Corpse dump in Gaza, war crimes, Israel mulls possible preemptive strike on Iran

If Americans Knew – IsraelPalestineNews: Israel hands over bags of decomposed bodies; Amnesty: Israel committing war crimes against Palestinian prisoners; US reportedly signs off on indefinite war; Hamas is in better shape than Netanyahu claims; Israel may strike Iran again; Netanyahu makes Israeli ethnic cleansing proponent official spokesperson; Smotrich makes blatant pro-ethnic cleansing statements; update on UNRWA October 7th probe; US is in the middle of Middle East activities; more.

By IAK staff, from reports.

Five police officers killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza

Middle East Eye reports: At least five members of the Palestinian police force were killed in an Israeli air raid targeting the vehicle they were traveling in, said Gaza’s interior ministry.

“The Israeli occupation continues its crimes against our people, as well as its direct targeting of members of the police force as part of its efforts to strike the home front and spread chaos in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry said.

“We call on the international community to put pressure on the occupation to stop its direct and repeated targeting of police officers, as they are civil protection personnel, as targeting them is a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” they added.

Israel has been targeting police officers and officials in Gaza throughout the war. Analysts say it is a deliberate attempt to create chaos. The absence of policing has created a state of lawlessness in Gaza.

Israel returns ‘unidentifiable’ bodies of 80 Palestinians to Gaza

Middle East Monitor reports: Israeli occupation authorities today handed over the bodies of more than 80 Palestinians killed in various circumstances during the Gaza war.

The corpses were transferred to the Strip in coordination with the International Red Cross (ICRC), which in turn handed them over to the Ministry of Health in Gaza in the city of Khan Yunis, where they were buried in a mass grave and a ceremony took place.

According to sources, the bodies were in different stages of decomposition and most had numbers but no names and were not identified.

Some 10,000 Palestinians are missing from Gaza, including those forcibly disappeared by Israel and the bodies of those Israel has exhumed from cemeteries across the enclave.

As a result of the occupation forces’ bombing campaign, medical facilities are very limited in Gaza and DNA tests cannot be carried out on the bodies returned today in an effort to identify them.

AL JAZEERA ADDS a quote from the Gaza Government Media office: “Over the course of 304 days of the genocide, the occupation has kidnapped more than 2,000 bodies of martyrs and dead people from dozens of cemeteries in the governorates of the Gaza Strip, which the occupation bulldozed with bulldozers and military vehicles and turned their graves over, in a scene that violates humanity and human feelings.”

Torture, sexual violence against Palestinian detainees ‘war crimes’, Amnesty says

Andalou Agency reports: Israel’s inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman Prison in southern Israel, including torture and sexual violence, are “war crimes,” according to an official of Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog.

“In its recent research, Amnesty International documented the harrowing torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman military camp and other detention facilities,” Sara Hashash, deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, told Anadolu.

Hashash added that in the context of an armed conflict, torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, are “war crimes.”

She said the organization interviewed 27 former detainees — all civilians arrested from the occupied Gaza Strip — including 20 men, six women and one child, who were held for periods ranging from two weeks to up to 140 days in military or Israeli Prison Service-run detention facilities.

“All of them said that during their incommunicado detention, Israeli military, intelligence and police forces subjected them to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” she added.

These accounts are consistent with findings of other human rights organizations and the UN bodies as well as numerous reports based on accounts of whistleblowers and released detainees, she added.

Regarding the reported gang-rape of a Palestinian detainee at the facility, she said the incident provided further evidence of the horrifying torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees that Amnesty International has already documented in its recent research.

Due to Israel’s poor track record on impartial investigation, she said there must be an independent impartial investigation by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Prosecutor’s office to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice and to deter future violations.

She highlighted the urgent need for Israel to grant immediate access for independent monitors to places of detention.

US ‘guarantees’ Israel can resume Gaza war after captive swap: Report

The Cradle reports: The US has agreed to guarantee that Israel will be able to resume the war against the Palestinian resistance in Gaza after the first phase of an exchange deal, according to Hebrew media.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth and Haaretz, Washington has not yet given a written commitment, but has agreed in principle to the idea of Israel resuming the war once captives are exchanged.

Netanyahu is “still waiting for a letter of commitment from the Americans. This is a letter regarding the possibility of continuing the war between the first and second stages of the exchange deal,” Yedioth Ahronoth’s Ynet news site reported on 5 August, citing “prominent” sources.

