US singlehandedly blocks Palestine from full UN membership, $26 billion to Israel reaches House floor – Day 195

Outlier US says No to Palestinian statehood; Biden mulls massive arms sale to Israel; Dems vote to advance $26 billion for Israel to House floor; Israeli “limited” strike in Iran takes world’s eyes off Rafah; another mass grave discovered at Al Shifa Hospital, where Israeli forces stashed at least 30 bodies; ICC may issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders; Israeli violence in West Bank refugee camp; pro-Palestinian students arrested at Columbia U, receive death threat; Google fires employees who stood for Palestine

U.S. Vetoes Palestinian Bid for Recognition as Full U.N. Member State

The New York Times reports: The United States blocked the U.N. Security Council on Thursday from moving forward on a Palestinian bid to be recognized as a full member state at the United Nations, quashing an effort by Palestinian allies to get the world body to back the effort.

The vote was 12 in favor of the resolution and one — the United States — opposed, with abstentions from Britain and Switzerland.

The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, had described the bid for full-member status as an effort “to take our rightful place among the community of nations.”

After the vote, Mr. Mansour, visibly upset, delivered a passionate address: “Our right to self determination is a natural right — a historical right — to live in our homeland Palestine as an independent state that is free and that is sovereign,” he said.

US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “It remains the U.S. view that the most expeditious path toward statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority with the support of the United States and other partners.”

Al Jazeera adds: The Palestinian group Hamas has accused the US of standing “in the face of international will” by exercising its veto power at the UN Security Council and denying Palestinians full membership in the world body.

Israel Katz, the Israeli minister of foreign affairs, said, “I commend the United States for vetoing this shameful proposal.”

From Andalou Agency: Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said, “Every American veto on Gaza is not just a voting statistic in the UN Security Council. We must not forget that it also had a specific terrible price — the lives of thousands of civilians in Gaza.”

He added, “The Israeli military is attacking humanitarian convoys, blocking their access, and slowing down the passage of cargo. Western countries harshly criticize them for this only if Western citizens die as a result.”

US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood votes against members of the Security Council allowing Palestinian UN membership during a Security Council at UN headquarters in New York City, New York, US, April 18, 2024.

House Dems vote to advance $26 billion for Israel to House floor despite a rebellion from Repubs’ right flank

Jewish Insider reports:

“Democrats’ support in the Rules Committee was a highly unusual step, and effectively a signal that House Democratic leadership is backing the legislation. It’s unprecedented in at least the last 29 years for a House majority party to require minority party support to advance legislation out of the Rules Committee. But three conservative Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Chip Roy (R-TX), bucked Johnson and voted against advancing the package….”

A major question as the legislation moves ahead will be how many lawmakers ultimately vote against the package providing aid to Israel. More than 50 Democrats called to suspend and condition aid to Israel, but at least a few of them have publicly committed to voting for the bill. On the right, 14 Republicans voted earlier this year against providing aid to Israel, demanding it be paired with other budget cuts…..

ABC reports: The The legislation provides roughly $26 billion for Israel. The measure is similar to legislation passed by a bipartisan group in the Senate back in February. (Trump had suggested changing the payment to a loan.)

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said: “This was all precooked,” Roy said. “It’s why President Biden and Chuck Schumer are praising it.”

Democrats, meanwhile, criticized Republicans for bringing dysfunction to the chamber…

Final votes are set for Saturday

Biden Weighs More Than $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel

Wall Street Journal reports: The Biden administration is considering more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel including tank ammunition, military vehicles and mortar rounds, U.S. officials said, at a time of heightened scrutiny of the use of American-made weapons in the war in Gaza.

The proposed weapons transfers—which would be in addition to those in a military aid deal currently before the Congress—would be among the largest to Israel since October 7th.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden meet in New York on Sept. 20. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden meet in New York on Sept. 20, 2023

Israel carries out strike in Iran; draws attention away from Rafah

The Washington Post reports: The Israeli military carried out a strike inside Iran in retaliation for a barrage of missiles and drones launched last weekend, an Israeli official said Friday. It was not clear what damage the apparently limited strike caused, but the official said it was intended to signal to Iran that Israel had the ability to strike inside the country.

