“Israel is not trying to wipe Gaza off the map,” White House spokesperson John Kirby claimed this week. Meanwhile, Israeli politicians are calling for a mass expulsion of Palestinians from the territory, saying “that’s the solution for Gaza.”
Updates
22 November 2023
In the battle that began on 7 October, resistance groups have produced a steady stream of videos documenting the fight.
A retired army major has admitted the military probably killed Israelis on 7 October. The confession, discovered by The Electronic Intifada, is one of the highest level confirmations to date that Israel killed many, if not most, of the civilians that died during the Palestinian offensive.
“No matter the outcome of Israel’s genocidal invasion of Gaza, the Palestinian resistance fighters have already won,” writes susan abulhawa. “They were victorious from that first day when they executed a successful military raid of Israeli targets.”
Does CNN anchor Dana Bash believe Gaza is in Israel? It certainly sounded that way when she wrapped up a segment by referring to “Gaza, which is in the southwest of Israel.”
“After enduring five massive Israel attacks between 2001 – the year I was born – and 2021, I decided to leave Gaza in pursuit of a better future,” Basma Almaza writes from Malaysia. “In my eagerness to escape, it did not occur to me that I could lose everything.”
Winter weather is bringing misery to the displaced, Ghada Abed writes from Gaza. Rain is typically viewed as a divine blessing but today it brings new woes.
Palestinians bury the bodies of 110 victims in a mass grave in Khan Younis cemetery on 22 November.
DPA
In its daily report, UN OCHA said that 190 patients and their companions and “a number of medical teams” were evacuated from al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. “The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that the evacuation lasted for almost 20 hours as the convoy was obstructed and subjected to inspection while passing through the [Israeli military] checkpoint that separates northern and southern Gaza, ‘hence putting the lives of the wounded and sick people in danger,’” OCHA added. Around 250 patients and staff remain at al-Shifa, which is no longer functional.
UN OCHA said that “heavy strikes were reported on and around the Indonesian hospital” in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, “hitting the surgery department” shortly before midnight on 21 November. The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza reported around “60 corpses lying near the hospital,” OCHA added. “Earlier in the day, some 500 patients and staff were evacuated from the hospital to a hospital in Khan Younis (in the south), in coordination with humanitarian agencies.”
The area around Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya was heavily bombarded, “resulting in dozens killed,” UN OCHA said, citing media reports. “Since last night, it has admitted more than 60 dead and some 1,000 wounded people,” OCHA added. Kamal Adwan is one of only two hospitals in the northern half of Gaza that is still functioning and admitting patients.
UNRWA confirmed that 15 displaced persons sheltering at a school were killed in a direct strike on the UN facility in al-Bureij refugee camp. “Of them, nine were children and four were women; and another 20 people were injured,” UN OCHA said, adding that around 1,000 people who were sheltering at the school were evacuated after the deadly strike. “Since 7 October, at least 191 people sheltering in UNRWA schools have been killed and 798 reported injured,” OCHA added.
UN OCHA said that only 250 Palestinians moved from northern Gaza to the south via the Salah al-Din road “corridor” while “the Israeli military continued calling and exerting pressure on residents of the north to leave.” The UN group said that this was the lowest volume of people who moved since the “corridor” was opened following Israel’s order to evacuate, which UN agencies urged it to rescind. “The decline is largely attributed to the expectations generated by the humanitarian pause to be implemented from 23 November,” according to OCHA.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that “an interagency plan is being developed to respond” to the situation of unaccompanied children and separated families evacuating from northern Gaza to the south. Israeli forces have also arrested people moving through the Salah al-Din road “corridor.” The UN group said that “one man interviewed by OCHA reported that his wife had been detained and forced to hand over their baby to him. The monitoring team has documented a few similar cases over the past few weeks, including instances where a mother was ordered to leave her baby with strangers.”
The Israeli military named the 70th soldier killed in Gaza since their ground invasion began, including 19 in the past five days, according to their website and social media accounts. The military has only named slain soldiers individually and has still not offered an overall casualty figure.
“Israeli forces killed eight Palestinian men in three separate operations across the West Bank” over the past 24 hours, UN OCHA said. Six people were killed in Tulkarm refugee camp “in an operation that involved armed clashes with Palestinians and Israeli airstrikes, resulting in extensive infrastructure and residential damage,” OCHA added. Another Palestinian was killed when Israeli forces opened fire at a vehicle in which he was traveling in Azzun in the Qalqilya area and another person was killed during an arrest raid in Balata refugee camp in the Nablus area. More than 215 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since 7 October, including 53 children, according to OCHA. Four Israelis were killed in attacks by Palestinians, the UN group added.
The Israeli government voted in favor of a deal to release 50 captives held in Gaza in exchange for a four-day pause in fighting that would allow desperately needed humanitarian aid into the territory. Hamas said that the deal was reached after difficult negotiations mediated tirelessly by Qatar and Egypt and would allow the distribution of humanitarian aid including fuel to all areas of the Gaza Strip. The deal would include the release of 50 women and children in Hamas custody in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children in Israeli prison, the resistance group said. Al Jazeera reported that there is a 24-hour period for appeals to Israel’s high court and no prisoners will be released during that time, with the “first exchange of captives and prisoners … expected on Thursday or Friday.”