Dispatch #131 White Lesbian Age 71 Considers Israel’s Vicious High-Tech Killing Machines That Inflict Horrors on Children

February 14th 2024   1120 Days Since Inauguration of First Woman Vice-President

270 Days Until 2024 Presidential Elections 11/5/2024

600 Days Since SCOTUS Ruled American Women Don’t Have Human Rights

131 Days Since Israel Began Genocidal Assault on Palestinians in Gaza

Forced out at gunpoint, Palestinians in hospital besieged by Israel have nowhere to go

The vicinity of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis strewn with bodies of people who were killed by Israeli forces as they tried to leave. www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-forced-out-gunpoint-palestinians-hospital-besieged-israel-have-nowhere-go 

Israeli snipers force dozens to evacuate Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Israel steps up bombing in Lebanon.

As ceasefire negotiations enter their second day in Cairo, fighting around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is intensifying—with dozens of Palestinians who have been sheltering inside forced to evacuate by Israeli sniper attacks. https://mondoweiss.net/2024/02/operation-al-aqsa-flood-day-131-israeli-snipers-force-dozens-to-evacuate-nasser-hospital-in-khan-younis-israel-steps-up-bombing-in-lebanon/ 

The toddler amputees of Israel’s war on Gaza – Hoor Nusseir.

One and one-half-year-old Hoor has lost her parents, brothers and her hands in an Israeli bombing on Deir el-Balah. She also has serious injuries to her head and legs www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/2/14/the-toddler-amputees-of-israels-war-on-gaza-hoor-nusseir 

Displaced Palestinians in Rafah shot in their tents as Israeli strikes kill scores of civilians.

Raids come as some 1.4 million displaced Palestinians in the southern town brace for a ground offensive. Israel launched air strikes on Rafah in southern Gaza in the early hours of Monday morning, killing scores of Palestinians sheltering in houses and tents and stoking fears of an imminent offensive on the area, which is densely packed with displaced people.  Several people told Middle East Eye they were shot by quadcopters inside their tents on Monday.  www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-israel-air-strikes-rafah-overnight-kill-scores 

Rafah on the precipice. Palestinians in Rafah are dreading Israel’s impending invasion, but there is nothing we can do to ensure our safety. If the army surrounds us, we have nowhere left to go. We will be forced endure the fire and look death in the face.  https://mondoweiss.net/2024/02/rafah-on-the-precipice/ 

Israeli quadcopters, the hi-tech weapon menacing Palestinian civilians

For the first time in the Palestinian territories, remote-controlled quadcopters have been deployed on a large scale against suspected Palestinian fighters and civilians. This high-tech weapon can target individuals and groups of people from close quarters -- in one incident dozens were killed when quadcopters opened fire on Gaza’s Al-Rasheed Street.  www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-israeli-quadcopters-hi-tech-weapon-menacing-palestinian-civilians 

Netherlands Judges Halt Export to Israel of F-35 Parts: “Disproportionate Civilian Casualties including Thousands of Children” 

The news site quotes Judge Bas Boele as saying, “It is undeniable that there is a clear risk that the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.” The court noted that the Netherlands is signatory to treaties and instruments that make it unlawful under Dutch law to pursue such exports “if a clear risk of serious violations of international humanitarian law exists.” https://www.juancole.com/2024/02/netherlands-disproportionate-casualties.html 

The US is bound to the same treaties and instruments. Nonetheless, the Senate just passed a bill that authorizes $14B for Israel and cuts off US funding for UNRWA.

Bombs, Disease, Starvation: Canadian Doctor Describes the Desperate Situation Inside Gaza. Canadian ophthalmologist Dr. Yasser Khan, recently returned from a humanitarian mission at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, says “What I saw in Khan Younis were the most horrific scenes in my entire life.”   

I mean, the majority of the patients that I treated were children, anywhere from the age of 2 to 17. I mean, I saw horrific eye and facial injuries that I’ve never seen before, eyes shattered in two 6-year-old children with shrapnel that I had to take out, eyes with shrapnel stuck inside, facial injuries. I saw orthopedic injuries where — you know, limbs just cut off and dangling. I saw abdominal injuries that were just horrific. And it was just mass chaos. There were children on the floor, unattended to, with head trauma, people suturing patients without anesthesia on the ground. It was just mass chaos and really horrific, horrific scenes. And I know that now with the bombing going on in Rafah and scenes of children hanging exploded and, you know, half their bodies cut off and hanging on a wall because they’ve been exploded — I mean, those are scenes going on now.

