The steadfast resistance of the sons and daughters of the Palestinian people, both within their homeland and scattered across the diaspora, stands as a resolute rejection of any nefarious Israeli plans to displace Palestinians. The proposed schemes include relocating them from Gaza to Egypt or from the West Bank to Jordan, actions that are feared to fragment the Palestinian cause—a cause that Israel actively seeks to obliterate, disregarding any rights of Palestinians to establish their independent state.

Israel’s longstanding strategy to rid itself of Palestinian residents in Gaza and the West Bank involves coercive displacement beyond Palestinian territories. This aligns with malicious Israeli plans to annex the remaining Palestinian lands, facilitated by the continuous expansion of settlements orchestrated by the Israeli occupation war government.

The Zionist entity’s objective of expelling Palestinians approaches what can be described as a form of ethnic cleansing, a practice condemned by international law and norms. The occupation army presents the Palestinian people with a harrowing choice: either endure a committed Holocaust or leave their ancestral land. This choice reflects the occupation’s intent to purge Gaza of its inhabitants, making way for more settlers and reinforcing the area with additional fortifications and security measures.

In a resolute stand against Israel’s occupation strategies, Palestinian officials have unequivocally rejected plans to uproot the people of Gaza from their homes and expel them from the region. This counters Israel’s objective of depopulating Gaza, a scheme actively pursued by ministers in the right-wing government governing the occupied territories. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, made it clear that there would be no migration of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt. He commended Egypt’s firm rejection of migration, resettlement, and displacement, underscoring Egypt’s role as a hospitable refuge for Palestinians.

Highlighting the recent Al-Aqsa Flood operation, Haniyeh emphasized that the Israeli occupation faced a strategic setback. Accusing Israel of perpetrating massacres and genocide, he pointed out the regime’s attempts to displace Gaza’s residents after its military forces failed to confront Palestinian factions. Haniyeh highlighted the international support these Israeli actions receive, singling out backing from the United States and certain European countries. This, he argued, exposes the glaring double standards and hypocrisy in play. The Palestinian street’s discourse rejecting the displacement of citizens from Gaza to Egypt aligns with the will of the Palestinian people and other Arab nations. Palestinians choose not to leave their land, homes, and livelihoods, affirming their commitment to live or sacrifice on their soil, avoiding a repetition of the Nakba scenario that occurred in 1948.

Leaving Gaza would mean ending the Palestinian cause, disregarding the substantial sacrifices of th thousands of martyrs who died for Palestinian freedom. In the tapestry of the Palestinian narrative, a new slogan emerges: “One Nakba is enough.” These words, articulated by writer Abdulnaser Salama, encapsulate the resilience and determination echoing through the decades of political and armed struggles in the region.

The Nakba of 1948, a pivotal moment marked by displacement and migration, unfolded either within the confines of Palestinian territories or towards neighbouring countries. Now, after 75 years, this historic catastrophe has left an indelible mark on the Palestinian experience, resulting in dispersal and diaspora, all against the backdrop of a world seemingly devoid of a global conscience.

As events continue to unfold, particularly in the tumultuous landscape of Gaza, it becomes apparent that the collective understanding of the Palestinian psyche remains elusive to the West and Israelis alike. Salama contends that the intricacies of Palestinian psychology and religiosity are yet to be comprehended fully, a void that persists despite ongoing political developments.

One poignant aspect Salama highlights is Israel’s failure to recognize the historical mistake embedded in accepting the land of Palestine for the establishment of a Jewish state. This oversight, he suggests, forms a crucial element in the protracted Palestinian struggle, emphasizing the significance of acknowledging past missteps for a more informed future. Salama adds depth to the narrative by framing the Palestinian cause not merely as a political or military endeavour but as the longest liberation war in history. Driven by psychological, religious, and historical imperatives, this protracted conflict surpasses conventional political theories and military calculations.

The recent Al-Aqsa Flood operation stands as a testament to the resilience of Palestinian youth, inscribing a powerful chapter in the 75-year saga of struggle. Salama argues that these ground-level expressions of resilience should prompt a reconsideration not only within the West but also within the United States. The challenge, he suggests, lies in approaching the Palestinian issue and its multifaceted personality with a holistic perspective that transcends geopolitical divides.

“One Nakba is enough” echoes not just as a slogan but as a poignant call for reflection, challenging the global community to engage with the Palestinian narrative in its entirety, with due consideration for the complexities that define this enduring struggle.

Salamah Marouf, Head of the Government Information Office in Gaza, stated that Israel’s occupation is waging a war of starvation on the besieged population of the Gaza Strip, indiscriminately affecting residents in the north and south alike. Marouf warned that signs of malnutrition and dehydration are emerging among children in Gaza. He noted that the aid entering the Gaza Strip so far is equivalent to what used to enter in a single day before the Israeli occupation aggression, emphasizing that these aid shipments do not meet the real and urgent needs of the people.

