Arabic version: غزة تحيي ذكرى 1000 يوم من الصراع مع استمرار العنف
Gaza reached a grim milestone this week, marking 1,000 days since the onset of what has been termed a genocidal war by local authorities. According to Al Jazeera, the Gaza Government Media Office reported that more than 90 percent of the Strip had been destroyed.
As of July 6, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that at least 1,072 Palestinians have been killed since the October ceasefire, contributing to a staggering total of 73,098 fatalities since October 2023. The violence did not relent during the anniversary week, with Israeli forces killing at least three Palestinians in a drone strike near al-Hilu station on July 1 and at least seven more over the following 48 hours, among them a child killed by a quadcopter-dropped bomb at the Shujayea junction and 10-year-old Tareq Sabah, killed near Khan Younis.
In response to the dire humanitarian situation, sick and wounded residents protested outside al-Shifa Hospital, demanding that Israel lift travel restrictions for medical evacuations. More than 20,000 individuals are awaiting exit through the throttled Rafah crossing, which has been heavily restricted.
Additionally, the son of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, reported concerning updates about his father’s health, stating that he is suffering in an Israeli prison after more than 555 days of detention. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has called for his immediate release, citing violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
On the political front, a transition of power in Gaza appears to be underway as Hamas announced its resignation, paving the way for a US-led Board of Peace to manage the reconstruction efforts. However, the necessary conditions for this transfer remain unresolved, particularly concerning the disarmament of Hamas.
In a related development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid the foundation for a new heritage center at the site of Palestine’s former airport, part of a broader settlement project. The Israeli Security Cabinet has also approved the establishment of 13 new settlements in the Binyamin bloc of the central occupied West Bank, further complicating the territorial landscape and heightening tensions in the region.
