This can be a rush transcript. Copy might not be in its last kind.
AMY GOODMAN: For the second time since January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C., right this moment to fulfill with President Trump as Israel expands its floor invasion of Gaza. In accordance with the U.N. reduction company UNRWA, Israeli assaults have killed or injured a minimum of 100 kids in Gaza day-after-day since Israel broke the ceasefire in mid-March.
This comes as Israel has killed a minimum of 56 Palestinians over the previous 25 hours. In a single day, Israel struck a tent housing journalists close to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The blast set off a hearth that killed two folks, together with the journalist Helmi al-Faqawi, who was burned alive. One other journalist, Hasan Eslayeh, was severely wounded within the assault.
In the meantime, outrage is rising over Israel’s killing of 15 Palestinian medics and emergency employees in Gaza who have been found in an unmarked mass grave final week. Footage recovered of the assault reveals the ambulances within the convoy had their lights on when Israeli troops opened hearth. Israel had initially claimed the convoy had suspiciously approached troops with their lights off. Cellphone video of Israel’s assault was recorded by a paramedic who was contained in the car when it got here below hearth, was among the many 15 assist employees who have been killed.
That’s the sound of gunfire from Israeli troopers. An Israeli navy spokesperson stated in an announcement that its troops, quote, “didn’t randomly assault an ambulance on March 23,” and that, quote, “following an preliminary evaluation, it was decided that the forces had eradicated a Hamas navy operative, Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, who took half within the October 7 bloodbath, together with eight different terrorists from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad,” they stated.
Effectively, on Saturday, the longtime Palestinian politician and physician Mustafa Barghouti marched in a protest in Ramallah.
DR. MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI: The Israeli military dedicated a horrible warfare crime by attacking first assist suppliers and medics within the Pink Crescent Society whereas they have been of their ambulances, clearly marked, with their sirens on, with their lights on. Nonetheless, they attacked them and killed them one after the opposite. And after killing them, and possibly a few of them have been nonetheless wounded, they buried them with sand, they and their ambulances. What the Israeli military did in Rafah — and that’s what The New York Instances have uncovered — was a horrible warfare crime.
AMY GOODMAN: The U.N. Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated the folks have been buried in a mass grave, with the ambulance additionally buried. A few of their our bodies have been discovered with their fingers or legs tied and had gunshot wounds to the pinnacle and chest.
That is Palestine Pink Crescent Society media director Raed al-Nams addressing reporters Sunday.
RAED AL-NAMS: [translated] These are thought of crimes towards humanity and warfare crimes. The worldwide neighborhood should intervene to cease and compel Israel to respect worldwide conventions and the principles of worldwide humanitarian regulation, which prohibit the focusing on of suppliers of well being companies and ambulances throughout warfare and battle.
AMY GOODMAN: For extra, we’re joined by Diana Buttu, longtime Palestinian human rights legal professional, former adviser to the negotiating workforce of the Palestine Liberation Group. She has a brand new piece in Zeteo headlined “’Level-Clean Vary’: How Israel Executed 15 Medics and Rescue Staff in Gaza.”
Diana, welcome again to Democracy Now! Thanks for becoming a member of us from Haifa. If you can begin off by giving us the chronology of what occurred to the medics, the paramedics and the ambulance drivers, and what Israel first stated, after which, when the footage was taken from the cellphone of a lifeless paramedic, what then Israel has responded?
DIANA BUTTU: Effectively, what we all know, Amy, is that the Israeli military attacked an space in Rafah, a neighborhood in Rafah, Tel al-Sultan. And as has been the case over the course of the previous yr and a half — right this moment marks a yr and a half of this genocide — paramedics, Palestinian paramedics, went out to attempt to rescue individuals who have been there, in addition to to attempt to give them some medical companies. As has been the case from the start, the paramedics notified and gave phrase that they have been heading out. That they had their lights on as they’ve at all times had their lights on. And nonetheless, what we do know is that the Israeli military then attacked the ambulances that have been going there — not simply attacked these ambulances, however then shot at these people point-blank vary. Lots of them have been really discovered with their fingers and their toes certain. And a number of other of them have been discovered with greater than 20 gunshot wounds to the pinnacle and to the chest.
To make issues then worse, we then have a bunch of troopers who then resolve that they’re going to bury these ambulances, and they also dug a mass grave and buried the ambulances on this mass grave. It took a number of days to have the ability to discover these paramedics, as a result of they’d gone lacking and no person was capable of finding them, earlier than folks have been then in a position to uncover them and the ambulances.