Syria’s state news agency reported early Friday that Israel launched an attack overnight with missiles targeting air defense sites in the country’s southern region. It did not provide specific details about the location and said the attack caused some damage.

According to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Israel provided advance notice to Washington about the strike. “The United States were informed the last minute, but there was no involvement on the part of the United States. It was simply information that was provided. I believe what has happened … the small scale of the event, is the result of the efforts of the G-7 [to de-escalate],” Tajani said.

When asked if the United States received a heads-up from Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in a separate news conference: “I’m not going to speak to that except to say the United States has not been involved in any offensive operations.”

The “wild card” now, according to political analyst Anas Iqtait, is how Iran will respond.

The latest escalation has implications for the looming Israeli offensive in Rafah, he said. “Even if Israel engages Rafah and there is substantial loss on the Palestinian side, I think international attention has already shifted … There was an active effort by Israel to shift the conversation and pivot towards Iran, and Iran didn’t make this very difficult for Israel.”

New mass grave discovered in front of al-Shifa Hospital: Gaza media office

Al Jazeera reports: Health workers have recovered at least 30 bodies buried in front of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said Salama Maarouf, head of the Strip’s Government Media Office.

Maarouf accused the Israeli army of deliberately hiding the bodies by burying them under waste and sand.

The official said 12 of the bodies were identified and those buried included women and wounded people.

“Some were handcuffed and stripped of their clothes, indicating that they had been executed in cold blood,” Maarouf charged.

This is the second mass grave discovered this week in front of the hospital. The facility turned into a graveyard during a two-week siege by the Israeli army.

Will ICC issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders?

Palestine Chronicle reports: According to a report that was published on Israel’s Channel 12 News, the International Criminal Court (ICC) could soon issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in addition to other military and political leaders.

If true, this would represent a shocking turn of events at the inaction of the court over the past six months.

On Tuesday, an “emergency meeting” occurred at the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), attended by government ministers and legal experts, to discuss strategies to fight and prevent the issuance of arrest warrants for high ranking Israeli officials.

Tel Aviv reportedly believes the arrest warrants could be announced imminently and according to Israeli media reports, Benjamin Netanyahu even raised concerns to British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, and Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, in a meeting that occurred earlier this week.

(Read the full article here.)

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shakes the hand of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Jan. 25, 2023. — Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shakes the hand of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, Jan. 25, 2023.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian, unleash destruction in West Bank refugee camp

WAFA reports: The Israeli occupation army Friday shot dead a Palestinian in the course of its ongoing offensive in Nur Shams refugee camp, east of the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm, according to WAFA correspondent.

She said that a young man was killed by the Israeli military gunfire at the Nur Shams camp, then soldiers prevented ambulances from approaching the scene.

The army, accompanied by two bulldozers, stormed and imposed a strict siege on the camp, while also flying a reconnaissance aircraft in the area.

Israeli bulldozers deliberately destroyed main streets, alleyways, water and wastewater networks, and tore down walls, stores and parts of houses in the camp.

Additionally, the Israeli forces sealed off the entrances of the camp with earth mounds and targeted electricity poles and wires along the main Nablus Street adjacent to the camp, causing power outages in parts of the area.

Palestinian children walk near a damaged car following an Israeli raid, in Tulkarm, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank

Police arrest pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia, including Ilhan Omar’s daughter

Associated Press reports: New York police removed a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Columbia University on Thursday and arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including the daughter of a prominent Minnesota congresswoman.

Isra Hirsi is an undergraduate student at Barnard College

Several students involved in the protest said they also were suspended from Columbia and Barnard College, including Isra Hirsi, who is the daughter of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Omar had questioned Columbia’s president, Nemat Shafik, at a hearing Wednesday in Congress about the school’s targeting of pro-Palestinian protesters.

