By Palestine Chronicle Editors
“Above us, as above you, are sky and air
So take your share of our blood — and be gone…” – Mahmoud Darwish
This was not the first time that Al-Fakhoura School was targeted by Israel.
Two weeks ago, Israel bombed Al-Fakhoura, where thousands of displaced Palestinian refugees have taken shelter with the hope of escaping the horrific fate of thousands of Palestinian civilians, who were killed since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7.
Back then, scores of Palestinians were killed and wounded. Also back then, news reports, especially in the Middle East, reminded their viewers and readers that Al-Fakhoura refugees were also targeted in a previous Israeli war on Gaza, in 2008-09.
Sadly, the innocent blood of Al-Fakhoura refugees was still not enough. More had to be exacted.
In one of the most devastating massacres against children, women and desperate refugees sheltered at the school, located in the Jabaliya refugee camp north of Gaza, Israel has reportedly killed another 200 Palestinians.
More were killed in the Tel Al-Zaatar School. Due to the Palestinian medics’ inability to reach many of the targeted places, bodies of the dead and wounded remained scattered in the schools and in adjacent streets and neighborhoods.
Their mutilated remains were spotted everywhere, inside classrooms, on bloody staircases, and in the school’s courtyards, where young students, not long ago, lined up every day for their morning routine.
This time around, Israel did not even bother to divert the blame on someone else, as they had done during previous massacres, especially the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital massacre on October 17. Then, nearly 500 Palestinians were killed.
And, also this time around, Washington did not even bother to pretend to care. It seems that Israel has succeeded in normalizing its genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The Resistance in Gaza issued a statement, insisting that Israel will pay the price for the Al-Fakhoura massacre and for all of other massacres against innocent civilians, if not now, then later.
43 days into the war, Palestinians in Gaza have learned that they can only place their trust on God and on the Resistance’s ability to fight back, to remain unbroken.
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Despite all promises and pledges by Arab leaders and the others, no one but the Resistance seems to be able to deliver on its promises.
But the Al-Fakhoura massacre was not the only price of Palestinian blood exacted by Israel on Saturday. Countless other massacres took place from the furthest point north to the furthest point south of the besieged Strip.
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that 32 members of a single family perished when Israel targeted their home in Jabaliya. 19 of those killed were children, according to the ministry.
Then, 15 people were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a home in Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza.
In addition to a massacre here, a massacre there, and yet more massacres everywhere else.
In short, we do not have an exact number for you, as in how many Palestinians were killed or wounded on what promises to be one of the bloodiest days of the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
But Mohammed Zaqout, the General Director of Gaza’s Hospitals, said in his daily press briefing that today’s massacres “will result in nearly 1,000 martyrs”.
What did Zaqout mean by “Will result”?
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The rest of his statement offers a possible answer: “Not a single hospital is now functioning in Gaza,”, “There are no medical services available in the northern Gaza Strip or Gaza City,” and so on.
This means that many of the wounded, even if somehow they are collected from the various massacre sites, are surely to die. There is no blood transfusion, no surgery wards, and, in fact, many of the doctors have been either killed, wounded or expelled from their hospitals and clinics.
While all of this is taking place, Western leaders continue to talk about Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’, and that no ceasefire is possible without the elimination of Palestinian Resistance, and all other predictable and redundant statements.
Until these statements change into a decisive and unified call for a ceasefire, the Israeli bloodbath in Gaza will continue.
In his seminal poem, “Those Who Pass between Fleeting Words”, late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, wrote, many years ago:
“Above us, as above you, are sky and air
So take your share of our blood — and be gone…”
It remains unclear how large is the share of Palestinian blood required by Israel before its invading army is forever gone.
But judging from the Al-Fakhoura and Tel Al-Zaatar massacres today, it seems that the Israeli military beast remains unsatisfied.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