Now, in fact, as is at all times the case, Israel at all times claims that, oops, that we didn’t do it. Then they deflect and say, “Oh, it occurred to be anyone who was wished.” And, in fact, each of those are towards the principles of worldwide regulation. However then, solely when it grew to become clear that there was footage that the paramedics had completed all the things proper, that we now hear that the Israelis at the moment are claiming that they buried the ambulance — get this, Amy — as a way to forestall the folks from being eaten by wild animals.
In different phrases, what they’ve completed again and again is be capable of get away with point-blank executions, with finishing up mass — with digging up mass graves, and committing these warfare crimes, and all that they must say, again and again, is “Oops, sorry,” and no person is holding them to account.
We now have over 409 medics who’ve been killed by Israel over the course of the previous 18 months. There have been scores who’re nonetheless remaining in jail, lots of them being tortured. All of those are assaults towards the medical system. And that is deliberate. And it’s taking place as a result of no person is stopping Israel.
AMY GOODMAN: I imply, it’s very fascinating that The Instances of Israel stated that the military defended burying the our bodies in an unmarked grave, claiming that is “an accredited and common apply throughout combating in Gaza,” and as you identified, to forestall the animals. Nevertheless it’s a regular apply to bury folks in graves. And that why the ambulances? Buried all proof, they tried to cowl up?
DIANA BUTTU: Sure, and that is the issue, Amy, is that it’s a must to take into consideration the degrees of criminality, the extent of dehumanization that it takes for not only one, however a number of of those troopers to have the ability to assume by means of and say, one, “We’re going to shoot at ambulances,” two, “We’re going to tie them up,” three, “We’re going to execute them,” after which, 4, “We’re going to bury them, in addition to the ambulances.” It’s such the peak of dehumanization. And since no person’s holding Israel to account, they proceed to get away with it.
AMY GOODMAN: Why is Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington right this moment for a second time? He talked about he’s going to be speaking about tariffs on Israel and different points. However why, do you assume?
DIANA BUTTU: I feel it’s for 2 causes. One is, I feel he’s making an attempt to get much more weapons to be despatched to Israel. And second is, I feel he actually desires to cement the Trump plan, the Trump plan of ethnic cleaning, this plan that was unveiled again in January of this yr. And I say this as a result of Netanyahu has made it clear, since he broke the ceasefire on March the 18th, exactly what it’s that he desires to do. He’s been saying again and again that he intends to go in spite of everything of Gaza. And he’s made it clear that he’s been doing so, however that he intends to implement the Trump plan.
And so, I feel he’s on the lookout for further backing by this administration as a way to perform this plan. And the one approach that he’ll be capable of ethnically cleanse 2 million folks from the Gaza Strip is thru using mass weaponry and thru the stress, the diplomatic stress, that the US will undoubtedly deliver to bear towards Palestinians and, in fact, towards the remainder of the Arab world. It’s clear what Netanyahu desires to do. The query turns into whether or not anyone goes to cease him.
AMY GOODMAN: I wished to get your response, Diana Buttu, to what occurred in a single day, Israel putting a tent housing journalists close to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The video is horrifying. The blast units up this hearth, and also you see a journalist, Helmi al-Faqawi, sitting in a chair burning alive as different journalists attempt to rescue him. One other journalist was severely wounded within the assault. This was a tent of journalists. Your response?
DIANA BUTTU: What Israel has been making an attempt to do is to kill anyone who’s persevering with to bear witness and to deliver to gentle Israel’s crimes. That is why we’ve now seen that that is 211 journalists that Israel has killed. Extra journalists have been killed in Gaza than in another place all over the world. That is why they’re going after medics. That is why they’re going after the United Nations. That is why they’re going after particular person civilians, as nicely, is that they wish to make it possible for they proceed to hold out this genocide with out anyone reporting on it.
And the truth that we haven’t seen international outrage over this mass killing of journalists and the mass killing of medics and of U.N. employees and so forth simply reveals the peak of dehumanization. It’s excessive time that folks get up and notice that Israel is doing this for a cause, and so they proceed to get away with it as a result of no person is stopping them.
AMY GOODMAN: I wish to additionally ask you about what occurred within the occupied West Financial institution, Israeli troopers capturing lifeless a 14-year-old Palestinian American boy named Omar Mohammad Rabea throughout a raid of the city of Turmus Aya. Two different Palestinian American boys, 14 and 15, have been injured. The Palestinian Overseas Ministry condemned what it referred to as the “extrajudicial killing.” Israel acknowledged capturing the boys. They accused them of rock throwing, Diana Buttu.
