government to maximize suffering and death. Images of the children of Gaza with skin diseases and infections are all over social media as parents plead for help.

Israel has taken these same methods of indigenous elimination and applied them to its attack on Lebanon. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports a total of 779,613 IDPs in Lebanon as of 16 October, with ongoing displacements due to continued Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and other regions. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reports 2,309 deaths and 10,782 injuries, while UNICEF notes 890 children injured and 127 killed, and over 400,000 children displaced in the past three weeks.

As disrupting the work of aid agencies has proven an effective measure by Israel’s standards, this method is being applied in a new context: WHO has verified at least 23 attacks on healthcare since 17 September, resulting in 72 deaths and 43 injuries among health workers and patients across Lebanon. Hospitals are overwhelmed by the influx of wounded people.

It’s also critical to remember that across the West Bank, the Israeli regime continues to animate matrix violence characterized by military raids, road closures, coordinated settler attacks, and kidnappings. Nearly every metric for measuring Israeli settler-colonial violence is up. This is all part of the same goal of indigenous elimination in order to seize control of more land, resources, and therefore power for the settler class. Here is a snapshot of the last few days.

Summary of violence

West Bank 10.19.2024

Jerusalem:

• Several temporary checkpoints were set up in the old city of Jerusalem and at the entrances to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to check Palestinians’ identities and obstruct access to the religious site.
• The occupation forces stormed the town of Hizma, detained children, and later released them.
• Israeli forces invaded Abu Dis and Qalandia camp, where they raided homes.
• Israeli forces carried out arrests and abductions in Sheikh Jarrah, and organized a sudden checkpoint in Qalandia.
• The occupation forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas at Palestinians near the Shuafat checkpoint and in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood, citing stone-throwing as a reason.

Ramallah:

• Israeli forces set up temporary checkpoints at the entrances to several towns, including Tarmasia, Rawabi, and Beit Awar Al-Tahta, causing delays.
• The occupation forces stormed the Jalazoun camp, running over two Palestinian residents, and invaded several towns, including Al-Bireh, Al-Mazra’a, and Medea.
• Settlers attacked farmers in Deir Jarir and Mughayyir.
• Israeli forces temporarily closed roads, including the Iron Gate near the town Atara.

Jenin:

• Israeli forces invaded villages including Al-Jalmah, Harithiya, Juloun, Arana, and others. During one raid, they occupied a house in Jalaboun, turning it into a military post.
• Occupation forces arrested and abducted one citizen in Qabatiya.

Tulkarm:

• Israeli forces closed the Ainaf checkpoint.
• The occupation forces invaded Anabta, Ramin, and Ezbet Chouf, carrying out surveillance in these areas.

Qalqilya:

• Israeli forces set up temporary checkpoints on roads near the village Gius, and near Kafr Qaddum.
• Israeli forces carried out invasions of Kafr Qaddum, Azzun, and other locations.
• Israeli forces fired rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas at Palestinian residents during a raid in Kafr Qaddum.

Nablus:

• Israeli forces have kept the Hawara checkpoint closed, and tightened checkpoints near Deir Sharaf and Awarta, causing traffic delays and restricted mobility for Palestinians.
• Israeli forces invaded several towns, including Douma, Beita, and Qablan. They also invaded Al-Sarraj Medical Center, and confiscated surveillance recordings.
• Settlers attacked farmers, expelling them from their lands and seizing livestock.

Salfit:

• Occupation forces invaded Deir Istiya, Rafat, Biddya, and Salfit, where a child was wounded during the raid.
• Settlers attacked residents in Wadi Qana and Kafr El-Deek, stealing equipment and beating farmers.

Jericho:

• The occupation forces tightened procedures at the Hamra checkpoint and set up temporary checkpoints at entrances to Jericho.

Bethlehem:

• Occupation forces set up temporary checkpoints at the northern entrance to Khulail Al-Luz, and the entrance to Bethlehem.
• The occupation forces stormed several villages, including Al-Khader, Harmala, and Abu Njeim, surveilling the towns.

Hebron:

• Israeli forces set up temporary checkpoints at the entrances to Bani Naim, Yatta, and Jabal Al-Rahma.
• Occupation forces invaded Hebron city, Yatta, Beit Awa, and other villages, where they also raided homes.
• Settlers attacked residents in the village of Susiya, injuring an international solidarity activist.

Oct 18, 2024

Jerusalem:

• Israeli forces set up temporary checkpoints at Bab Al-Asbat and Bedou Tunnel to inspect vehicles and check Palestinians’ identities.
• Israeli forces invaded the villages of Bir Nabala and others.
• Settler attacks in Bab Al-Khalil and Ras Al-Amoud areas targeted residents' vehicles.
• Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection.

Ramallah:

• Israeli forces set up multiple temporary checkpoints at entrances to towns including Turmus ‘Ayya, Rawabi, and Aboud, causing delays.
• Israeli forces invaded several towns, including Ain Qinia, Beit Liqya, Bir Zeit, and Nabi Saleh.
• Israeli forces imposed road closures at several different locations

Jenin:

• Israeli forces invaded Silat Al-Dhahr and Al-Jalamah.
• Occupation forces used live ammunition against residents, resulting in the death of Hanan Abdul Rahman Abu Salama, 59, near the village of Faqqu’a.

Tubas:

• Israeli forces set up military checkpoints, and invaded Tubas and Tayasir, damaging property.

Tulkarm:

• Israeli forces invaded several towns, including Shuwaika, Anabta, and ‘Illar, and arrested and abducted local residents.
• Two arrests were reported: Sana Salim Abdel Rahman Amer and Muhammad Anwar Dawood Nasser.

Qalqilya:

• Israeli forces set up temporary checkpoints near Azzun and Qalqilya.
• Occupation forces invaded Kafr Thuni, Azzun, and Sanniriya. Three residents were arrested and abducted.
• Settler attacks in Kafr Qaddum included preventing farmers from harvesting olives.

Nablus:

• Israeli forces continued to maintain the closure of Hawara checkpoint, with tightened procedures at other local checkpoints.
• Occupation forces invaded Beit Furik, Beita, and other villages, resulting in clashes and injuries to three Palestinian residents.
• Settler attacks targeted farmers and damaged property in Burin, Jaloud, and Hawara.

Salfit:

• Israeli forces set up temporary checkpoints in Deir Istiya and Salfit entrances.
• Occupation forces invaded multiple towns, including Biddya, Qarawah Bani Hassan, and Deir Ballout.
• Settlers attacked farmers in Yasuf, causing injuries and power outages.

Jericho:

• Israeli forces set up military checkpoints, and the occupation forces invaded Jericho and its camps.

Bethlehem:

• Occupation forces set up temporary checkpoints near the northern entrance of Tuqu’a.
• Israeli forces invaded Beit Fajjar, leading to confrontations with local residents, and injuries to three Palestinians.
• One citizen, Saleh Muhammad Salih Humaran, was arrested and abducted in Husan.

Hebron:

• Israeli forces set up temporary checkpoints at the entrance of Bani Na’im.
• Israeli forces invaded towns including Al-Samou’, Yatta, and Al-Fawwar camp, resulting in arrests and injuries to three Palestinians.
• Settlers attacked vehicles near Halhoul and disrupted prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque.