One Year After 10/7
A peaceful protest calling to stop arming Netanyahu and end the genocide.
An illegal military occupation, a horrifyingly expanding genocide, and what must happen to ensure peace and justice going forward
by Qasim Rashid
Let me start with a question. Why is it we never hear media report that in the year prior to 10/7/23, Hamas killed 240 Israeli civilians including 47 children, kidnapped 800 more Israeli children, held 8000 Israelis hostage, and built more than 12,000 homes on Israeli land?
The answer: Because Hamas did none of those things—the Israeli government did.
Let’s Address This.
Before 10/7
In the year prior to 10/7, the Israeli government killed at least 240 Palestinian civilians including 47 children in the West Bank, kidnapped 800 Palestinian children, separated them from their parents, and put them in indefinite detention—where they still suffer physical and sexual abuse according to Israeli human rights organizations, held 8000 Palestinians hostage in indefinite detention without trial, charge, conviction, or access to counsel, and built 12,000+ illegal homes on Palestinian land in just the first half of 2023.
In fact, on October 6, 2023, the human rights group Defence of Children International reported,
I repeat, this report was published on October 6, 2023.
Palestinian lawyer, analyst, and activist Diana Buttu states, “Israeli logic is that nothing justifies October 7, but genocide is justified because of October 7.” As we review the circumstances leading up to October 7, and Israel’s actions since October 7, it becomes impossible to dispute Buttu’s point. Imagine the narrative and headlines if each of the above described Hamas, instead of the Israeli government? And ask yourself, why is the average American wholly unaware that in fact, each of those atrocities prior to 10/7 are true of the Israeli government?
Satellite images of Gaza before and after Israel’s siege. [Credit: Al Jazeera].
After 10/7
On October 7, 2023 I wrote:
I stand by these words. And over the last year, in addition to my writing and advocacy, I’ve spoken repeatedly at my city council to demand ceasefire and release of all hostages, raised and donated thousands for Palestinian relief for Humanity First and MedGlobal, provided pro bono legal aid to those in need, sponsored Palestinian Film Festivals, marched in pro peace marches to call for an end to the arms trade, protested outside the DNC, and advocated on the boards of multiple non-profit organizations to call for an end to the siege on Gaza. Articles on this subject I’ve already written include:
Peace after 10/7 requires understanding what happened before 10/7
What will it take for the USA to stop funding Israeli war crimes?
And whatever human rights work I’ve done in this space, it is insignificant to the incomparable work done by healthcare workers and journalists in Gaza who are dying by the hundreds through targeted strikes from the Israeli government. Reporters Without Borders documents at least 130 journalists killed by Netanyahu’s military—journalists who remain relentless in telling their story in a Netanyahu imposed media blackout. The Palestinian Health Ministry documents at least 1,151 healthcare worker killed by Netanyahu’s military—providing care in what is described as hell on Earth due to Netanyahu’s indiscriminate bombing of hospitals. And The Lancet conservatively estimates at least 186,000 Palestinian civilians killed as of June 2024—a number that has no doubt increased since.
Meanwhile, Israeli war crimes continue, funded and enabled by atrocious US government policy. The ICC and ICJ have already well documented war crimes by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Gallant. Multiple media outlets and NGOs have reported on the Israeli military raping prisoners at secret torture sites, bombing UN schools and designated safe zones, and illegally blocking aid. And despite Hamas accepting multiple Israeli demands of ceasefire and release of all hostages, Netanyahu has prevented a deal—a fact attested to by the families of the hostages themselves, who call him “Mr. Death.”
For example, on May 6 Hamas said it accepted a ceasefire proposal that included release of all hostages. Israel rejected it. Again on June 11 Hamas accepted the binding UN Security Council resolution on ceasefire and release of all hostages—Israel again rejected it. When Zeteo News journalist Prem Thakker asked about ceasefire, US State Department Spox Matt Miller first claimed “[the USA] never wanted a diplomatic resolution with Hamas,” followed immediately by, “we could have a deal if Hamas would just come to the table.” The hypocrisy of this statement notwithstanding, reality attests that diplomacy has released hundreds of hostages, while war has killed more than it has secured.
Likewise, ProPublica documents that US Secretary of State Blinken defied his own State Department reports to lie to Congress and claim that Israel is not blocking aid into Gaza. And now a new shocking report from DropSiteNews cites Israeli officials to allege Blinken approved bombing aid trucks. And just as Defence of Children International reported that the spike in Palestinians killed by the Israeli military is due to "the complete lack of accountability, as there hasn't been a single case of accountability in the occupation army for the killing or maiming of a child,” there remains a complete lack of accountability from the US Department of Justice for any of the American citizens killed or kidnapped by Netanyahu’s army.
The Future
The path forward is clear—we must end this genocide, release all hostages, end the occupation, rebuild Gaza, ensure a viable two state solution, and hold accountable those who committed war crimes.