DIANA BUTTU: Sure, that is, once more, one other instance, Amy, of the degrees of dehumanization and the truth that Israeli troopers are given orders of shoot to kill. I don’t assume that we ought to be dwelling in a world through which 13- and 14- and 15-year-old kids are condemned to loss of life as a result of they’re making an attempt to withstand navy occupation, threw a stone. And but these are the directions and the orders that the Israeli military has given to its troopers, which is shoot and kill, and we are going to then present cowl for you without end. That is why we’ve by no means seen any Israeli troopers be held to account for the killings of kids, for the killings of journalists, for the killings of medics, and so forth.
AMY GOODMAN: After which you’ve gotten the state of affairs of well being officers saying 600,000 kids in Gaza are vulnerable to everlasting paralysis as a result of Israel is barring the entry of polio vaccines to Gaza as a part of its broader total blockade. And in response to UNRWA, Israeli assaults have killed or injured 100 kids a day since Israel broke the ceasefire. Diana Buttu, there have been protests everywhere in the nation, together with these protesting round Israel’s warfare on Gaza and U.S. assist for that warfare. Hundreds marched in Washington in a separate protest outdoors the “Arms Off!” protest. And plenty of joined the “Arms Off!” protest who felt this manner. What do you consider the U.S. function and what the U.S. can do, as Netanyahu meets with Trump?
DIANA BUTTU: Look, the U.S. has been complicit, and it’s been Israel’s largest provider. This isn’t simply an Israeli genocide towards Palestinians; it is a U.S.-backed Israeli genocide towards Palestinians.
And the essential a part of that is that Should you have a look at who makes up the Palestinian folks, significantly in Gaza, greater than 50% are kids. Greater than 50% are below the age of 18. And when folks discuss genocide, I feel the factor that’s largely ignored is that we’re not simply speaking concerning the variety of people who find themselves killed or the variety of people who find themselves injured. It’s concerning the particular intent to attempt to kill off a bunch of individuals. Once you deny them healthcare, whenever you deny them the power to have entry to drugs as we’re seeing, as we’re seeing with the polio vaccine, as we’re seeing with the bombing of all 36 hospitals within the Gaza Strip, you possibly can see the particular intent to commit and perform genocide, to eradicate a whole group. And it’s now the youngsters who’re in Israel’s goal. They’re those who’re in Israel’s crosshairs, as they at all times have been.
The issues that may be particularly completed are to make it possible for that weapons provide doesn’t make it to Israel. With out U.S. weaponry, the Israeli military can not proceed its assault on Gaza to this similar extent. We additionally must be pushing to make it possible for Israel is ostracized and that the worldwide mechanisms are in place to make it possible for persons are held to account. With out this, we will simply see what the subsequent steps are going to be. And Netanyahu has made it clear: He desires to eliminate Palestinians. He’s made it clear that he desires to see ethnic cleaning, and he’s made it clear that he desires to see genocide. And it’s as much as us to be doing all the things to cease it.
AMY GOODMAN: So, we solely have a minute, however I wished to ask you about this final query. Netanyahu went to Hungary to fulfill with Orbán, and so Hungary pulled out of the Worldwide Felony Courtroom so it wouldn’t must arrest him. There’s an ICC warrant for him for warfare crimes and crimes towards humanity. Then, when Netanyahu flew from Hungary to the US, he took a longer-than-usual flight path to keep away from flying over nations, together with Eire and Iceland, which may implement an arrest warrant from the Worldwide Felony Courtroom if the aircraft needed to make an emergency touchdown. The importance of this?
DIANA BUTTU: The importance of that is that the locations through which Netanyahu is ready to go are getting smaller and smaller and smaller. And it’s only a query of time earlier than we start to see a worldwide alliance to make it possible for this warfare prison is held to account. He’s made it clear that he desires to inflict genocide. He’s made the insurance policies of hunger clear. There’s been nothing coming into Gaza since March the 2nd. And this house for him to have the ability to journey is getting smaller and smaller and smaller. I consider it’s only a query of time earlier than the system catches as much as him. A minimum of I hope it’s.
AMY GOODMAN: Diana Buttu, Palestinian human rights legal professional, former adviser to the negotiating workforce of the Palestine Liberation Group. We’ll hyperlink to your piece in Zeteo, “’Level-Clean Vary’: How Israel Executed 15 Medics and Rescue Staff in Gaza.”
After we come again, voices of the mass protests all over the world. Over 1,000,000 marched, telling President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, “Arms Off!”
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AMY GOODMAN: “Femmes du Monde,” “Girls of the World,” by Amadou & Mariam in 2018 in our Democracy Now! studio. The Malian guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko died final week on the age of 70.
