8,000 children have died in Gaza in just two months of Israeli bombings, excoriating any legitimate claim of “self-defense”
In the span of 18 months, Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has resulted in the tragic death of approximately 560 children, averaging around 31 children per month.
In a stark and unsettling contrast, Israel’s offensive against Palestinians in Gaza has claimed the lives of a staggering 8,000 children in just two and a half months, resulting in an alarming monthly average of 3,200 children. (Related: Gaza becomes “graveyard for children” as civilian death toll hits 10,000.)
This grim comparison highlights a shocking discrepancy in the casualty rates between the two conflicts.
Despite the widely portrayed narrative of Russian President Vladimir Putin as the epitome of evil, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza – framed as a religious “war of extermination” with the goal of “wiping out Amalek” – has led to a child mortality rate over 100 times higher than that of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
It’s crucial to note the demographic differences between Ukraine and Gaza. Ukraine’s population is 22 times larger than that of the Gaza Strip, with 44 million compared to Gaza’s two million. When considering these population variances, the impact of child casualties per capita becomes even more staggering.
One might expect that such a drastic difference in child casualties would result in media coverage that reflects the severity of the situation. However, the reality has been quite the opposite.
Mainstream media trying to protect Israel
The media’s portrayal of Israel’s actions against Palestinian children has not been 100 times more intense or critical compared to its coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Instead, a pattern of atrocity propaganda has emerged, often serving to justify Israel’s actions and downplay the gravity of what many consider historic war crimes.
This stark divergence in media coverage raises important questions about the framing and reporting of conflicts, as well as the potential influence of political narratives on public perception.
The apparent disparity in attention to the human cost of these conflicts calls for a deeper examination of media biases and the ethical responsibilities of journalism in conveying the realities of war.
Meanwhile, Australian Dr. Natalie Thurtle, who recently coordinated medical aid to Gaza for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has expressed profound concern over the high number of children being killed or permanently maimed in the ongoing conflict.
Thurtle, who was in East Jerusalem until last week, described the challenging environment for healthcare providers in Gaza, emphasizing the difficulty of managing the chaos created by the conflict. She noted the increasing danger faced by medical facilities, exemplified by recent attacks on Nasser Hospital and the siege of al-Awda Hospital by Israeli forces.
The situation on the ground, according to Thurtle, is characterized by a lack of safe spaces for civilians, overwhelming healthcare facilities, and an alarming number of children among the casualties.
Speaking about the daily challenges, she mentioned the attack on Nasser Hospital and the surrounding of al-Awda Hospital, emphasizing that misinformation about the conflict is prevalent.
MSF, feeling a responsibility to convey the experiences of its staff, has spoken out to provide a firsthand account of the situation.
Thurtle’s colleague, Chris Hook, the MSF medical team leader in Gaza, highlighted the distressing scene at Nasser Hospital, where doctors were treating children amid the bodies of those who had already died. The MSF team aims to counter misinformation and stress the importance of reporting what is directly witnessed on the ground without compromising neutrality.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 20,000, including around 8,000 children and 6,200 women, with over 52,000 people injured.
Thurtle acknowledged that MSF cannot independently verify the overall death and injury toll but emphasized that the figures align with what they are witnessing in the facilities where they work. The situation remains dire, with ongoing military activities hindering meaningful responses to the catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
A grieving father has pleaded with his daughter's killer to reveal the truth about her speedboat death on the eve of his prison release.Graham Brown has never believed Jack Shepherd's story that his daughter Charlotte had taken the controls of the vessel shortly before it crashed.Mr Brown, 60, told Sky News: "Shepherd has never said what really happened that night. And what he has said conflicts with what we know […]
Post comments (0)