Israeli soldiers have begun in recent weeks to set fire to homes in the Gaza Strip, following direct orders from their commanders, without the necessary legal permission to do so, according to information obtained by Haaretz.
Soldiers have destroyed several hundred buildings using this method over the past month. After the structure is set on fire along with everything inside it, it is allowed to burn out until it is rendered useless.
When asked about the new practice, an Israeli army commander told Haaretz that structures are selected for burning based on intel. When asked about a building that was set ablaze not far from where the interview took place, the commander said: “There must have been information about the landlord, or maybe something was found there. I don’t know exactly why that house was set on fire.”
Three officers spearheading Gaza fighting confirmed to Haaretz that setting homes on fire has become common practice. A commander of one battalion told his troops last week, as they were wrapping up operations in a specific Gaza area: “Clear your things from the house, and prep it for incineration.”
In what situation would it be appropriate, legal, and approvable to burn down civilian houses in an occupied area?
I can’t think of one.
Real-time ethnic cleansing.
And when a nugget of possible accountability is hinted at by ICJ.
All complicid nations drops humanitarian aid for the victims, just hours later.
How does this keep getting more and more messed up?
Israel believes that they can act with total impunity without consequences.
And they will be right in that assessment, as long as the US and all the other ‘first world’ nations keeps on sending them resources, blocking international laws from holding Israel to account, deflect attention away from the unfolding genocide Israel is commiting, attack institutions like UNRWA and countries like South Africa that are trying to help the Palestinians.
So as you can see, everytime Israel escalates it’s genocide against the Palestinians you won’t hear a peep from these countries. You might a hear a token “Israel should defend itself within the law” while Israel is busy trampling on the latest international laws with their latest atrocities.
I just wonder how those soldiers will feel if someone tomorrow goes and puts their own houses on fire. And then tell me they don’t want to render the whole of Gaza inhabitable.
Archive link: https://archive.ph/6PFAm
Salt the fields, raze the towns, kill or run off the people. I think I’ve heard of this before. Let me see. Hold on a second. It’s right on the tip of my tongue… what was that word? genocide? well, that certainly seems to fit but that’s not the word I was looking for. Now let me think for a second. Um. Umm. Imperialistic land grab? No, no… that can’t be it. Way too many syllables. Fascism? Capitalistic fascism - to be more precise? It’s weird how many really ugly concepts fit right into what Israel is committed to in Gaza and against Palestinians.
Those that enact and endorse this barbaric practice should be forced to give up their homes and everything in it, and give it to the affected Palestinians for reparations.
