This week, Israel once again, carried out a severe military assault against the 1.9 million Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip. On Friday May 4, 2019, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, including a protestor on crutches. Since May 4, 2019, Israel has deployed over 320 air strikes in Gaza that have killed at least 25 Palestinians, including two pregnant women, an infant, and a toddler.The United Nations together with the international community, reiterate that Israel must halt its indiscriminate attacks and the use of excessive force against civilians in the Gaza Strip. Given the repeated calls on Israel to adhere to its obligations under international law, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is appalled by the lack of direct action by the international community to hold Israel accountable for targeting and killing Palestinian civilians, including children and infants.
The Palestinian people living in the besieged Gaza Strip live in a constant state of violence at the hands of one the most powerful militaries in the world. Yet, theAmerican media neglects to report the facts and truth of the situation. To stress the severity of Israel’s military assault, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, this is a direct result of Israel’s over a decade long illegal siege. According to the U.N, the illegal siege has created “one of the world’s largest open-air prisons.” Over 95% of the water in Gaza is deemed undrinkable, electricity is limited to only 3-6 hours per day, and the deteriorating health care system in Gaza operates in a constant crisis mode.
Additionally, human rights organizations have documented that between March 30-April 19, 2019, 204 Palestinians, including 46 children, seven persons with disability, three paramedics and two journalists have been killed as a result of Israel’s disproportionate use of force, firing live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters. In 2019 alone, Israel killed 15 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip. Given, that the U.S. provides $3.8 billion of financial aid to Israel annually, the U.S. media has a moral responsibility to report the facts and accurate information that represents the reality of how U.S. tax dollars are being used to violate the rights of the Palestinian people.
ADC emphasizes the U.N.’s repeated call to Israel to immediately stop targeting unarmed Palestinians and to lift the illegal siege on the Gaza Strip. The U.S. administration continues to implement a series of unilateral decisions that directly threaten the human rights of all people throughout the region. It is the obligation of the U.S. to uphold its international commitments, including the values of human rights, peace, and dignity for all people. The Palestinian people are not an exception.