Israel accused of ethnic cleansing after more than 140 killed in Gaza in 24 hours

[David__77]

At least 140 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours, a deadly escalation as Israel seemed poised to launch a major offensive in the besieged territory.

Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed more than 300 people since Thursday, Palestinian health officials said, one of the deadliest periods in the war since ceasefire talks broke down in March. The intensified bombing campaigns came as Israel’s total blockade on humanitarian aid has prompted fears of a famine in the Palestinian territory.

…

The escalation in attacks was condemned by the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, on Friday, who said the bombing campaign was meant to displace Palestinians and that it was equivalent to ethnic cleansing.

“This latest barrage of bombs … and the denial of humanitarian assistance underline that there appears to be a push for a permanent demographic shift in Gaza that is in defiance of international law and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing,” he said.

…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/17/israel-gaza-ethnic-cleansing-palestinian-death-toll

[malaise]

1. with Western complicity

That is all

[Mountainguy]

2. "Palestinian health officials said"

[David__77]

4. "According to the UN human rights chief"

[Mountainguy]

5. You think the UN has

Any credibility here? Hamas has been operating within the UNRWA for years.

[David__77]

6. I think Israel has killed thousands of children in Gaza.

And more are being killed.

[Mountainguy]

7. "According to Gaza Health Officials"

[BuddhaGirl]

9. It's amazing, isn't it?

To see such shameful pushback on the devastating attacks on Gaza. The killing of innocents.

The ethnic cleansing that is taking place before the world's eyes. That some here would quibble with "sources."

[Beastly Boy]

11. The pushback is on the lies that accompany the reports.

Last edited Sun May 18, 2025, 07:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Like "ethnic cleansing", for example.

[BuddhaGirl]

16. It's ethnic cleansing

No need for " "

The world sees it, despite the protestations to the contrary.

[Beastly Boy]

20. The world sees what's on social media, a rather dubious source for facts.

I hate quoting Goebbels, but for what it's worth:

"If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself".

His official title in Nazi Germany was Minister of Propaganda.
"

[EX500rider]

15. "That some here would quibble with "sources."

When your source is a terrorists org that will benefit by lying and inflating the civilian count, that's hardly a "quibble"

"Hitler said..."
"Stalin said..."
"Mao said...."
"Pol Pot said...."
"Al-Qaeda said... "
"Al-Shabaab said...."

"Hamas said....."

[BuddhaGirl]

17. I understand that some

will never acknowledge the ethnic cleansing in Gaza, alas.

History will not be on Israel's side over this.

[EX500rider]

18. Until the Gazans are actually forced out of Gaza it's not happening

Them having to move a few miles left or right or up or down to avoid combat while the IDF hunts down Hamas is not ethnic cleansing, they're still in Gaza

[AloeVera]

51. Tell that to the almost million people forced out of the north

And not allowed to come back. Ever.

So far.

You should look up what ethnic cleansing is.

[EX500rider]

57. Who says they're never allowed to come back?

And I'm pretty sure moving 5 or 10 miles in your own territory isn't ethnic cleansing I mean they can stay if they want combat to roll over them

[AloeVera]

63. I used to believe in fairy tales...

When I was a little girl. Then I grew up..

[BuddhaGirl]

62. Exactly!

n/t

[EX500rider]

67. Who said they can never come back?

And they are still in Gaza?

And they haven't gone more then 20 miles tops.

To clear out Hamas fighters who don't wear uniforms & hide amoung civilians the best way to keep civilian casualties down is have them move away from the area being cleared. You'd rather they stay and die?

[AloeVera]

69. Do I have to spell it out?

There will be nothing there to support life. Not one building unflattened. The IDF, as we speak, is engaged in flattening every building left standing, every last bit of infrastructure. I don't mean just by bombing but deliberate, methodical destruction using huge bulldozers, controlled demolitions etc. That is not "clearing out Hamas" it's making sure the people can never come back.

Why do you think the IDF is doing that?

And why are you ignoring all the statements from Netanyahu's own ministers about taking control of Gaza and pointing to the intent to ethnically cleanse? Or Trump's threats to move the Palestinians to Libya? That's a favour to Netanyahu, his wild dream come true.