Water and Electricity

In Beirut, Hamas leader Basem Naeem stated that potable water in Gaza is now over 90% scarce. Naeem, in a joint press conference with the movement’s representative in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, added that Gaza residents often resort to seawater, leading to health issues. He accused the Israeli occupation of intentionally cutting off water to the Gaza Strip, a crime against humanity. He expressed shame on the international community for allowing the occupation to use water as leverage against Gaza’s residents. Naeem also mentioned that Gazans are facing a crisis in securing bread due to the occupation’s bombardment of bakeries.

He accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of collusion with Israel by neglecting its established role in international law, calling on the global community and the United Nations not to succumb to the occupier’s will. Naeem highlighted that 2% of Gaza’s population has become either martyrs, wounded, or missing.

Jalal Ismail, the head of the Palestinian Energy Authority in Gaza, stated that 70% of the electricity distribution networks in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed due to the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression. Ismail added that the losses in the electricity sector in Gaza are estimated at over $80 million.

Hospital Shutdowns

The hospitals in the Gaza Strip continue to suffer from a complete absence of fuel, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The Director-General of Hospitals in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Mohammed Zakout, has issued a stark warning, emphasizing the dire situation in the region. Specifically, he highlighted the imminent risk to children’s lives due to the forced evacuation of hospitals, notably the Rantisi and Al-Awda Hospitals. Moreover, he underscored the alarming lack of a safe space at the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, making it impossible to access the bodies of the martyrs.

He also mentioned that critical issues, including the hazardous accumulation of garbage and medical waste, a shortage of water, and persistent power outages, pose a severe threat to everyone’s well-being. He mentioned that approximately 1,500 displaced individuals in the Al-Shifa Medical Complex are in immediate danger. Urgently, a plea is made to the Egyptian authorities to organize an ambulance convoy for the transportation of 650 patients without adhering to the current bureaucratic mechanisms. Meanwhile,

Destruction of Housing Units

In another development, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, Irene Khan, revealed that Israeli occupation attacks on Gaza have resulted in the destruction or damage of 45% of all housing units in the Gaza Strip. Khan added that this has led to the internal displacement of 1.5 million people and the death of over 10,000.

The UN official described the destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure in Gaza as an international war crime. Irene Khan called on the world to act immediately to end the widespread attacks on civilian homes and infrastructure in Gaza, which have incurred a high cost in lives.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that the toll of the Israeli occupation aggression on the Gaza Strip reached 11,451 martyrs, with 80% of them being women, children, and the elderly. The Ministry affirmed that the occupation forces deliberately terrorized the healthcare system in Gaza and its workers, warning of a major health catastrophe shortly.

The government media office in Gaza reported on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, that 25 hospitals and 52 health centres were out of service as a result of the Israeli occupation aggression. Moreover, the Israeli occupation killed 202 health personnel and 36 civil defence personnel, in addition to wounding more than 200 health personnel. More than 60 ambulances were attacked, 55 of which were damaged and put out of service.

The Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Mihammad Abu Salmiya, has asserted that dozens of martyrs have been buried in a mass grave on the hospital grounds due to the continued Israeli occupation siege and aggression on the Strip for the 39^th day. Abu Salmia said that at least 179 bodies were buried in a mass grave at the hospital yesterday, explaining that among them were 7 children who died due to power outages.

Thousands of patients require life-saving medical care, including those in need of dialysis, advanced cancer treatment, insulin for diabetic patients, and over 50,000 pregnant women facing challenges in accessing healthcare.

With the ongoing power outage and fuel shortages, all sectors, especially the healthcare sector, are on the verge of collapse, tantamount to a death sentence for the wounded and sick. The scarcity of drinking water, unavailability of personal care supplies, and the deterioration of parts of the sewage system led to the spread of infectious diseases, signaling an impending health catastrophe, especially with the continuous blockade of water and medicine.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has declared the collapse of the healthcare system due to the acute shortage of medical supplies, their prevention from reaching Gaza, and the depletion of healthcare supplies and medications. Hospitals cannot admit any more patients or wounded due to the lack of resources and beds, reaching a point where surgeries are performed by the light of mobile phones and without anesthesia, creating a tragic situation beyond human imagination.

Despite the psychological and physical pressures and the lack of resources, medical and healthcare professionals continue to provide their services, resorting to prioritization in treatment due to the catastrophic conditions. Hence, the Ministry of Health in Gaza has called upon the retired medical staff to join the workforce due to the shortage of personnel immediately, the increasing numbers of wounded and sick, and the difficulties in accessing treatment areas due to roads destroyed by bombings.

