MURDER, WITH OUR ALLIES

By Vincent Lyn

“One of the significant errors made in 1918 was sparing the civilian population of enemy countries. According to Marshal von Rundstedt, addressing the Reich War Academy in Berlin in 1943, Germany needs to maintain a numerical advantage over neighboring nations by destroying at least a third of their inhabitants. He advocated for organized underfeeding as a method preferable to machine guns. This sentiment echoed Hitler’s belief that natural instincts prompt not only the conquest but also the annihilation of enemies. Hitler argued that in the past, victors had the right to destroy entire tribes or peoples. The Reich’s deliberate and wholesale extermination of entire populations is not entirely unprecedented in history, but it is a novel concept in what we consider the civilized world. This crime lacks a name in the traditions of civilized man due to its newness and departure from established norms.”

Genocide, wrote Raphael Lemkin who originated the term, “refers to a coordinated plan aimed at destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups so that these groups wither and die like plants that have suffered a blight.”

In Gaza, crucial pillars such as healthcare, education, agriculture, water, sanitation, electricity, religious and cultural institutions, cemeteries, over 70 percent of housing, and entire neighborhoods have been decimated. This destruction has claimed the lives of over 36,000 people. The looming specter of famine and disease threatens to overshadow the daily toll of hundreds of lives lost to military airstrikes.

In the poignant words of novelist Susan Abulhawa, reflecting on her recent return from a two-week visit to Gaza: “How does one come to terms with the profound loss of an entire family, witnessing their bodies crumble amidst the rubble, while awaiting either rescue or demise? How does one grapple with the complete obliteration of their presence in the world — their home, family, friends, health, entire neighborhood, and country? No remnants remain of family photos, wedding memories, children’s laughter, or parental guidance; even the graves of loved ones and ancestors are ruthlessly bulldozed. All of this unfolds as the most formidable powers and voices denounce and hold you accountable for your dire circumstances. Genocide isn’t just mass murder. It is intentional erasure.”

The war crime of intentionally starving civilians

Michael Fakhri, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, has asserted that the civilian population in Gaza is experiencing unprecedented levels of hunger at an alarming rate, according to experts in starvation. He emphasizes that Israel’s actions are not only targeting civilians but also aiming to cripple the future of the Palestinian people, particularly their children. South Africa made another urgent appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on March 6, highlighting the dire situation and Israel’s continual violations of the Genocide Convention. It urged the ICJ to take action to prevent Palestinians in Gaza from succumbing to genocidal starvation. As of now, there has been no response to this appeal.

As of March 6, a tragic toll of at least 25 children had perished from starvation and dehydration at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. This number continues to climb steadily, exacerbated by the fact that one in six children under six years old suffers from severe malnutrition. Save the Children reports that 1.1 million children are at risk of starvation and disease due to Israel’s blockade, preventing humanitarian aid convoys from entering Gaza. In areas like Gaza City, clean water is scarce, leading to desperate measures such as 300,000 people resorting to using animal feed as a substitute for flour, resulting in the poisoning of many children. With these supplies exhausted, families are now scavenging for any remnants of food left by rats and resorting to eating leaves out of sheer desperation. For the 180 women who give birth amidst rubble and makeshift tents each day, the lack of food and water poses a dire threat. As aptly described by the U.N.’s Humanitarian Coordinator, Jamie McGoldrick, the level of hunger has reached catastrophic proportions.

This seems to be a deliberate component of Israel’s military strategy. Amnesty International has accused Israel of intentionally causing famine, a tactic it refers to as “engineering famine.” Israel is obstructing the issuance of new visas or the renewal of existing ones for international humanitarian organizations precisely when their assistance is most crucial. Furthermore, Israel has imposed limitations on the movement of UNRWA, the organization best equipped to deliver aid, and is actively seeking to dismantle it by labeling it a “terrorist organization.” (Several countries, including the EU, Spain, Sweden, and Canada, initially halted their funding to UNRWA following the US’s lead but have since resumed their support.) Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich delayed for over a month the release of a Turkish shipment of flour at the Port of Ashdod, which could have provided sustenance for hundreds of thousands of people, due to his reluctance to allow it to be transferred to UNRWA.

Of the seven border crossings into Gaza, Israel has refused to open the five into the north and center of the Strip, and has allowed its settlers to block the entry of trucks through the Kerem Shalom Crossing in the south. More than a thousand trucks have been forced to wait for weeks at a time at the Egyptian border with Rafah before their contents are scrutinized by Israel. On March 5, a British Member of Parliament stated that Israel would not permit 1,350 British-supplied water filters to enter Gaza because they posed a “threat.” The March 9 Times of Israel cited a report by a U.N. diplomat that “a truck full of aid was ordered to turn around because an Israeli inspector spotted sleeping bags that were green — the color of Hamas’s flag.”

From January 1 to February 15, Israel obstructed over half of the aid trucks bound for the north. During this period, the U.N. documented 14 incidents of shootings and shelling targeting individuals awaiting food deliveries in Gaza City.

The deadliest incident thus far has been the tragic event known as the ‘flour massacre’ on February 29. Thousands of famished individuals gathered around a private food convoy at the Nabulsi roundabout southwest of Gaza City. Regrettably, at least 118 people were fatally shot by the Israeli army or crushed in the ensuing stampede, with over 750 others sustaining injuries. Following the ‘flour massacre,’ the United States promptly intervened at the UN, working to obstruct any Security Council resolution that would hold Israel accountable for the tragedy.