You are asking me to believe in fairy tales

[EX500rider]

72. Lots of places have been been destroyed way beyond Gaza's level and still have people there to this day

Tokyo looked like this at one time:

[AloeVera]

89. Did the U.S go in and destroy everything left standing afterwards?

Israel is. Smotrich just said exactly that, in case you didn't believe me.

Why is Israel doing that?

You didn't answer that question.

No need. We already knew the answer and we didn't need members of Netanyahu's government to finally say what has been obvious since Oct. 2023. But the denial here continues. Probably will even after a million have been "cleansed" into Libya.

[EX500rider]

90. Just because Smotrich said it does not make it true, he's a far right nut job

"Did the U.S go in and destroy everything left standing afterwards?" What exactly was left standing in that pic of Tokyo? A few husks of buildings?

The news showing pictures of flattened neighborhoods in Gaza does not mean it all look like that. "If it bleeds, it leads"

I see lots of standing buildings in some of the pictures

[AloeVera]

91. They won't be standing for long.

And it wasn't just Smotrich. I've been seeing it mentioned for days. The goal is to flatten everything so there is nothing to come back to. Does that not make you a bit uneasy?

[Mossfern]

19. And the *stated* aim of Hamas - to eradicate Israel and kill all Jews

is not aspirational ethnic cleansing?
Do you not see the difference?

Hamas's issue is that they failed.
Hamas brainwashes children to yearn to be"martyrs."

[David__77]

23. You speak the truth.

[BuddhaGirl]

60. As do you

Many are able to see the truth of what's going on Gaza...Israel's atrocities.

Sad that many refuse to acknowledge it.

[Beastly Boy]

24. When choosing sides, history is not beholden to anyone's predictions.

[Eko]

27. Alleged, by Israel.

The same people that have killed more journalists than were killed in WW2.

[Mountainguy]

29. "Journalists"

[Eko]

38. I have to say its an interesting time when liberals try to explain away the killing of journalists.

It just seems a bit authoritarian.

[Mountainguy]

47. Its an interesting time when

Far right religious radical killers masquerading as journalists are defended by liberals.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-gaza-documents-prove-6-al-jazeera-journalists-are-hamas-pij-operatives/

[Eko]

81. Alleged by Israel.

[Mountainguy]

86. Do you really believe there are that many independent journalists

in an enclave controlled entirely by a fascist totalitarian regime?

[Eko]

88. Independent journalist is a far cry from Far right religious radical killers masquerading as journalists.

As per your claim.

[Beastly Boy]

10. A fucking hypocrite

UN is complicit in Hamas war crimes. It has enabled their regime in Gaza for many years. Hamas laundered UN humanitarian aid to finance their war machine and to brainwash their subjects. Hell, UN employed known terrorists in Gaza, and admitted to doing so. And to add insult to injury, Mr Turk is now pretending to be ignorant of what ethnic cleansing is.

Israel offensive is tantamount to ethnic cleansing in the same way UN is complicit in supporting terrorism.

[David__77]

12. The UN Security Council has certainly been party to terrorism.

[Beastly Boy]

13. My analogy was in response to Mr. Turk's remark.

I am not sure how accurate your post is, but if true, both Mr Turk and the UN Security Council lacks the legitimacy to pass judgements on the subject of ethnic cleansing.

That's the point you were trying to make, wasn't it?

[David__77]

25. Perhaps the US should withdraw from the UN.

[Beastly Boy]

33. If what you said is true, that would be one option to consider.

[Eko]

28. Israel enabled hamas regime in Gaza also. As for the UN its alleged terrorist employed. They did not admit to it at all

I don't know why you keep saying the same things over and over that are just not true in regards to UNRWA.

[Mountainguy]

30. Lol

Enabled by allowing work passes and aid. The exact things you are upset they aren't allowing in now.

[Eko]

31. I'm not upset that they arent allowing in millions of dollars in briefcases now.

Like Isarel helped the Quatari do, just food, water and medical supplies like UNRWA did.

