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6/8 Petition to Biden & U.S. Congress

“A piece of my heart is gone…but Alhamdulillah, O Lord, you are more compassionate towards him than I.” These are the words of a mother in Gaza saying goodbye to her child who was murdered in Israel’s recent massacre at the Nuseirat refugee camp. His small body is wrapped in a thin sheet- stained red where his head would be – on the floor between two cars. Family and community members are gathered around, saying their goodbyes. This was his funeral. A thin sheet covering a small body outside on the concrete between cars while his mother cried and prayed over his body. This has happened over and over again in Gaza. At least 16,000 children have been murdered by Israel since 10/7 using estimates from 5/13. The Nuseirat refugee camp massacre has claimed the lives of at least 210, and injured upwards of 400. Too many mothers have had the same experience just that day.

As of 6/8, Israel has murdered approximately 36,800 – 43,600 total Palestinians in Gaza since 10/7. This does not include the current estimate of those presumed dead under the rubble. The total 43,600 estimate comes from a reputable IGO, EuroMed Human Rights Monitor, from 5/13. At the time of that estimate, approximately 8,300 were presumed dead under the rubble. That number has undoubtably increased with all of the recent massacres of refugee camps, but if we just take that number, the best estimate we have for today, 6/8, is a total of 45,100 Palestinians murdered.

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 6/8 Live Updates

Estimated deaths as of 5/13/24 – 6/8/24 from multiple sources*

Al Jazeera quotes 36,801 dead as of 6/8/24. 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 43,640 dead shown on an infographic posted on their Instagram (link to post) as of 5/13/24. 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“

**5/17/24 official death toll cited in prior petition “ANOTHER TRAIL OF TEARS PAID BY MY TAX DOLLARS – STOP THE GENOCIDE NOW“

Rounded, speculative estimate of those buried under the rubble as of 5/17: 43,600 – 35,300 = 8,300

!! CONTENT WARNING !!

Telegram* sources may contain graphic content, viewer discretion is advised.

*Why are you citing reports shared on Telegram?

While Telegram channels on their own are not necessarily credible news reporting, I have found the work Praxis Redacted has done consolidating both official news sources and unofficial citizen reporting (before it becomes breaking news) to be credible, accurate, and substantiated hours or sometimes days later by mainstream news.

Since mid-October when I began following the news about the genocide (and Praxis Redacted), I have not found an incident where sources cited or descriptions used were later proved to be false. I have every reason to believe the events cited below are true.

Most Telegram posts I link will be from Praxis Redacted, but those that are not will be labeled. All of the same disclaimers apply for content warnings and my belief in the credibility of the channels cited. This is a saved text template used across posts, it’s possible no sources outside of Praxis Redacted will be used or that only other channels are cited in this petition. It is also possible that other social media posts will be cited from other platforms, and if so, they will be noted.

6/8 video mother saying goodbye to her child who was murdered in the Nuseirat refugee camp massacre