#starvation as a weapon

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

“Israel is being measured by double and triple standards” in its fighting in Gaza, a standard “that does not exist anywhere in the world,” said John Spencer, head of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point, at a recent “War Room” briefing in collaboration with the Jerusalem Institute for Public and State Affairs (JCPA).

Spencer, the world-renowned urban warfare who served for 25 years as an infantry soldier and did two tours in Iraq, has publicly and repeatedly defended and praised the Israel Defense Forces' performance during the Gaza War in recent months.

“The IDF uses tactics that no army has ever seen to prevent harm to civilians and still fulfill its mission,” Spencer told the JCPA after visiting the soldiers of the IDF’s 98th Division in the field.

He also stridently rejected international accusations that Israel was using starvation as a weapon, bombing indiscriminately or committing genocide.

“It’s all a lie,” Spencer declared, noting that if the standards currently applied to Israel were applied to Western countries in the future, it would make anti-terror warfare almost impossible.

Such standards include requiring the massive evacuation of a population before entering an area, not using heavy “bunker-buster” bombs to reach enemies hidden away underground, and the demand to prevent any and all civilian casualties.

“It’s impossible and unimaginable,” Spencer stressed.

“When ISIS ruled Iraq, it held the territory for about two years and built up its defenses. In the battles against the terrorist organization, the number of dead ranged from 10,000 to 40,000 people, and the numbers were reported only after a year,” Spencer said, criticizing the use of unreliable Hamas casualty numbers to determine the proportionality of Israel’s actions.

“No one posed a question to the United States then, how many civilians were killed? And no one asked ISIS that question. It’s simply impossible.”

“This imaginary standard of zero civilian casualties in a war where Israel is required to meet a new standard is very problematic,” Spencer emphasized.

He has made this point repeatedly over the past months. In an article in Newsweek in March, Spencer brought up the IDF’s operation at Al-Shifa Hospital as an example of the lengths the army goes to prevent civilian harm in Gaza.

“Israeli media reported that doctors accompanied the forces to help Palestinian patients if needed. They were also reported to be carrying food, water and medical supplies for the civilians inside,” Spencer wrote.

“None of this meant anything to Israel's critics, of course, who immediately pounced. The critics, as usual, didn't call out Hamas for using protected facilities like hospitals for its military activity.”

“In their criticism, Israel's opponents are erasing a remarkable, historic new standard Israel has set. In my long career studying and advising on urban warfare for the U.S. military, I've never known an army to take such measures to attend to the enemy's civilian population, especially while simultaneously combating the enemy in the very same buildings.”

“The international community, and increasingly the United States, barely acknowledges these measures while repeatedly excoriating the IDF for not doing enough to protect civilians… Instead, the U.S. and its allies should be studying how they can apply the IDF's tactics for protecting civilians,” Spencer wrote.

[4ft10tvlandfangirl]

From journalist Hani Abu Rezeq, 26 Feb 2024 - 'The fall of aid boxes dropped by Jordanian planes fell into the sea off Gaza Strip and fishermen are trying to retrieve them.'

I really wish the aid boxes hadn't landed in the sea to make it all the more difficult to retrieve but I'm glad aid was dropped. Glad Jordan continues to help.

Look at all those people waiting and cheering for what I'm sure isn't nearly enough for all of them. This siege and attack on Gaza needs to end. The forced starvation of Ghazzawis needs to end.

CEASEFIRE NOW

END ISRAELS GENOCIDE

FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸

[agentfascinateur]

Children in Gaza demand their rights

“We want our rights,” said Iman, another young child. “We hope that the crossings will be opened, the war will end, and life will return as before.”

Palestinian children are malnourished. More than 3,500 children are at risk of starving to death due to food shortages.

[xtruss]

“Terrorist, Fascist, Genocidal, Apartheid, War Criminal and Zionist 🐖 Isra-hell” is using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, as they bomb and disrupt aid deliveries to Palestinians who are one step away from famine. Gaza's 346,000 children under five are at risk of malnutrition, which will lead to long-term health problems.

[odinsblog]

The U.N. Human rights Council has found Israel is deliberately responsible for the collective punishment of all Palestinians including noncombatant men, (pregnant) women and children; gender targeted violence; torture; using starvation as a weapon of war; and the intentional extermination of Palestinians living in Gaza.

[mintflavouredwhump]

Thinking about a living weapon whumpee who has only known chaos and fear throughout their life, either from their victims or themselves when faced with their boss(es).

They've been physically, mentally and emotionally isolated from the rest of society and as much as they try to cover it all up with apathy, they can't help but want some comfort, someone to hold them and care for them.

[huariqueje]

“The situation is nothing short of horrific - where is humanity? Millions of civilians are being collectively punished in full view of the world, there can be no justification for using starvation as a weapon of war."