“Netanyahu intends to demand, among other things, the disarmament of Hamas and the removal of its leadership, as a condition for the second part of the deal … they are not expected to go up well [in the security establishment],” it added.

“The US had already agreed to give this letter, in one form or another, and there are already drafts.”

US President Joe Biden responded to the ICC arrest warrant request for Israel's leaders by condemning it. — US President Joe Biden responded to the ICC arrest warrant request for Israel’s leaders by condemning it.

Ceasefire negotiations on hold until after Iran retaliation, replacement of Haniyeh: Report

Times of Israel reports: Negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire are currently on hold and are not expected to resume until after Iran carries out its promised retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The negotiations are also on pause until Hamas selects a replacement for its politburo chief, according to two officials familiar with the situation.

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Netanyahu says ‘victory’ over Hamas is in sight. The data tells a different story

CNN reports: Nearly half of Hamas’ military battalions in northern and central Gaza have rebuilt some of their fighting capabilities despite more than nine months of Israel’s brutal offensive, according to analyses by the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, the Institute for the Study of War and CNN.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, has repeatedly said that Israeli forces are nearing their stated goal of eliminating Hamas and destroying its military capabilities. Addressing a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, he said: “Victory is in sight.”

But forensic analyses of Hamas’ military operations since it led attacks against Israel on October 7, which draw on Israeli and Hamas military statements, footage from the ground and interviews with experts and eyewitnesses, indicate that Israel has only destroyed three of the Qassam Brigades’ 24 fighting battalions.

The research, which covers Hamas’ activities up until July, shows that the group appears to have made effective use of dwindling resources on the ground. Several units have made a comeback in key areas cleared by the Israeli military after pitched battles and intensive bombardment, according to the new analyses, salvaging the remnants of their battalions in a desperate bid to replenish their ranks.

(Read the full article here.)

The Jibaliya refugee camp in Gaza City, 27 July. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Israel signals readiness for pre-emptive strikes against Iran, Hezbollah

Middle East Monitor reports: Israel has reportedly left the door open for possible pre-emptive strikes against Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, according to remarks made by government spokesperson David Mencer.

During a press briefing yesterday, Mencer neither confirmed nor denied whether the United States is preventing Israel from conducting pre-emptive strikes against Iran and Hezbollah amidst threats of retaliation for assassinations in Tehran and Beirut.

“In the past, we have carried out some remarkable pre-emptive strikes and did not wait for an attack on us when an attack appeared imminent,” Mencer said.

“Israel will take the appropriate action decided by its elected government to protect the people, and there is no doubt this country will be safeguarded,” he continued.

“If any pre-emptive action needs to be taken, it will be authorized by the government and directed to the Israeli military, which will carry out the government’s decisions.”

srael has raised its state of alert in recent days, anticipating military retaliation from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday, and prominent Hezbollah military leader Fuad Shukr in Beirut a day earlier.

Meanwhile, Israeli calls have intensified for “pre-emptive strikes” to prevent a potential retaliation.

Tanks, armored personnel carriers and military jeeps belonging to the Israeli army are seen from the areas close to the Israel – Gaza Strip border line while Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, which started on October 7, continue uninterruptedly in Israel on July 02, 2024. [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

Netanyahu Appoints New Spokesman Who Wants Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza

Ha’aretz reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Dr. Omer Dostri as his new official spokesperson. Dostri has publicly shared his support for the voluntary [sic] transfer of Gazans, Jewish settlement of the Gaza Strip, and opposition to a Palestinian state. He will be responsible for leading the communications division in the Prime Minister’s Office.

In his writings, Dostri has described the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state as a “disaster for Israel.” Writing in January, Dostri said, “There is no victory over Hamas without three basic conditions: military occupation of the entire Gaza Strip, military and civilian control of the area, and encouragement of voluntary migration of Gazans out of the strip.”

In December, he called for the Egyptian president to be promised “an economic and perhaps even security package” to agree to the transfer of “Gaza refugees to Sinai, even if only temporarily.”

He wrote, “Israel must order the rapid establishment of Israeli settlements in many of the areas it occupies, especially those close to the current border.”

He explained that “more than killing terrorist operatives and senior leaders, more than destroying buildings and infrastructure, more than capturing prisoners – the extremist Islamic enemy will be struck down and fall to the ground when Israeli settlements are built on the ruins of its territory. This will be the true, significant, and most deterrent Israeli victory.”

