'Israel' pulverizing Gaza quarters outside its aspired 'buffer zone'
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"Israel" as usual, has disguised its bloodthirst and need for destruction by claiming it is destroying "terror infrastructures", calling entire neighborhoods "combat complexes" for Hamas.
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An image from a video clip published by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education of the Israeli occupation bombing the headquarters of Al-Israa University in Gaza. (Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education)
According to a new analysis by The New York Times, the destruction wrought by "Israel" in the war on Gaza has been exacerbated by a series of "controlled explosives" in recent months, dramatically altering the terrain in Gaza.
A review of Israeli military films, social media videos, and satellite images reveals that at least 33 mass destruction attempts that the Israelis like to call "controlled demolitions" have demolished hundreds of structures since November, including mosques, schools, and large portions of civilian areas.
The Israeli genocide in Gaza and the drastic magnitude of bombing have destroyed almost half of the Gazan infrastructure, rendering the strip uninhabitable and in need of billions of dollars for rebuilding, the United Nations stated on Wednesday.
The UN has followed the deteriorating living conditions, describing the rate as "precipitous".
A source told the Financial Times last week that the IOF are working to create a "buffer zone" inside Gaza and demolish buildings near the border with "Israel" in order to "keep this area completely clean of any [resistance fighters] or infrastructure, rocket launchers, mortars . . . and to give us the freedom of operation in that space”."
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated his opposition to territorial changes in the Gaza Strip, adding that while he understands the need for what he claimed to be "temporary measures" to prevent another Operation Al-Qsa Flood, the administration opposes any change in territory.
"Israel" as usual, has disguised its bloodthirst and need for destruction by claiming it is destroying "terror infrastructures", calling entire neighborhoods "combat complexes" for Hamas.
However, the majority of the demolition sites reported by the NYT took place well outside the so-called "buffer zone," and visual evidence suggests the number of confirmed demolitions may only be a fraction of the total number carried out by "Israel".
In most of these demolitions, Israeli occupation forces enter targeted structures and set explosives before leaving to detonate.
"Israel" has also destroyed all of Gaza's universities in stages. The initial bombings targeted the Islamic and Al-Azhar universities, and subsequent assaults were aimed at other universities. For instance, Al-Israa University in southern Gaza was totally destroyed after initially being repurposed as military barracks in service of the Israeli occupation forces.
A video released by Israeli media on January 17 captured the explosion at Al-Israa University, which occurred 70 days after the Israeli occupation had converted it into a barracks, and later into a temporary detention facility.
The israelis blow up the only surviving university, Al Israa, in Palestine’s Gaza — but the spineless US “spokesperson” is ‘hesitant’ to comment pic.twitter.com/irokjUQMig
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) January 20, 2024
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to Britain, called it “Israel’s goal" to make Palestine completely lifeless and unliveable, adding that the Israeli occupation's goal "has always been to make it impossible for our people to return to their land.”
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the Israeli military deliberately burned hundreds of homes in the Gaza Strip, along with all their belongings, with officers from the Israeli occupation forces confirming that house burning has become a "common tactic" to destroy residences and buildings.
According to the newspaper, officers involved in leading the Israeli war on Gaza stated that the house burnings were carried out based on orders issued by field commanders.
Tens of billions of dollars and 70 years to barely rebuild Gaza
Economically, Gaza had been suffering under the 17-year blockade "Israel" had imposed and showed a 4.5% rundown during the first three quarters of 2023, leading up to the genocide. Since October, Gaza's GDP saw a 24% retrenchment, UNCTAD revealed.
Moreover, Gaza's GDP per capita decreased by 26.1% during the past four months, equivalent to the decrease witnessed over the entire interval of the blockade. Unemployment rates in Gaza also increased to 80%, compared to the 45% pre-genocide, noting that the only people with active jobs are those providing humanitarian relief in Gaza.
The report's economic study indicated that rebuilding Gaza and restoring its 0.4 percent growth per year seen over the past 15 years would factually take 70 years, confirming that enormous amounts of aid would be needed to make Gaza at least habitable.