[paingoes]

Destroyer X

(Masterlist)

(Part IX)

(Content: overworking, sleep deprivation, starvation, magical exhaustion, physical violence, verbal abuse)

Tags: @catnykit @indigoviolet311 @snakebites-and-ink @vivulapom @defire

==================

The alarm sounded off. Delta groaned softly into his pillow, forcing himself to sit up. It was easier when he was in motion. Once he stood, he was less likely to fall back asleep. But it didn’t make him any less tired. It had been going like this for a week now. He was only allowed about four hours of sleep a night, if he was lucky. With each day that passed, the fatigue cut deeper. He stumbled to the bathroom, hurriedly washing his face and brushing his teeth. He’d fallen asleep in his uniform, so at least that was taken care of. 

He waved off the guard who was posted outside his door, who would’ve woken him up if he hadn’t emerged. The guard looked at him strangely, which he didn’t catch, tiredness clouding his vision. He moved straight to the kitchen; the staff there were waiting for him. This time, Paris really had delegated him to a servant position, hearing no protests. Delta was obliged to help the staff prep and to clean, making himself useful for the next couple hours. He was not permitted to eat anything from there, not without Paris’s express permission, which he knew was not coming. The prince wouldn’t even wake up for a few more hours. 

In some other circumstances, he might’ve found it enjoyable. He didn’t know much about cooking and was interested in learning. But they had assigned him the most menial jobs they had - scaling, peeling, trimming. In his tiredness, he nicked himself with the knife, spilling blood everywhere, pleasing no one. He knew the staff was exasperated with him, that they didn’t want him to be here anymore than he did. He didn’t begrudge them that. What he did begrudge was the way the chef would hit and scream at him over simple mistakes. It frayed his nerves worse, which only made the mistakes more frequent. Paris had authorized the staff to give him orders, that wasn’t surprising. Delta didn’t know that he’d also authorized them to discipline him. And in his opinion, they were too eager to take advantage of the opportunity.

After the rush ended, he moved onto the engine room. He winced as he entered. As part of his punishment, he’d been sent to clean different parts of the ship everyday, giving the cleaning staff the day off. Delta wondered dimly if they were still getting paid for that day, if this was just frugality on Paris’s part. At any rate, he was far less equipped than they were and he was only one person, so it already took up the better part of his day. The engine room was the largest and also the most intricate room he’d been assigned. He felt a deep sense of dread looking around at it, running some mental calculations. It would take at least five hours, minimum. He tried to steel himself, but his resolve was wearing thin. He forced himself to go at it one step at a time, the way he had been coached to at the institute. If he got too far ahead of himself, the panic and fussing would begin. He reset his breathing, then moved to the supply closet.

It was tedious, exhausting work. The good thing was that it had been cleaned semi-regularly, so there was not as much built-up grime as there could have been. The bad thing was absolutely everything else. Delta had to contort himself to reach into the tight corners, putting a strain on his injured body. Since it was a multi-step process and it did not make sense to keep switching between products, he ended up rounding the entire room some five times. As expected, each step in the process took over an hour. His vision was cloudy, floaters at the edge of his eyes. It’d been so long since he’d eaten, the hunger in his stomach felt like an old wound, the ache so constant he barely even felt it anymore. He had to shock himself, manually, to stay awake. His eyes kept closing by themselves.

Finally, he was satisfied that the room looked presentable. Paris might have him clean it more later, but he was certain this was passable for today. He put the chemicals back into their places, scrubbing his raw skin in the sink. He took a long drink of water at the fountain, sweat forming on his face and neck. He was grateful that he’d been coached so well in his temperance. Otherwise, he would’ve fucking lost it, which would have only earned him more punishment.

Simon tried to go easy on him during training. Delta appreciated this, but it didn’t help. What would have been easy on a normal day became almost impossible without adequate food or sleep. But he was in no position to disobey his handlers now. He pushed himself through the drills until his vision left him. Simon let him catch his breath for a minute. He seemed reluctant to dismiss him early; Paris had probably given him orders not to. The lesson went on as normal as Delta got his strength back. He felt entirely hollow at its completion, all his energy spent.

Finally, he sought out the prince. Paris barely bothered with formalities this week. He got straight into the beating. Delta suspected that this was not necessarily part of punishment; Paris was just looking for someone to take his anger out on. He suspected this because Paris tended to yell the entire time, frequently breaking other objects in the room that had done nothing wrong. Delta had mostly learned to tune out the verbal abuse, but Paris was really going for the throat this time. He shielded his skull as Paris knocked him into the desk. The prince took a handful of his hair, forcing him to make eye contact. 

