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12/18 Petition to Biden & U.S. Congress
Approximately 19,400 – 25,600 Palestinian souls are gone from this Earth as of 12/18 due to the brutal bombardment by Israel. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. I don’t care where they’re from. We can all mourn the innocent Israeli lives lost, but not the Palestinians? We can all condemn Hamas, but if we criticize and rightfully call out another government’s war crimes, we’re antisemitic? Do you realize how insane the U.S. government’s messaging on this sounds?

Conditions have deteriorated significantly in the last 10 days since the World Food Programme’s last update I shared with you on 12/8. Half of Gaza’s population, approximately 1.15 million people, are starving. Starvation causes the body to cannibalize itself. Bouts of diarrhea occur as the metabolism shuts down. Health consequences compound – energy levels fall, kidneys become impaired, hallucinations, agitation, and other forms of mental torment occur, and the immune system weakens. This makes it easy for infections, illness, and disease to take hold.

Israel’s barbaric strategy isn’t new. In 2006 they began restricting food that entered Gaza to keep the population hungry. Deaths by starvation, thirst, and illness are happening now and quickly.

I demand that you: 

– Call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the West Bank, and all areas the Israeli military is murdering or otherwise violating the human rights of Palestinians

– Call for the immediate end of genocide, apartheid, and occupation, and support Palestinians in their fight for freedom, peace, and their human rights

– Call for the immediate release of Palestinian “prisoners” (hostages) held captive in Israeli military prisons

– Permanently end all monetary and military aid given to Israel by correcting our budget and enforcing Leahy Law

– Reallocate all funds given to Israel to ongoing humanitarian relief for Palestinians to help them rebuild, care for the sick & injured, bury the dead with dignity, and ensure all of their basic needs are taken care of

– Repeal all federal anti-BDS laws and pass legislation that voids all state-level anti-BDS laws

– Restore my right to free speech and the freedom of the press by condemning all discrimination or harassment for criticizing any government or political ideology (including zionism) and by doing everything possible to prevent future assaults to my rights, including governmental control and/or censorship of the Internet

– Stop the militarization of our police by ending all cross-training done with the Israeli military, ceasing the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, and all other ways this is accomplished

– Pass legislation that prohibits any governmental action that would target any ethnic, religious, or other minority group (including Palestinians), either in the U.S. or abroad, by restricting humanitarian or financial aid, infringing on their human rights, or other actions that would otherwise bring harm or cause undue burdens on said groups

SOURCES

Estimated deaths as of 12/17 – 12/18 from multiple sources*

Al Jazeera quotes 19,453 dead as of 12/18/23. 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 25,612 dead shown on an infographic posted on their Instagram (link to post) as of 12/17/23. 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.

World Food Programme “Statement by WFP Deputy Executive Director after visit to Gaza”

NPR “What Happens To The Body And Mind When Starvation Sets In?”

Reuters “WHO board to hold emergency meeting on Gaza health situation”

The Guardian “Gaza on brink of implosion as aid cut-off starts to bite”

Al Jazeera “Starving Palestinians scramble for aid as desperation mounts in Gaza”

Al Jazeera “Starving Palestinians scramble for aid as desperation mounts in Gaza”

World Food Programme “Diary from Gaza: ‘If death doesn’t come from airstrikes, it will come from starvation‘”