Palestinians say this war is robbing them not only of their loved ones but also of the funeral rites that long have offered mourners some dignity and closure in the midst of unbearable grief. Israeli strikes have killed so many people so quickly that they’ve overwhelmed hospitals and morgues, making the normal rituals of death all but impossible.
Overflowing morgues have compelled hospitals to bury people before their relatives can claim them. Gravediggers have laid dozens of unidentified bodies side by side in two large backhoe-dug furrows in Gaza City now holding 63 and 46 bodies, respectively, said Mohammed Abu Selmia, the general director of Shifa Hospital.
I’m fifty, American and have always had a problem with our unconditional support of Israel, no matter how poorly they behaved. The only silver lining of this entire catastrophy is the fact that, despite all efforts to the contrary, the Gaza narrative has been mainly focused on the suffering of the Palestinian people. It’s the first time that I can remember where this has been the main media focus; even mainstream outlets.
I used to think that it was only in Apartheid-South Africa that we were exposed to only the most flowery pro-Israeli propaganda while the PLO was smeared as a demonic and terrorist “other” in much the same way Hamas is being smeared right now - I thought wrong.
The fact that the National Party (of Apartheid-fame) were filled to the brim with people who believed the Nazis “did nothing wrong” really puts this bizarre right-wing and white supremacist fetishization of Israel in a proper context.
This isnt a war,this is genocide.
You are saying this underneath an article about nearly 8,000 people being killed in a 3 week span in an area that is nearly 50% children.
Question whatever it was that resulted in you thinking this was a normal thing to say.
A single stray rocket from within Gaza killed 500 people. Israel has dropped over 10,000 bombs so far. If Israel was trying to commit genocide or intentionally hit civilians the numbers would be astronomical with regards to death toll. It is, of course, terrible that there is 7000+ dead, but a word like genocide has a specific meaning, and to use it in this context takes weight away from the word and therefore marginalizes the term being used for ACTUAL genocides.
My entire living family isn’t even 25 people…to lose that many and more would be beyond comprehension. It’s horrific, irrespective of whatever politics you might support. Dead kids with numbers on their arms … nightmare.
Even in death there is no peace or dignity for Palestinians, it is absolutely tragic.
When your government refuses to negotiate for viable peace then ramps up hostilities by invading and murdering hundreds of innocent civilians
“Why can’t we have peace?”
Guess it’s a mystery.
You can’t really say it’s “their government” when the Palestinians in Gaza haven’t had free and fair elections in years. Hamas has fucked the civilians in both Israel and Gaza. Civilians of either country who don’t support the aggressive actions of “their side” (countinued settlement, terrorism) shouldn’t be suffering as a result.
You can’t really say it’s “their government” when the Palestinians in Gaza haven’t had free and fair elections in years.
Many people live under governments that are not democracies, those are still their governments. Last time Gaza did have free elections, they elected Hamas.
Hamas has fucked the civilians in both Israel and Gaza.
They sure have.
Civilians of either country who don’t support the aggressive actions of “their side” (countinued settlement, terrorism) shouldn’t be suffering as a result.
And yet that’s predictably what always happens in war. I’m sure that there were many innocent civilians who opposed Nazi policies in Germany, yet still shared consequences of the regime that they lived under.
Honestly if killing Palestinian civilians and medical staff and journalists is justifying because of the Hamas attack, doesn’t that also mean the Hamas aerracks are justified against cilivlians because of Israel’s long list of apartheid and war crimes?
The answer is no to both. Nothing justifies this.
This false equivalency only makes sense if you ignore the difference between intentionally targeting civilians and collateral damage.
Guess it’s a mystery.
Yeah! Just like the Warsaw Uprising of 1943 was a complete mystery! Why wouldn’t those ungrateful Jewish people just accept the wondrous peace the Nazis was offering them, eh? It’s a travesty, I tell you!
(/s - for the people on here that arent rabid white supremacists like the one I’m responding to)
that’s awful - being unable to get closure
Yes. In no way am I comparing my situation to what the Palestinians are going through, but I was unable to visit my brother’s memorial service or grave, and it messed with my head for 5 years. I cannot imagine what it’s like knowing your loved ones are dumped somewhere in a mass grave you can never find.
Yeah my dad passed just when COVID was at its worst, and we just didn’t feel comfortable having a service, and i still sometimes feel guilty about it. And I’m not religious at all anymore, and even my family’s religious background it’s not like there’s anything special that must be done. I can’t imagine how shitty it feels when you do have specific beliefs and practices that you’re really supposed to observe. On top of them just being tossed in a pit somewhere with so many others.
yeah, assuming there’s enough left to get buried at all. my condolences for your situation