Police said 108 people, including Hirsi, were charged with trespassing at the private Ivy League institution. Two people were also charged with obstructing government administration.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said the city was asked in writing by university officials to remove the encampment.

The students had been protesting on campus since early Wednesday, opposing Israeli military action in Gaza and demanding the school divest from companies they claim “profit from Israeli apartheid.”

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New York City Police Department has stormed the campus of Columbia University, where students have been camped out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, demanding that the institution divest from Israel.

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A post shared by Ahmed Eldin | أحمد شهاب الدين (@ahmedeldin)

Google fires 28 employees for protesting contract with Israel; statement from “No Tech For Apartheid”

Reuters reports: Google announced on Thursday that it had dismissed 28 employees after some staff members had participated in protests against the company’s cloud contract with the Israeli government.

The Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit confirmed a small number of protesting employees entered and disrupted work at a few unspecified office locations.

“Physically impeding other employees’ work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and completely unacceptable behavior,” the company disclosed in a statement.

Statement by “No Tech For Apartheid”:

This evening, Google indiscriminately fired over two dozen workers, including those among us who did not directly participate in yesterday’s historic, bicoastal 10-hour sit-in protests. This flagrant act of retaliation is a clear indication that Google values its $1.2 billion contract with the genocidal Israeli government and military more than its own workers.

In the three years that we have been organizing against Project Nimbus, we have yet to hear from a single executive about our concerns. Google workers have the right to peacefully protest about terms and conditions of our labor. These firings were clearly retaliatory…

[O]ur bosses called the police on its own workers, the Nimbus Nine, who were arrested and taken into custody last night. Today, they punished all of the workers they could associate with this action in wholesale firings, through a dragnet of in-office surveillance. Google cited “bullying” and “harassment” as the reasons for workers’ firing. If there has been any bullying or harassment at the company, our Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim colleagues have been the recipients.

NOW: NYPD moved in and made 4 arrests of protesters outside Columbia University, including a minor, according to protesters — one was reportedly arrested for an airhorn pic.twitter.com/TemeaKwRb4

— katie smith (@probablyreadit) April 18, 2024

MORE NEWS

Al Jazeera: Iran, Israel and the potential for miscalculation

Palestine Chronicle: “Stay Strong,” he said, so Israel killed him – Israel targets beloved Gaza preacher

+972 Magazine: ‘The soldiers opened the way for the settlers’: Pogroms surge across West Bank

Middle East Eye: Israelis enraged as Palestinians seek respite from war and heat at beach

The New Arab: Yitzhak Rabin’s ‘break their bones’ doctrine continues to haunt Gaza’s disabled

IMEMC News Reports

Approximately 2 in 3 homes in #Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.
HOMES.
People's Homes. pic.twitter.com/zCEWR5pDzB

— James Elder (@1james_elder) April 18, 2024

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7 – APRIL 18:

Palestinian death toll from October 7 – April 18: at least 34,751* (34,274 in Gaza* (at least 14,560 children, 9,582 women), and at least 477 in the West Bank (117 children). This does not include an estimated 7,000 more still buried under rubble (4,900 women and children). Euro-Med Monitor reports 40,042 Palestinian deaths.

At least 42 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons (27 from Gaza, 14 from West Bank)

At least 31 Palestinian children and several adults have died due to malnutrition**

About 1.7 million, or 75% of Gaza’s population are currently displaced.

About 2.2 million (out of total population of 2.3 million) are facing Crisis, Emergency, or Catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

Palestinian injuries from October 7 – April 18: at least 81,664 (including at least 76,664 in Gaza and 5,000 in the West Bank).

It remains unknown how many Americans are among the casualties in Gaza.

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7 – April 18: ~1,407 (~1,139 on October 7, 2023, of which ~574 were civilians, 373 or 337 were security and/or military forces, ~32 were Americans, and ~36 were children); 259 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza;, 16 in the West Bank) and~8,730 injured.

Times of Israel reports: The IDF also 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.

Find previous daily casualty figures and daily news updates here.

For more news, go here and here. Broadcast news from the region is here.

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