TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s decision to take over Gaza City was met with resignation and defiance by Palestinians who have survived two years of war and repeated raids. Many Israelis responded with fear and anger, worried it could be a death sentence for hostages held in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel would intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City, large parts of which have been destroyed by past bombardment and ground incursions.

A major ground operation is almost sure to cause more mass displacement and worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

“What does (Israel) want from us? … There is nothing here to occupy,” said a woman in Gaza City who identified herself as Umm Youssef. “There is no life here. I have to walk every day for more than 15 minutes to get drinking water.”

Ruby Chen, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen whose son, Itay, is a hostage held in Gaza, told The Associated Press that the decision puts the remaining hostages in danger.

“What is the plan now that is different from the last 22 months?” he said.

  • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    That’s not true. Zionism is the idea that Jews should build a state for them and only them. It’s inherently predicated on ethnically cleansing indigenous people (and oppressing whoever are allowed to remain) to make way for a Jewish and only Jewish society. Here’s the so-called father of Zionism on the topic:

    As to al-Khalidi concerns about the non-Jewish majority population of Palestine, Herzl replied rhetorically: “who would think of sending them away?” and concluded ambiguously that “If he (the Ottoman Sultan) will not accept it, we will search and, believe me, we will find elsewhere what we need.”[c] Rashid Khalidi notes that this sentiment was penned 4 years after Herzl had confided to his diary the idea of spiriting away the population of whatever country was chosen for a future Jewish state to make way for Jews:[49][page needed]

    We must expropriate gently the private property on the estates assigned to us. We shall try to spirit the penniless population across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it employment in our own country The property owners will come over to our side. Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.’

    - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Herzl

    The Nakba was not a coincidence. You said that fascism, not Zionism, is the problem, but Zionism is a fascist ideology. Otherwise what do the words “Jewish state” even mean?