US ‘solutions’ to starvation in Gaza

Since then, there have been at least two additional incidents of the Israeli army opening fire on Palestinians in Gaza City who were in desperate need of food. Furthermore, on March 6, Israel prevented 14 World Food Program (WFP) trucks from traveling north, compelling the WFP to resort to air drops of food with the assistance of the Jordanian Air Force.

As highlighted by US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in a March 7 interview with The New Yorker, the Biden Administration had the option to invoke the 1995 Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act. This legislation prohibits funding to any government that hinders the transportation or delivery of US humanitarian assistance. However, rather than utilizing this domestic law to pressure Israel into opening its northern border crossings and facilitating the swift entry of trucks at the Egyptian border, the US chose a different approach. On March 2, the US collaborated with Jordan to conduct air drops of 38,000 military-grade ready-to-eat meals (MREs) over Gaza, including into the Mediterranean Sea, using three C-130 airplanes. Unfortunately, MREs typically require access to clean water for consumption, which is lacking in the northern areas of Gaza. The five air drops conducted by the US between March 2 and March 7 have been criticized by aid agencies as ineffective and demeaning media stunts. These agencies argue that the quantity of food delivered by air is significantly less than what could be provided by the blocked trucks. Despite this, the US has denied responsibility for the deaths of five individuals near Gaza City who were crushed when a parachute failed to open.

Humanitarian organizations have expressed skepticism about the proposal outlined by President Biden during his State of the Union address: the construction of a floating pier to establish a maritime corridor between Cyprus (where Israel will inspect cargo) and Gaza’s waters. This plan involves the participation of approximately a thousand US troops in its construction, without setting foot on Gaza’s soil. Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen intend to provide up to two million meals per day. However, the logistics of unloading and distributing these meals remain unspecified. What has been clarified by the Pentagon is that the construction of the pier will take around two months, providing ample time for famine to claim more lives. The approval of the maritime corridor project by Israel raises speculation about its potential connection to Israel’s plan to develop the Gaza Marine gas fields, located 20 miles off Gaza’s coast.

Bread and Bombs

President Biden has been making efforts to reassure disenchanted members of the Democratic Party base in swing states, emphasizing his concern about the imminent famine and the military attacks on civilians. He has specifically urged Israel to refrain from launching a ground invasion of Rafah until civilians are safely evacuated, although their destination remains uncertain. Despite Israel seemingly rejecting his call for a six-week ceasefire to allow for increased aid before resuming hostilities, Biden remains resolute. On March 9, he affirmed his commitment to never “leave Israel,” emphasizing the critical nature of defending the country. He stated, “the defense of Israel is still critical, so there’s no red line [where] I’m going to cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.”

His Administration’s commitment to ensuring Israel’s military strength was laid bare in a Washington Post article. It disclosed that the US had “provided over 100 separate foreign military sales to Israel since the onset of the Gaza conflict on October 7,” including a multitude of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms, and other lethal equipment. These shipments, dispatched in small increments to evade Congressional oversight, supplement the substantial annual arms transfers endorsed by Congress and the two significant ‘emergency’ military shipments dispatched during the Gaza conflict without Congressional authorization.

On March 8, the Center for Constitutional Rights, alongside Palestinian plaintiffs, submitted an accelerated appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. This appeal pertains to their case, accusing President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin of being complicit in genocide.

Decades of Dehumanization

While western leaders often emphasize Israel’s right to self-defense and the necessity of combating Hamas, they have largely overlooked the systematic dehumanization of the entire Palestinian population. Incidents of physical abuse and humiliation are commonplace on the streets of Gaza and the West Bank, with numerous reports documenting torture and sexual assault within Israel’s detention facilities. Israeli soldiers have even posted images and videos reminiscent of the Abu Ghraib scandal, depicting the degradation and mistreatment of prisoners, often stripped naked. According to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, some employees of the organization have confessed under duress to alleged ties with Hamas. Disturbingly, at least 27 detainees from Gaza have died in Israeli military custody since the commencement of the conflict.

The dehumanization of Palestinians that is the fuel of ethnic cleansing long predates the October 7 attack. During the unarmed civil uprising known as the Intifada — when the Israeli Civil Administration, army and settlers were still located within the Gaza Strip and the newly-emerged Hamas was favored by Israel in order to undermine support for the Palestine Liberation Organization,

The scourge of genocide has been evolving over several decades — crimes, but no punishment. Where individuals commit acts that are universally condemned as unethical or immoral, yet they face no tangible consequences, leaving questions about justice and moral accountability unanswered, similarly where oppressive regimes or authoritarian governments maintain control by allowing certain crimes to go unpunished, instilling fear or apathy in the population. In the case of Benjamin Netanyahu whose position of power to commit crimes with impunity due to his influence, leading to a lack of punishment. For Israel, it is already eroding trust in its institutions and will have far-reaching consequences for governance and democracy.

Vincent Lyn

CEO & Founder of We Can Save Children

Deputy Ambassador of International Human Rights Commission (IHRC)

Director of Creative Development at African Views Organization

Economic & Social Council at United Nations (ECOSOC)

Rescue & Recovery Specialist at International Confederation of Police & Security Experts