“-Because you don’t fucking think about anyone but yourself. It’s a good thing your parents gave you up, I’m sure they don’t want to know what a selfish little disappointment their kid turned out to be-”

Ouch. Who had even told him that? Delta’s expression must have changed, because Paris pressed on it harder.

“What kind of parents abandon their kid like that? They must’ve known you’d be a fuck-up, or maybe they were fuck-ups too. Sold you off to pay their debts. Evil begets evil, baby. There’s a reason you don’t have your freedom. They knew you couldn’t be trusted with it. That’s my mistake. That’s one of my fucking mistakes.”

Paris released him, letting him fall to the ground. Delta rubbed his scalp, looking nervously up at Paris as his rant turned inward.

“Do you have any idea how bad it is out there?” Paris paced the room, “You’re lucky, you know. They value you. They’re already sold on that investment. I’m pretty much fucked. Even if I win, they’re going to be after me for the rest of my life, just waiting for me to slip up. They’re all snakes. Forget that my fucking dad just died, forget they I hadn’t even graduated when it happened. Sick world. Nobody deserves Empire. Nobody.”

Delta stayed quiet, pulling himself into a kneeling posture. Paris turned to him, letting out a little sigh. 

“Get out of my room.”

Delta didn’t wait to be told again. It was far into the night now. He’d take a minute to dress his wounds, then get all the sleep he could before repeating the cycle again tomorrow.

(Part XI)

[cavalierzee]

Starving Gaza Is A Weapon Of War

“The Israeli government has created a situation where famine is now imminent in Gaza.

This is not happening because the rains have failed or there has been a poor harvest.

It is because starvation is being used as a weapon of war; the Israeli authorities refuse to allow enough food into Gaza to sustain life.”

– Melanie Ward, MAP’s CEO

[good-old-gossip]

Sudanese Crisis and STARVATION!!!

Both sides in Sudan’s ongoing war are using starvation as a weapon, a group of independent United Nations experts said on Wednesday.

The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti), began on 15 April last year and has left more than 25 million civilians hungry and in urgent need of aid.

“Both the SAF and the RSF are using food as a weapon and starving civilians,” the experts, including the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food, said on Wednesday.

“The extent of hunger and displacement we see in Sudan today is unprecedented,” said the experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations.

The group highlighted the ongoing siege of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the last city in the vast western region of Darfur not to be controlled by the RSF.

The RSF siege has left hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped and suffering from hunger and thirst due to a dire lack of food and water.

On Thursday, a separate report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), also cited by the UN, found that more than half of Sudan's population faces high levels of “acute food insecurity”.

“Fourteen months into the conflict, Sudan is facing the worst levels of acute food insecurity,” the report said.

The crisis reportedly affects “approximately 25.6 million people,” including 755,000 in famine conditions and an additional 8.5 million facing “emergency” situations.

[news4dzhozhar]

[4ft10tvlandfangirl]

So IOF admits to shooting at some people gathered for aid but they did it because 'the crowd rushed the trucks and endangered their soldiers'. Also, 'it's not their fault people panicked and ran from the gunfire or that so many people died, the stampede did that...their fire caused no more than 10 casualties' 🙄

They've been starving these people for literal months. Of course they swarmed the truck! I can't think of anyone at the level of desperation Ghazzawis are at right now who would have the restraint to not rush forward for even a morsel. Not when their kids are dying from starvation daily and israel flippin knows that. Israel has actively sought to strip Palestinians of every last shred of dignity and then punish them for it.

Victim blaming like real abusers. Rotten and foul set.

[agentfascinateur]

More than 12,000 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza in attacks by Israeli forces since October 7

Courtesy of unwilling US taxpayers and as arms sales bypass democracy. Defund Israel.

[odinsblog]

Armed IOF forces in tanks were “afraid” of starving, unarmed, noncombatant, Palestinian civilians

The Israeli army has issued a statement concerning the massacre its forces are accused of commuting in northern Gaza in which at least 77 Palestinians were killed while they were waiting for humanitarian aid.

The Israeli army called starving Palestinians waiting for food aid around humanitarian trucks a “violent gathering” which made its soldiers feel “unsafe,” the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

Israeli soldiers then proceeded to indiscriminately open fire on hungry Palestinians, killing dozens and wounding hundreds.

Much of Gaza's population is on the brink of famine as a result of the Israeli blockade according to the UN and other humanitarian organisations.

(continue reading)

[lil-gingerbread-queen]

Every goddamn time a fellow westerner says that Palestinians voted for Hamas, so they aren't innocents and should be killed, I'm here being like "Guess you're alright with everyone you love being killed because, by your backward logic, we have way more blood on our hands than Palestinians"

Don't even explain how the majority of Palestinians couldn't vote yet, just tell them that they are saying that their own children should be killed because of the crimes Bush committed in Irak. Show them how stupid they sound.