Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dealtwith a joint session of the United States Congress as his nation carriesout a war on Gaza in which more than 39,000 Palestinians haveactually been eliminated.
Netanyahu on Wednesday provided a defence of Israel’s war, released on October 7, the day Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups brought out attacks on Israeli area in which 1,139 individuals were eliminated.
The prime minister spoke of a strategy for what he called a “de-radicalised post-war Gaza” however provided coupleof information beyond the assertion that Israel would keep security control over the strip. Outside Congress, ontheotherhand, protesters called for him to be prosecuted for declared war criminalactivities as households of some Israeli slaves held in Gaza were kickedout from the structure for requiring responses from the Israeli premier.
So what were the crucial declares Netanyahu made in his speech, and how real were they? Al Jazeera fact-checks the prime minister’s address:
On Rafah attacks
Netanyahu: “Remember what so lotsof individuals stated? If Israel goes into Rafah, there’ll be thousands, perhaps even 10s of thousands of civilians eliminated. Well, last week, I went into Rafah. I wentto our soldiers as they completed battling Hamas’s staying terrorist battalions. I asked the leader there, “How lotsof terrorists did you take out in Rafah?” He offered me an precise number: 1,203. I asked him, “How numerous civilians were eliminated?” He stated, “Prime minister, virtually none. With the exception of a single event, where shrapnel from a bomb hit a Hamas weapons depot and inadvertently eliminated 2 lots individuals, the response is virtually none.”
The realities: At least 45 individuals, consistingof kids, were eliminated in simply one attack when Israel fired rockets at a camp realestate displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza city in late May. As dreadful scenes from the massacre emerged, illustration aroundtheworld condemnation, the United Nations stated Rafah was like “hell on Earth”.
By then, a bulk of Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals were stuffed into the city and its neighbouring locations after gettingaway other parts of the enclave since of the war and Israel’s orders to leave. From May 6 to Wednesday, Israel hasactually eliminated more than 4,300 individuals in the strip while consistently targeting schools and Israeli-designated “safe zones”.
Israel likewise eliminated lots, if not hundreds, of individuals in Rafah in rocket attacks before its forces wentinto the city.
And while Netanyahu stated the Israeli military had eliminated 1,203 Palestinian fighters, there hasactually been no independent confirmation of the assertion that those explained as “terrorists” were certainly people belonging to armed groups.
An Israeli offending in #Rafah would imply more civilian suffering & deaths. The effects would be ravaging for 1.4 million individuals@UNRWA is not leaving: the Agency will preserve a existence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people pic.twitter.com/8anQ8Eq6Gv
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 6, 2024
On help trucks to Gaza
Netanyahu: “Israel has madeitpossiblefor more than 40,000 help trucks to gointo Gaza. That’s half a million tonnes of food. And that’s more than 3,000 calories for every guy, lady and kid in Gaza. If there are Palestinians in Gaza who aren’t getting enough food, it’s not because Israel is obstructing it. It’s duetothefactthat Hamas is taking it.”
The realities: At the start of the war, Israel executed a complete blockade of the currently besieged Gaza, which consistedof a restriction on food, water, medications and other necessary materials. While this was rather reduced lateron under international pressure, the truths on the ground – as reported by the UN, Al Jazeera’s own protection and other independent organisations – are far gottenridof from the photo painted by Netanyahu.
Before the war began, Gaza got an average of 500 help trucks per day. Since the war began, the UN hasactually tape-recorded a overall of 30,630 help trucks — not 40,000 as Netanyahu stated. That averages out to 104 trucks per day, just a 5th of the pre-war quantity.
And contrary to the Israeli prime minister’s claim that there was enough food for the individuals of Gaza, UN professionals in July stated that starvation had spread throughout Gaza.
On anti-Israel demonstrations
Netanyahu: “We justrecently foundout from the UnitedStates director of nationwide intelligence that Iran is financing and promoting anti-Israel demonstrations in America. They desire to interferewith America.”
“For all we understand, Iran is financing the anti-Israel demonstrations that are going on right now outside this structure – not that lotsof, however they’re there – and throughout the city. Well, I have a message for these protesters: When the autocrats of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder ladies for not covering their hair, are applauding, promoting and financing you, you have formally endedupbeing Iran’s beneficial morons.”
The realities: Netanyahu did not offer any proof that Iran is financing protesters.
On July 10, Avril Haines, the UnitedStates director of nationwide intelligence, did state that Iran’s federalgovernment was covertly motivating American demonstrations in an quote to trigger outrage before UnitedStates elections in November.
“Iran is endingupbeing significantly aggressive in its efforts to impact foreign affairs, intending to plant discord and weaken self-confidence in our democratic organizations,” Haines stated.
But Haines did not reference financing.
Antiwar demonstrations emerged on college schools throughout the UnitedStates and around the world in A