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7/2 Petition to Biden & U.S. Congress

Since this administration wants to try and cover up the extent of Israel’s slaughter by banning the official death toll, we can look towards credible international organizations to provide the truth. The Gaza Health Ministry advised at the end of 2023 their ability to accurately identify and count all of the dead was hindered due to the unrelenting onslaught by Israeli forces. All credible human rights organizations back this up and agree their death toll is an undercount and does not include those missing and presumed dead under the rubble. As of 6/12/24, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor estimated a total of 45,223 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel since 10/7. 15,620 are children. Their estimate includes those presumed dead under the rubble. This is an undercount to what it would be today, 7/2, because updated statistics aren’t available in real-time as the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty figures are.

The 6/12 statistics include more heartbreaking data. 1.7 million people, more than half of Gaza’s total population is displaced. 467 schools have been destroyed. 699 religious sites of worship damaged, which include both Muslim mosques and Christian churches. 361 healthcare facilities destroyed, which includes hospitals, clinics, and ambulances. 2,750 Palestinians from Gaza taken as hostage in Israeli “military prisons”. The breadth of destruction is jaw dropping. I dread to see the updated numbers.

Recently released Palestinian hostages detailing the torture they’ve endured should shock the conscience of all who still have one. Faraj Al Samuni’s testimony corroborates what other freed hostages have reported. Palestinians are tortured physically, psychologically, and sexually. Palestinian men in particular face more targeted sexual violence.

I demand that you: 

– Hold Israel accountable for a permanent, immediate ceasefire, their violations of the Genocide Convention, and gross human rights violations by any means necessary

– Call for the immediate end of Israel’s occupation and apartheid and support Palestinians in their fight for freedom and peace

– Secure the immediate release and safety of all Palestinians who have been abducted and held captive by Israel, including those whose indefinite detention began prior to 10/7

– Permanently end all monetary, diplomatic, and military aid given to Israel and enforce Leahy Law

– Reallocate all funds given to Israel and commit additional resources for ongoing humanitarian relief for Palestinians starting with immediately resuming funding of UNRWA

– Immediately withdraw all U.S. troops, military assets, and all other assets deployed throughout the Middle East and cease all actions that further escalate a larger regional conflict

– Pass legislation that voids all anti-BDS laws at the federal level

– Vote no on H.R. 7521 and any similar legislation proposed

SOURCES

Al Jazeera 7/2 Live Updates

The Hill “House votes to ban State Department from citing Gaza Health Ministry death toll statistics“

Al Jazeera “Released Palestinian detainee details torture and dire conditions in Israeli jails“

Estimated deaths as of 6/12 – 7/2 from multiple sources*

Al Jazeera quotes 37,925 dead as of 7/2. Al Jazeera always includes the most up-to-date official death tolls on their Breaking/live updates page. Because the daily live pages are refreshed so frequently for each new day, I can’t link you to a specific date. You can always check the Breaking/live section on their site for the most recent official numbers.

EuroMed Monitor quotes an estimated 45,223 dead shown on an infographic posted on their Instagram (link to post) as of 6/12. (Note: the English translated infographic has a typo on the date for 5/13, but it’s clear in the caption and time of posting the statistics are for 6/12)

Their website has past infographics, but does not currently have this newest one included as of writing this blog post. This is not unusual- I believe they first post on social media and then add to the infographic section of their site later. Prior infographics posted on Instagram and then shown on their site have the exact same figures & data.

*Why are multiple sources used for the death count?

Associated Press “Gaza health officials say they lost the ability to count dead as Israeli offensive intensifies“

The situation in Gaza has only gotten worse since the AP published this article on 11/21. The official numbers we are seeing from Gaza’s Ministry of Health are undercounted, and have been since at least 11/21.

EuroMed Monitor is a NGO established in 2011 that advocates for the human rights of all persons across Europe and the MENA region. They have a regional office in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. I believe their estimates are credible which is why I quote them, and will continue to, when referring to the estimated death toll.

My personal opinion is that the true number is even higher than estimated- people are dying from starvation, thirst, infections, and illnesses. Even if the genocide ended this moment, these types of deaths will unfortunately continue for some time. I believe their deaths should be counted. They may not have been shot/bombed/etc. by the Israeli military, but their deaths are directly attributable to the total siege, occupation, and intentional** destruction of civilian, water, waste management, and medical infrastructure by Israel.

**Why are you accusing Israel of intentionally destroying important infrastructure and targeting civilians?

It’s not an accusation. They’ve admitted to it.

The Guardian “‘The Gospel’: how Israel uses AI to select bombing targets in Gaza“

972 Magazine “‘A mass assassination factory’: Inside Israel’s calculated bombing of Gaza“