Thousands of Palestinian displaced families who had been sheltering at Al-Shifa, along with patients and wounded who were not able to move or escape, had been trapped inside the hospital under heavy bombing and shootings by the Israeli occupation troops surrounding the hospital.

The Israeli occupation forces last night raided Al-Shifa Hospitals, firing smoke bombs into the emergency department before carrying out armed military intrusion. Doctors said not a single shot was fired from within the medical complex, but they heard Israeli forces shooting into it everywhere. So far, it’s unclear if or how many people were killed or injured in the raid, as communications channels were blocked as it was taking place.

These heinous crimes of the Israeli occupation’s ongoing aggression, including the deliberate targeting of medical facilities, are blatant violations of international humanitarian law, ethical values, and principles that cannot be ignored or tolerated.

Human Rights Watch stated, in conjunction with the release of a document on white phosphorus, that Israel’s use of white phosphorus in military operations in Gaza and Lebanon poses a serious and long-term risk to civilians. Human Rights Watch examined videos taken in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10 and 11, 2023, respectively, showing multiple airbursts of white phosphorus artillery over the port of Gaza City and two locations along the Palestinian-Lebanese border. They conducted interviews with individuals who described the attack on Gaza.

White phosphorus, which can be used for marking, signalling, obscuring vision, or as a weapon to ignite fires that burn people and objects, has a wide-reaching impact, causing severe burns and long-lasting suffering. Its illegal and indiscriminate use in urban areas with high population density, as seen in Gaza, exacerbates the risks faced by civilians and violates the prohibition imposed by international humanitarian law on unnecessary civilian harm.

According to Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, “Each time it is used in densely populated areas, white phosphorus poses a significant risk of causing painful burns and lifelong suffering. When white phosphorus is illegally airburst in populated urban areas, it can burn homes and cause serious harm to civilians.”

On October 11, Human Rights Watch conducted a phone interview with two individuals from the port area in Gaza City who described witnessing strikes consistent with the use of white phosphorus. One of them was in the street at the time, while the other was in a nearby administrative building. Both described continuous air raids before seeing explosions in the sky, followed by what they described as white lines descending to the ground. They estimated that the attack occurred between 11:30 AM and 1 PM. They both described a choking smell. The person in his office said the smell was so strong that he went to the window to see what was happening and filmed the strike.

Human Rights Watch reviewed the videos and confirmed that they were filmed in the port of Gaza City and identified the munitions used in the airstrike as 155mm artillery white phosphorus shells that airburst. Other videos posted on social media and verified by Human Rights Watch show the same location. Dense white smoke and a strong garlic-like odour are characteristics of white phosphorus.

Human Rights Watch also reviewed two video clips dated October 10 from two locations near the Palestinian-Lebanese border. Both show airburst 155mm artillery white phosphorus shells used apparently as smoke screens, signals, or markers.

White phosphorus ignites upon contact with atmospheric oxygen and continues to burn until deprived of oxygen or consumed. Its chemical reaction can generate intense heat (about 815 degrees Celsius), light, and smoke.

Upon contact, white phosphorus can burn people thermally and chemically, even reaching the bone because it is highly soluble in fat and, therefore, in human flesh. White phosphorus fragments can worsen wounds even after treatment and can enter the bloodstream, causing multiple organ failure. Burns previously dressed can reignite when dressings are removed, and wounds are re-exposed to oxygen. Even relatively minor burns can be deadly. For survivors, extensive scarring can tighten muscular tissue and cause physical disabilities. The shock of the attack, the painful treatment that follows, and the changing appearance of scars can lead to psychological trauma and social exclusion.

Human Rights Watch stated that Israel’s use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas in Gaza violates the duty to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm, as stipulated by international humanitarian law. This concern is exacerbated by the technology shown in videos of airburst white phosphorus shells. The explosion of airburst white phosphorus shells scatters 116 burning fragments soaked in the substance across an area with a diameter ranging from 125 to 250 meters, depending on the height of the explosion, thereby exposing more civilians and civilian structures to potential damage compared to ground-based localized explosions.

Israel’s use of white phosphorus comes amid a brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, killing more than 8,000 martyrs, including 3,324 children, 2,062 women, and 460 elderly, in Israeli barbaric airstrikes. Additionally, 20,242 civilians were injured to varying degrees. Israeli occupation forces cut off electricity, water, fuel, food, and internet access to Gaza, in violation of the prohibition imposed by international humanitarian law on collective punishment, worsening the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza under more than 16 years of Israel’s suffocating siege.