[Beastly Boy]

34. Are you upset about UNRWA distributing pro-Hamas genocidal propaganda to Gazan schoolchildren?

I am.

I am also far more upset about UNRWA allowing Hamas to steal humanitarian aid from Gazan civilians to the tune of billions of dollars for their tunnels and missiles than Netanyahu allowing Qatari millions into Gaza to build a hospital there.

[Eko]

37. Yeah I dont like that.

While I'm sure hamas steals some aid I dont really know how you have come upon the number to be billions. Seems kinda high got a source other than right wing ones? I do have to say its interesting that food, water, and medical aid sent to gaza by UNRWA gets turned into missiles and tunnels but the millions of dollars sent that Israel facilitated is only used for a hospital. Its almost like you got some kinda blind spot there and cant see reality for what it really is. Interesting to say the least.

[Beastly Boy]

66. Gazan civilians beg to differ.

They are risking their lives protesting against Hamas stealing from them. And they don't seem to find it interesting, whether Hamas steals humanitarian supplies from UN trucks or millions of dollars from Qatari suitcases that made their way to Gaza while Netanyahu was looking the other way.

It's almost like they got some kind of blind spot, isn't it?

[Beastly Boy]

35. My bad. UN only fired their employees,

admitted that "the evidence – if authenticated and corroborated – could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks of 7 October" (https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/investigation-completed-allegations-unrwa-staff-participation-7-october), and promptly destroyed the evidence that was supposed to be authenticated and corroborated. (https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/408096)

The optics would have been far better for them if they just made an admission. But hell, they never admitted anything. They only acted guilty as hell, for no reason at all.

[Eko]

36. Its amazing how eager you are to believe a authoritarian governments accusations.

With no proof.
"if authenticated and corroborated"
"could indicate"
And if you are going to use Isrealnationalnes you should know that they are a right wing rag.
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/arutz-sheva-israel-national-news/
I'm beginning to see a pattern with you.
Interesting.

[Beastly Boy]

39. What a coincidence, I detect a pattern too!

US, Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, Finland, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, all took the not proof seriously enough to cut off aid to UNRWA. So many fact-suppressing authoritarian governments to snub!

But since you prefer to take the word of a source with even lower ratings than the aforementioned right wing rag (by all means, do check out UNRWA media bias ratings), and since you trust this low-credibility accused party to legitimately investigate itself, I gather you don't like the company I am in.

Tough.

[muriel_volestrangler]

46. Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, Finland, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Austria all reinstated

funding later, after the claims of the Israeli government weren't backed up.

https://unwatch.org/updated-list-of-countries-suspending-unwra-funding/

It's only the USA that is sticking with Netanyahu.

[Beastly Boy]

65. The claims of Israeli government were backed up by Hamas' own records

and provided to UNRWA.

The UN investigation found reasonable cause to believe that at least seven suspects were tied to Hamas, provided the records are authenticated. They never attempted to authenticate those records.

The aforementioned countries reinstated the aid after the named suspects were fired and afterUN ended (not completed) their investigation, with an expectation that the authentication of records will be completed shortly afterwards. UN failed to meet their expectations.

[Eko]

82. But you somehow leave out that the UK, Japan, Germany, Italy, Australia and Canada have resumed funding.

I guess they didn't believe the proof once they got a look at it. Good for them.

[Beastly Boy]

83. Read Post #65, the one right above yours.

Last edited Tue May 20, 2025, 06:53 PM - Edit history (1)

and quit craving my attention, for gawd's sake.

[Eko]

84. Since I dont crave your attention at all

I dont go and read all you post, I just saw that I had a reply and replied to that. Get a grip. And post 63 doesnt say what you think.

[NoRethugFriends]

52. As you very well know, UN has zero credibility.

[muriel_volestrangler]

54. The UN has plenty of credibility with the world at large.

Among Netanyahu adherents, not so much.

It's amazing to see several ad hominem attacks on the UN on DU.

[NoRethugFriends]

61. It's amazing to see you ignore what has been obvious.

BTW, I do think Netanyahu is a monster.
That doesn't negate UN being terrible, and of course Hamas and their horrendous and bigoted supporters being horrendous.