NOTE: In reality, International law supports the efforts of resistance groups against an occupying power, even to the point of armed resistance.

Hamas has clearly and openly stated that its enemy is not the Jewish people, but the racist ideology of Zionism – the ideology under which Israel dispossessed 750,000 Palestinian people, exiled them to Gaza and other locations, and continues to oppress and ethnically cleanse their population.

The use of words like “terrorist” and “extremist” for a group that resists occupation and oppression is a political, not fact-based choice.

Smotrich: Israel is expanding settlements to block Palestinian statehood

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that Israel has expanded the construction of settlements “to remove the threat” of Palestinian statehood.

The far-right minister stated that “this agenda” would be blocked through “strengthening settlements in construction, development, establishment and regulation of settlements and infrastructure”.

“Stopping the Arab takeover of the open areas, fighting the terrorist financing of the Palestinian Authority and its leaders and complete Israeli control of the territory [the occupied West Bank]. This is the only way,” Smotrich added.

Western countries, including the US, have repeatedly expressed support for the creation of a Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution.

Blocking aid to Gaza ‘justified and moral’ even if 2 million civilians starve, Israel minister says

Middle East Monitor reports: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced today that blocking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip might be “justified and moral,” even if it results in the starvation of two million civilians.

“We are bringing in aid because there is no choice. We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. Nobody will let us cause two million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned…We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war.” he said.

According to the Times of Israel, the far-right minister further claimed that Israel needs to regain complete control over what enters the Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas diverting the aid is the “main factor” prolonging the war.

COMMON DREAMS ADDS: Peace Now, an anti-occupation Israeli group, condemned Smotrich’s remarks in several social media posts, expressing disbelief that a “senior member of our government” would say such a thing and arguing that it would be “justified” for the U.S. to sanction Smotrich.

“All the way to the Hague,” Peace Now wrote, suggesting that Smotrich or other Israeli leaders were guilty of war crimes.

Once again, we hear a top Israeli govt official saying the quiet part out loud. If the Biden admin can't bring themselves to take action to stop the genocide, forced starvation, ethnic cleansing &mass destruction of civilian infrastructure, they should at least be able to condemn… https://t.co/0wNr3BmgZg

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) August 5, 2024

Inconclusive UN probe says nine UNRWA workers ‘may have’ been involved in 7 October attacks on Israel

Middle East Eye reports: An internal UN investigation concluded in a highly-anticipated investigation that nine staff members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) “may have been involved” in the 7 October attacks on southern Israel last year.

UNRWA has fired those employees and said they can no longer work for the agency but did not say that the evidence of those employees’ alleged involvement was concrete.

“The evidence – if authenticated and corroborated – could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks of 7 October,” Philippe Lazzarini, Unrwa commissioner general, said in a statement on Monday.

“I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency.”

RECOMMENDED VIEWING: Chris Guiness on UNRWA report

UNRWA is the key agency providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza [GETTY]

Four of the Palestinians killed overnight Monday in the West Bank.

Four Palestinians are killed in Israeli raid in West Bank

The New Arab reports: The Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday that Israeli forces carried out a raid overnight Monday in the village of Aqaaba in the northern West Bank, killing four.

Those killed included two 19-year-olds and a 14-year-old.

IMEMC ADDS: Several Israeli military vehicles invaded Aqaba town, leading to protests before the army fired barrages of live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs.

More than ten Palestinians were injured in the incident.

US CENTCOM chief in Israel for ‘preparations’ against Iran, Hezbollah

Axios reports: The U.S. general in charge of American forces in the Middle East arrived in the region on Saturday as preparations continue for a possible attack against Israel from Iran in retaliation for the assassinations of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, two U.S. officials said.

Gen. Michael Kurilla’s trip to the region was planned before the recent escalation between Israel, Iran and Hezbollah but he is expected to use the trip to try to mobilize the same international and regional coalition that defended Israel against an attack from Iran on Apr. 13, a U.S. official said.

A U.S. official said the Biden administration wanted to announce the boosting of U.S. forces on Friday as Iran and Hezbollah were still discussing what their retaliation would look like with the hope that the announcement would help to deter them and influence their military plans. [

[For info on Iran go here.]

