Israel Has Committed Genocide, Amnesty International Concludes
And more updates from the region.
Before addressing Gaza in the newsletter, I want to briefly link a video I made on the connections between Trump’s mass deportation agenda and the private prison industry. It cites HuffPost reporting, and I uploaded it to TikTok and Instagram. There’s much more to say, but for now, it’s crucial to note that cruelty to immigrants is a truly bipartisan practice in America. Obama was the “deporter in chief” and Biden is arguably the “returner in chief.” (For more information on these distinctions, read this.)
Just as Biden could commute the death sentences of everyone on death row, he could also release people en masse from immigration detention – this is separate from detention in a prison for violent criminals, after all – and shut down or stop new private immigration detention commissions, as activists have called on him to do. He likely won’t do these things, but that’s his choice, not Trump’s.
Semi-relatedly, The Washington Post, Lighthouse Reports and El Universal have put out a stunning story analyzing data on drownings at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years. To Gaza:
Amnesty International this week became the latest international humanitarian organization to refer to Israel’s war in Gaza as a “genocide.” Here’s the topline summary from their 296-page report:
“This report documents Israel’s actions during its offensive on the occupied Gaza Strip from 7 October 2023. It examines the killing of civilians, damage to and destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcible displacement, the obstruction or denial of life-saving goods and humanitarian aid, and the restriction of power supplies. It analyses Israel’s intent through this pattern of conduct and statements by Israeli decision-makers. It concludes that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
And here’s the beginning of Akbar Shahid Ahmed’s HuffPost story on the report:
Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the human rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday, in a campaign that’s benefited from huge military and diplomatic support from the United States.
The declaration from Amnesty, an influential watchdog organization with wide international reach and respect, represents a significant addition to the chorus of accusations that the U.S.-backed Israeli offensive constitutes a genocide – one of the gravest possible violations. Its decision was based on more than 200 interviews and a review of visual and digital documentation of Israeli conduct in Gaza, as well as media coverage, reports by the United Nations and humanitarian organizations and statements by Israeli officials and Palestinian groups in Gaza.
“Amnesty International concedes that identifying genocide in armed conflict is complex and challenging, because of the multiple objectives that may exist simultaneously. Nonetheless, it is critical to recognize genocide when it occurs in the context of armed conflict, and to insist that war can never excuse it,” the group’s report reads.
The report cites in particular the “relentless” Israeli attacks on civilians, infrastructure and cultural sites, and the U.S.-backed offensive’s displacement of around 2 million Palestinians “into ever-shrinking, ever-changing pockets of land … forcing people to live in conditions that exposed them to a slow and calculated death.”
CNN, “‘They killed him on the spot.’ Israel targeted Gaza soup kitchen chef in drone attack, brother says” (Dec. 4, 2024)
UN OCHA offers more detail in a Dec. 3 update on the ongoing Israeli siege of northern Gaza. This map from them is also useful.
Since I last checked in two weeks ago, the death toll in Gaza has climbed from 44,211 to 44,708, according to Gaza health authorities.
More reading on relevant news on the West Bank:
NBC News, “Israeli minister draws criticism for saying Trump's win is an opportunity to annex parts of the West Bank” (Nov. 12, 2024)
Times of Israel, “Trump nominations set stage for fresh clash between annexation, normalization backers” (Dec. 6, 2024)
“...with Trump set to return to office as that deadline expires, proponents of annexation are again confident that their time has come.”
On Lebanon:
Washington Post, “Israeli strikes continue amid cease-fire deal with Hezbollah” (Nov. 30, 2024)
Al Jazeera, “Updates: Israel bombs Lebanon, killing 9 in biggest attack since truce deal” (Dec. 2, 2024)
Atlantic Council, “A ceasefire happened in Lebanon, but Israel seems to have missed the memo” (Dec. 5, 2024)
On Syria:
Al Jazeera, “Israel grabs land in Syria’s Golan Heights, warns villagers to stay home” (Dec. 8, 2024)
What I Wrote
HuffPost, “Trump Defense Secretary Pick Thinks ‘Marxists Are Our Enemies’” (Nov. 26, 2024)
HuffPost, “Dr. Oz Videos Hawked Supplements Without Disclosing ‘Stakeholder’ Status In Company: Letter” (Dec. 3, 2024)