[muriel_volestrangler]

45. External academics estimate even more - 40% more in the first nine months

Gaza death toll 40% higher than official number, Lancet study finds

Analysis estimates death toll by end of June was 64,260, with 59% being women, children and people over 65

Research published in the Lancet medical journal estimates that the death toll in Gaza during the first nine months of the Israel-Hamas war was about 40% higher than numbers recorded by the Palestinian territory’s health ministry.

The peer-reviewed statistical analysis was conducted by academics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Yale University and other institutions, using a statistical method called capture-recapture analysis.

The researchers sought to assess the death toll from Israel’s air and ground campaign in Gaza between October 2023 and the end of June 2024, estimating 64,260 deaths due to traumatic injury during this period. The study said 59.1% were women, children and people over the age of 65. It did not provide an estimate of Palestinian combatants among the dead.

Up to 30 June last year, the health ministry in Gaza reported a death toll of 37,877 in the war, which began on 7 October 2023 after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostages.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/10/gaza-death-toll-40-higher-than-official-number-lancet-study-finds

[Mountainguy]

48. A deeply flawed study

That as it's base relies on data that cannot be independently verified as accurate and uses questionable modeling.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5115647

[muriel_volestrangler]

53. And that paper's estimate is extremely close to the Ministry of Health's figures

"We also project a combined total population of decedents, civilians and combatants, that closely matches the total reported by Gaza’s Ministry of Health." So some academics put the number higher, some about the same. Either way, the health ministry's figures are not thought to be too high.

[Mountainguy]

55. Gee....maybe because they

Are using data controlled by the Hamas Ministry of Health.

[womanofthehills]

56. We are viewing it in real time on our phones

So many kids burnt so badly they are barely recognizable as kids. So many limbless kids - babies with amputated legs. Just pure evil.

The images of dead and injured kids this week is off the wall. That the US is involved with this is sickening.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

59. Maybe, just maybe if HAMAs had stayed on their side of the border and honored the cease fire,

this wouldn't be happening, but HAMAs just had to invade Israel, torturing, maiming, raping, murdering, kidnapping innocent civilians and then, all the while, hiding behind the citizens of Gaza, hiding their C&C systems and weapons among the civilian population, including schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, etc..
Face the cold, hard facts, HAMAs doesn't give a rat's ass about what happens to those innocent Gazans, the more dead Palestinians, the better for HAMAs.
I do gotta hand it to HAMAs' propaganda dept., turning the world against Israel using Gazans as cannon fodder was a brilliant operation, one that wildly exceeded their expectations.

Don't bother replying, I don't want to hear the bullshit.

[Mountainguy]

64. You see what Hamas wants you to

How it happened?

"Just trust us"

[Ping Tung]

3. Murderers committing war crimes who should be in the ICC dock.

He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would fully suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.
Albert Einstein

[AloeVera]

79. THIS!

That man was smart.

[EX500rider]

8. Can't be upset about it with out knowing how many were Hamas..

Usually the goal in war is to kill enough troops on the other side that they surrender. Hamas has not done so.

And Hamas gets a huge propaganda boost by claiming every time they were mostly women & children.

Of course them hiding amoung civilians and setting up bases in hospitals & schools gets lot of their civilians killed.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

44. Gen. George Patton said it best:

"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his".

Still true in this day and age of warfare.

[AloeVera]

49. 8,304 women killed as of March.

Not upset?

3,839 elderly killed.
Not upset?

15,613 children.
Not upset?

You will claim some of the children were Hamas, of course. You might also claim that most of the 22,265 men killed were Hamas - which is what Israel appears to be doing. As if every adult male is Hamas.

But to say that you "can't be upset"...when surely you would know that tens of thousands of innocents have been killed...is really something.
https://www.ochaopt.org/

[EX500rider]

68. Why would I only pick only Gaza to be "upset" about?

Last edited Mon May 19, 2025, 03:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Not Ukrainians killed by Russians?
Not Yemen civilian's killed by Houthi's?
Not Sudanese killed by the RSF?
Not Libyan's killed by various militia's?
Not Iranian's killed by their own govt?
Not Congolese killed by M23 rebels?
Not Nigerians killed by Boko Haram or Fulani raiders ?
Not Myanmar civilian's killed by the Junta?
ETC

Always going to feel less sorry for the side that started the war, just like there wasn't a like of pity for Japanese or German civilian's in WWII, sucks to be you but your govt started this mess.