You know, the amount of amputations I saw in children, for example — both arms, one arm, one leg, both eyes gone, you know, both eyes amputated, basically, out of their eye socket — you know, it’s amazing. I mean, it takes about — you know, if this was done properly in a nonwar scenario, one amputation in a child, a child will need about nine to 12 surgeries by the time they’re an adult, you know, for prosthetic fitting and whatnot. Now, in this case, first of all, it’s a war situation. They have not been done properly, fair enough, because you have to rush it. But secondly, who is going to take care of these children? Most of them mostly children. Because their parents are gone. Their uncles are dead. Their grandfathers and grandmothers are dead. 

And so, you know, the Israeli killing machine has been vicious. I mean, they’ve used drones. When I was there, I was speaking to doctors who were there, and they told me that they’ve used drones like the Hellfire drone, that is an explosive drone. It fires off these discs once it implodes or explodes. And these discs are very unique, and they cause unique amputations. Most amputations occur at the weak points, like the elbow or the knee. But they cause, you know, mid-thigh, mid-arm amputations, which are much more complicated. And they fire off this shrapnel.

And, you know, from what the doctors are telling me, that what I believe is that they’re using weapons on the civilian population that have never been used before, because from what I heard, based on my experience, you know, Israel has a very strong defense industry, and buyers like weapons that are battle-tested. So, if you can put a label to your new weapon that it’s battle-tested, that increases the value of it. And they’re experimenting with these weapons, from what I’ve heard and from what I saw, in a civilian-dense population. So, it’s just — it’s been vicious, really, really vicious. www.democracynow.org/2024/2/13/dr_yasser_khan_gaza 

In case you might consider that this Canadian ophthalmologist could be reporting rumors and uninformed speculations, be reassured and informed by these articles selected from numerous posts on this subject.

Israel Deploys New Military AI in Gaza War. Israel’s army has deployed some AI-enabled military technology in combat for the first time in Gaza, raising fears about the use of autonomous weapons in modern warfare. www.thedefensepost.com/2024/02/12/israel-military-ai-gaza/ 

The military deployment of AI technology by Israel in Gaza marks a significant development in modern warfare.

Avi Hasson, CEO of Startup Nation Central, an Israeli tech incubator, highlights the dual nature of the situation, stating, “In general, the war in Gaza presents threats, but also opportunities to test emerging technologies in the field.” This sentiment underscores the resilience of Israel’s tech ecosystem, which continues to innovate and adapt, even in the face of adversities such as conflict….The deployment of AI-enabled military technology by Israel’s army in Gaza represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of modern warfare. While concerns persist regarding the use of autonomous weapons, the strategic application of advanced technologies underscores Israel’s commitment to maintaining its military edge through innovation and adaptation. As the conflict unfolds, the world watches closely, recognizing both the challenges and opportunities presented by the intersection of technology and warfare. www.msn.com/en-us/money/technologyinvesting/israel-s-military-utilizes-advanced-technology-in-gaza/ar-BB1i5m3v 

Antony Loewenstein: Israel Is Testing New Weapons on Gaza as Arms Dealers Profit from Gaza War. www.democracynow.org/2023/11/14/israel_weapons 

Israel Arms the World’s Autocrats—With Weapons Tested on Palestinians.

“The Palestine Laboratory” outlines how Israel sells its “battle-tested,” “field-proven” weapons and spyware to practically anyone, no matter how malevolent.  https://newrepublic.com/article/177074/israel-arms-worlds-autocratswith-weapons-tested-palestinians 

Shark Tanks: With Gaza as Testing Ground, Israeli Defense Startups Flourish.

Suicide drones and AI systems: Strict regulations and the dominance of the major defense firms mean few small defense startups are founded in Israel each year. They are looking at new opportunities amid geopolitical tensions, rising military budgets, and the Gaza war. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-01-03/ty-article-magazine/.premium/suicide-drones-and-ai-with-gaza-as-testing-ground-israeli-defense-startups-flourish/0000018c-cf39-ddba-abad-cfb9a3ee0000   

Gaza War Offers the Ultimate Marketing Tool for Israeli Arms Companies.

As investors worldwide drop cash on Israeli start-ups for 'battle-tested' weapons, defence tech CEOs are poised to be the war’s only victors. https://thewire.in/world/gaza-war-offers-the-ultimate-marketing-tool-for-israeli-arms-companies 

Israel’s arms tested in Gaza. 

A recent book by author Antony Lowenstein connects the war on Gaza and the Israeli military-industrial complex. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/511378.aspx