Israel Breaches Gaza Ceasefire
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Israel operates like Washington. Ruling regimes in both countries consistently breach international treaties, conventions, and other agreements, along with bilateral deals and fundamental rule of law principles.
Both countries can never be believed or trusted. They’re hostile to world peace, stability, equity and justice for all. Along with their imperial partners, their rage for dominance threatens everyone everywhere.
Days earlier agreed on Gaza ceasefire by Israel was breached straightaway multiple times. On Wednesday, Israeli naval forces lethally shot a Palestinian fisherman threatening no one.
Rushed to a Gaza hospital, he succumbed to what proved fatal abdomen wounds. On Friday, a Gazan farmer was shot by Israeli forces for the crime of farming his land. Reportedly he’s in stable condition.
Israeli bulldozers belligerently entered Gazan territory, destroying property and crops. Soldiers used live fire on Palestinians, trying to protect their land. Incidents like this and similar ones happen with disturbing regularity.
On Sunday, IDF soldiers used live fire on Palestinian farmers, shepherds, and bird hunters in eastern and southern Gaza.
During the 34th straight peaceful Great March of Return on Friday, Israeli snipers wounded dozens of Palestinian civilians, including 11 children, one woman, and four paramedics.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) explained what happened as follows, saying:
“Though the demonstrators were around tens of meters away from the border fence, the Israeli forces who stationed in sniper positions and military jeeps along the fence continued to use excessive force against the demonstrators by opening fire and firing teargas canisters at them, without the latter posing any imminent threat or danger to the life of soldiers,” adding:
The IDF general/coordinator of Netanyahu regime activities in Occupied Palestine “threatened to use force against the demonstrators and anyone who approaches within 100s of meters of the fence, tries to cross it, or throws incendiary balloons…”
“The same threats were also repeated by the IDF spokesperson.” Gaza’s health ministry said soldiers fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and high-velocity tear gas canisters against nonviolent demonstrators – for the 34th straight Friday since March 30.
Israeli ceasefires and other agreements with Palestinians aren’t worth the paper they’re written on – IDF violence erupting straightaway this time.
Israel reserves the right to attack, maim, kill, terrorize, and brutalize Palestinians with impunity. Whenever ceasefires are declared, chances for them holding are virtually zero.
Violence consistently follows – always initiated by Israel, Gazans and other Palestinians blamed for high crimes committed against them. The longstanding pattern never varies.
Separately, Israel occupies Golan, territory belonging to Syria, illegally seized in June 1967, during the Jewish state’s six-day war of aggression – unlawfully annexed in 1981.
There’s nothing disputed about the territory, Israel’s annexation not recognized by the world community.
The US recognizes Golan as Syrian territory. On Friday for the first time, the Trump regime opposed an annual UN draft resolution, calling on Israel to rescind its illegal authority over Golan.
On December 17, 1981, unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 497 declared Israel’s Golan Heights Law, illegally annexing the territory, “null and void and without international legal effect,” demanding Israel rescind its annexation.
In previous years, Washington abstained from the annual UN resolution, this year opposing it, siding with Israeli lawbreaking, neocon hardliner Nikki Haley disgracefully saying:
“The United States will no longer abstain when the United Nations engages in its useless annual vote on the Golan Heights (at least not while Trump hardliners run things),” adding:
"The resolution is plainly biased against Israel. Further, the atrocities (sic) (Damascus) continues to commit prove its lack of fitness to govern anyone.”
Haley’s contempt for right over wrong is palpable, mindless of international law, including binding Security Council resolutions.
She supports US, NATO, and Israeli high crimes of war and against humanity no matter how egregious – along with blaming Syria for US-led high crimes committed against the country.
On Friday, Israel and the US were the only countries opposing the annual resolution – supported by 151 nations, 14 others shamefully abstaining.
When nations duck doing the right thing, they effectively support wrong over right. It’s one way or the other. There’s no legitimate in between.
At his weekly Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu boasted about illegally occupying Golan, saying:
“Israel will forever remain in the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights will forever remain in our hands” – no matter how flagrantly in violation of international law Israel consistently flouts with impunity.
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