State Dept calls for Iran to waive its right to self-defense

State Dept press briefing: When asked whether various countries are intervening with Iran to de-escalate the situation with Israel, State Dept spokesperson Matt Miller said that the US has been urging countries to “make clear to Iran that it is very much not in their interests to escalate this conflict, that it is very much not in their interests to launch another attack on Israel.

A reporter seeking clarification asked, “So there’s a consensus position against escalation, but is there a consensus on whether Iran does have the right to launch any kind of retaliatory act?”

Miller replied, “I’m going to answer that question this way: The right is one question; what’s productive is another. And ultimately, we don’t think it’s productive or conducive to anyone’s interests, including Iran’s, to conduct further actions, be they retaliatory or not. Any further action by Iran just raises the risk of increased tensions.”

U.S. personnel hurt in attack against base in Iraq, officials say

Reuters reports: Several U.S. personnel were injured in an attack against a military base in Iraq on Monday, three U.S. officials told Reuters.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the suspected rocket attack took place at Al Asad airbase in Iraq. They said they were citing initial information which could change.

Two Katyusha rockets were fired at al Asad airbase in western Iraq, two Iraqi security sources said. One Iraqi security source said the rockets fell inside the base. It was unclear whether the attack was linked to threats by Iran to retaliate over the killings.

AL JAZEERA ADDS: According to the White House’s press office, President Biden discussed with his national security team steps the US is taking to defend its forces and respond in a manner of its choosing and place.

[For info on Iraq go here.]

NOTE: It appears that the Biden administration is not waiving the US’s right to self-defense, as it is asking Iran to do.

MORE NEWS:

IMEMC Daily Reports.

Al Jazeera: The US is no longer the senior partner in the US-Israel relationship

Middle East Monitor: The political pretense of the US Democrats and the Palestinian

In just the past 48 hours, 3 schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza City were reportedly hit, resulting in dozens of casualties.

Partners on the ground are assessing the needs of people who fled & have been providing assistance.https://t.co/MBLgY1XyhF pic.twitter.com/F1Bwq8dDO7

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) August 5, 2024

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – AUGUST 5:

Palestinian death toll from October 7 – August 5: at least 40,257* (39,653 in Gaza* – 11,445 women (30%), 16,251 children as of July 22. [The Ministry’s figures have been contested by the Israeli authorities, although they have been accepted as accurate by Israeli intelligence services, the UN, and WHO. These data are supported by independent analyses, comparing changes in the number of deaths of UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff with those reported by the Ministry, which found claims of data fabrication implausible.]

This is expected to be a significant undercount since thousands of those killed have yet to be identified – and at least 604 in the West Bank (~140 children). This does not include an estimated 10,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 46,848 Palestinian deaths.

Lancet: “Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death9 to the 37,396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.

Ralph Nader earlier estimated 200,000 Palestinians may have been killed in Gaza.

At least 45 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 18 from West Bank).
At least 41 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition**.
About 1.7 million, or 75% of Gaza’s population are currently displaced.
2.15 million (out of total population of 2.3 million) are projected to face Crisis or worse levels of food insecurity.

Palestinian injuries from October 7 – August 5: at least 96,955 (including at least 91,535 in Gaza and 5,420 in the West Bank, including 830 children). [It remains unknown how man Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.]

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – August 5: ~1,486 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 331 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza; 16 in the West Bank) and~8,730 injured.

Times of Israel reports: The IDF listed 41 soldiers killed due to friendly fire in Gaza and other military-related accidents – nearly 16%.

NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries in Israel on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.

*Previously, IAK did not include 471 Gazans killed in the Al Ahli hospital blast since the source of the projectile was being disputed. However, given that much evidence points to Israel as the culprit, Israel had previously bombed the hospital and has attacked many others, Israel is prohibiting outside experts from investigating the scene, and since the UN and other agencies are including the deaths from the attack in their cumulative totals, if Americans knew is now also doing so.**

Euro-Med Monitor reports that Gaza’s elderly are dying at an alarmingly high rate. The majority die at home and are buried either close to their residences or in makeshift graves dispersed across the Strip. There are currently more than 140 such cemeteries. Additionally, according to Euromed, thousands have died from starvation, malnourishment, and inadequate medical care; these are considered indirect victims as they were not registered in hospitals.

† For most of the conflict, women and children accounted for about 70% of deaths in Gaza, with children making up a little over 40% of those killed, according to official statistics.

Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers.
Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org