Afrasianet - Israel's decision to fly its flag over a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facility for Palestine refugees in the Near East is a gesture full of arrogance, a theatrical performance aimed at showing that norms, norms and the United Nations itself can be ignored at will.
It's a message that is broadcast in broad daylight: We can do it, and no one will stop us. That trust doesn't exist in a vacuum. Years of political coverage from the United States, which has been bolstered under Donald Trump's administration, have led Israel to believe that it can violate international norms without accountability.
The Israeli regime of annexation means genocide and destruction
The US-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was mostly a horrific farce.
Since the truce went into effect on October 10 last year, the IDF has continued to increase the death toll, imprisoned doctors and nurses, and continued its gruesome strategy of starving Gazans. Zetiu, the independent media portal founded by award-winning journalist and best-selling author Mehdi Hassan, has consistently documented the staggering death toll the IDF has suffered since the ceasefire began on October 10.
According to Zetiu's accounts, Israel committed 1,244 violations, resulting in the deaths of more than 460 Palestinians — including 100 children.
During this period, 80 Gaza-based doctors and nurses were detained, and 400 cases of shooting at Palestinian civilians were recorded.
The Israeli army has also carried out shelling or shelling attacks 580 times, destroying 2,500 structures across Gaza. In total, 1.6 million Palestinians are facing famine, one million are in dire need of shelter, and 730,000 of them have been displaced.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army attacked the headquarters of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in East Jerusalem and demolished the building, claiming that the buildings were a "tool" of Hamas.
Wisma Putra was forced to condemn the attacks, which constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, as well as the breach of a ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump as part of the 20-point peace plan on September 29 last year.
These brutal acts stem from his enthusiasm to annex Gaza, and ultimately the entire West Bank, to fulfill a religious Zionist prophecy.
They succeeded by manipulating the United States, taking advantage of its massive military and economic aid, to become a protector of bullying.
It's getting worse for the Palestinians: Trump has opened his own "peace council" to run Gaza as a real estate development showcase — a move reminiscent of his obsession with the acquisition of Greenland.
Rebuilding Gaza amid ongoing truce violations will require a whopping US$70 billion — a distant dream that will only gain a foothold if peace agreements succeed in stopping genocide and destruction.
For the majority of countries sympathetic to the suffering of the Palestinians, progress can only be achieved through sustained international pressure, economic sanctions, travel restrictions, arms embargoes, implementation of UN resolutions, and diplomatic negotiations for complete disarmament and withdrawal.
Revenge against Israel and America? "In your dreams," as the old cliché says.