Also around 150,000 people die every day around the world, only 50,000 or so of those are from natural causes, so 100,000 people die tragically every day from warfare, homicide, starvation, traffic accidents, etc, India alone has around 475 people die every DAY in traffic accidents.

Wouldn't be good for my mental health to be perpetually outraged/upset/sad etc

[AloeVera]

70. Because unlike the others, it's your own government funding it...

And/or the state you support doing it?

And because it's really wrong and inhumane?

Just a thought..

[EX500rider]

71. So if Israel only used locally made munitions you wouldn't care? Strange take IMO

The IDF would have fought back against Hamas' barbaric attack with or without US aid, the only difference would be more dead civilians if they used only dumb bombs instead of US made smart munitions, not sure how that would be better, YMMV

[AloeVera]

73. We were talking about why YOU should care.

For one, if you are American, your government is complicit. But you may not care about that.

The U.S. provides more weaponry than J-DAMS lol.

With or without precise munitions ( and over half were not) Israel should not have used hundreds of 2000 lb bombs to flatten whole civilian neighbourhoods. It's unheard of in modern warfare (not sure if even Russia does that) and deeply wrong. Criminal.

[Beastly Boy]

78. 30% of UNRWA funding comes from the US taxpayers.

I don't know about you, but I get upset when this money pays for salaries of the radical right wing Islamist terrorists.

[EX500rider]

80. "For one, if you are American, your government is complicit."

I don't think so, Israel would have responded the same way, with or without the 16% of their military budget US aid supplies.
The only difference is US smart munitions keeping collateral damage lower.

I also don't buy people only care for that reason, lots of people hate Israel & Jews in case you didn't know.
The words Pogrom, Ghetto & Holocaust all predate modern Israel.

And I am sure the IDF picks the munition needed for the job, Hamas has many underground facilities if you haven't heard, those take bigger booms to service. For example the US used a MOAB (21,715 lb) on Afghan tunnel complex's

[LexVegas]

14. Hamas saya. nt

[AloeVera]

50. No. Verified and identified.

See post # 49.

[Rob H.]

21. It's amazing how irredeemably, almost cartoonishly evil

the Israeli government, the IDF, and Netanyahu have been these last ~19 months and there are still people not just willing but eager to defend them.

[David__77]

22. That's an excellent description. The willful murderousness and delight in annihilation of that state.

[Beastly Boy]

26. That's their descriptions in the media. Unbelievably cartoonish.

Just begging to be compared to the antisemitic posters of Nazi Germany.

[leftyladyfrommo]

40. Trump just wants everyone gone so they

can build their mega million hotel overlooking the beautiful sea.

[demmiblue]

41. This thread really must be something... I can only see 6 responses. n/t

[Rob H.]

42. Same here nt

[Johnny2X2X]

43. Call it whatever you want to call it

Last edited Mon May 19, 2025, 11:31 AM - Edit history (2)

But BiBi and Trump have explicitely said what their plan for Gaza is going forward. The plan is for every single Gazan to either be ejected from their land or exterminated. Gaza is being wiped off the map and replaced with a new country controlled by Israel and the US. Not a single Gazan will be left in that land alive.

[Crunchy Frog]

74. There's 72 replies and I can only see 7 of them.

I guess I'll have to take a look on another browser where I'm not signed in.

[AloeVera]

75. You may have some prolific posters on ignore?

I can only see half myself but I can guess why.

[Crunchy Frog]

76. Yes I do. I can't deal with a "progressive" discussion board where so many defend the indefensible.

Or at least what I see as indefensible.

[AloeVera]

77. I know. Soon I will be where you are.

[AntiFascist]

85. Trump has been completely impotent in his promises to bring about peace...

chalk up more failure to his massively failed presidency.

[Autumn]

87. People in Gaza are starving. Israel is committing genocide.