Exclusive: 'Every Day Is a Fight for Survival in Gaza" says Genocide Scholar Dr. Melanie O'Brien
The legal definition of genocide centers on specific intent, which Dr. O'Brien notes creates significant challenges in prosecution. "Genocide is defined as the destruction in whole or in part of a group... carried out through one of five different crimes including killing and causing serious bodily or mental harm," she states. "The intent to destroy a particular group is what makes genocide different and also quite difficult to prove in a court of law because you have to be able to prove that the perpetrators intended to destroy that people."Regarding the current situation in Gaza, Dr. O'Brien points to several concerning patterns. "We are seeing indiscriminate bombing, long-term indiscriminate bombing that is killing people, that is destroying livelihoods, that is destroying infrastructure, that is destroying healthcare facilities and healthcare workers," she observes. She particularly highlights the strategic use of humanitarian aid as a weapon: "Denial of humanitarian aid, including food, healthcare, and medicine, is leading to a high likelihood of death. Therefore, you have to say their intent must be to kill, to destroy, at least in part, the Palestinian people of Gaza."advertisementDr. O'Brien also discusses the psychological warfare tactics employed, noting that "Israeli military open firing on people queuing for food, resulting in deaths, is designed to create fear so that people don't even want to try and get food, because that is just another situation where they risk death."The scholar acknowledges the historical context whilst maintaining legal clarity: "The genocide convention came about in part as a result of the Holocaust... The Jewish people have an existential fear that someone will destroy their people because it happened to them." However, she firmly states that "even if Israel had a right to self-defense against an armed attack from Hamas, there is certainly no justification for the commission of genocide."Dr. O'Brien criticises the international community's response, particularly highlighting how "the Security Council system, with the veto power of the permanent five members including the United States, essentially prevents any action from being taken regarding this situation." She notes that while "there are arrest warrants that the International Criminal Court has issued against Benjamin Netanyahu and the former defense minister of Israel Yav Galant, waiting for implementation," meaningful enforcement remains elusive.The human cost remains paramount in Dr. O'Brien's analysis: "On the ground in Gaza, every individual is hoping they survive each day, not knowing where their food will come from or whether they will be bombed or shot at."Must Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Israel Claims Gaza Starvation "Engineered by Hamas" Amid Global Outrage, Arab Leader Shames US Envoy
Israel on Wednesday (July 23) hit back at growing international criticism that it was behind chronic food shortages in Gaza, instead accusing Hamas of deliberately creating a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian than 100 aid and human rights groups said earlier Wednesday that "mass starvation" was spreading in the Gaza Strip, and France warned of a growing "risk of famine" caused by "the blockade imposed by Israel".The head of the World Health Organization also weighed in, saying that a "large proportion of the population of Gaza is starving"."I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation -- and it's man-made," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Israeli government spokesman, David Mencer, said there was "no famine caused by Israel. There is a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas." n18oc_world n18oc_crux0:00 INTRODUCTION2:00 KATZ WARNS 'GATES OF HELL WILL OPEN' 3:46 TUNISIA SLAMS 'INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY' BEHIND GAZA STARVATION4:38 ISRAEL OPPOSITION SLAMS ATTEMPT ON NETANYAHU'S LIFE5:52 ISRAELI VISITORS CHASED BY 'ARMED' MOB ON GREEK ISLAND
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Meet Tayfun Block-4: Game-changer hypersonic missile unveiled by Turkey; its capable of..., could raise tension for India due to...
(File) In a major concern for India, Turkey, which openly supported and armed Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict after Operation Sindoor, has made another giant leap in the advance weapons' space as it unveiled its first hypersonic missile, the Tayfun Block-4, the latest variant of its indigenously-developed Tayfun ballistic missile family. How powerful is the Tayfun Block-4 missile? Designed and developed by Turkish defense giant Roketsan, the Tayfun Block-4 is a hypersonic variant of Turkey's indigenously built longest-range Tayfun ballistic missile series. The Tayfun Block-4 measures 6.5 meters, weighs 2,300 kilograms and has a range of 800 kilometres, as per a report by Turkey Today. 'The Tayfun Block-4 is capable of long-range strikes, setting another record for the Turkish defence industry. Weighing over 7 tonnes, this new variant of the Tayfun, with its multi-purpose warhead, will be capable of destroying a range of strategic targets such as enemy air defence systems, command and control centres, military hangars and important military facilities from hundreds of kilometers away,' Roketsan said in a statement. What makes hypersonic missiles so lethal? As the name suggests, hypersonic missiles are capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above (five times the speed of sound or around 6,100 kilometers per hour), making it extremely difficult for even the most advanced air defense systems to intercept them in time. The destruction caused by Iran's hypersonic missiles across major Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa during the recent Israel-Iran war is a testimony to the penetrative capabilities of the hypersonic missiles which render even advanced air defenses like Arrow 3 and the Iron Dome useless in a battle scenario. Why Turkey's new missile is a concern for India? Turkey, along with China and Azerbaijan, was among the few countries that openly supported Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Turkey, which has strengthened its military ties with Pakistan in recent times, also armed the Pakistani forces with advanced military drones like the Bayraktar TB2, which were actively used against Indian installations during Operation Sindoor. Defense analysts believe Turkey's development of a hypersonic missile system could be a significant security threat to India as Ankara could provide the technology and the missiles to Pakistan. Notably, Pakistan had earlier approached its 'iron brother' China for hypersonic technology, but the request was denied.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Far Below Survival Needs": WHO Chief On Gaza's 'Mass Starvation'
The World Health Organization's chief warned Wednesday of widespread starvation in Gaza, saying food deliveries into the war-ravaged Palestinian territory were "far below what is needed for the survival of the population". "A large proportion of the population of Gaza is starving. I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation -- and it's man-made," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. His statement added his voice to those of 111 aid organisations and rights groups, including MSF and Oxfam, who warned earlier Wednesday that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza. "Our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away," they said in a joint statement. Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where more than two million people are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials after 21 months of conflict. Even after Israel began easing a more than two-month aid blockade in late May, Gaza's population is still suffering extreme scarcities. "The 2.1 million people trapped in the war zone that is Gaza are facing yet another killer on top of bombs and bullets: starvation," Tedros said. "We are now witnessing a deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths," he added. Children Starvind To Death Tedros highlighted that "rates of global acute malnutrition exceed 10 percent, and over 20 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women that have been screened are malnourished, often severely". The UN health agency has documented 21 deaths in Gaza related to malnutrition of children under the age of five since the beginning of the year, but acknowledges that that the true number is likely higher. The head of Gaza's largest hospital said Tuesday that 21 children had died due to malnutrition and starvation in the Palestinian territory over the previous three days alone. Tedros warned that "the hunger crisis is being accelerated by the collapse of aid pipelines and restrictions on access". The starvation is "man-made" and clearly caused by Israel's blockade on the territory, he said. The WHO chief highlighted how starving people were risking their lives to access aid. The UN rights office said Tuesday that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operations in late May. "Not only 1,026 were killed while trying to feed themselves or find food for their family. Thousands were also wounded," Tedros said. "We demand that there is full access, and we demand that there is a ceasefire," he said. "We demand that there is a political solution to this problem, a lasting solution."
