Israel trying to pass the hospital bombing off as Palestine doing it is utterly disgusting and guarantees Netanyahu a spot in the deepest pit of Hell for all eternity, obviously, but do not forget that
a) the only reason why Westerners will believe it is because they want to believe it - they are not being brainwashed and this is not some masterful propaganda being weaved around us to turn kind-hearted people into monsters,
b) no Westerner opinions matter at all. In most Western countries there is no real anti-Israel option to vote for even if they did realize that Israel was a giant factory for crimes against humanity, and Westerners protesting against things in general almost never achieves anything (tens of millions protested for BLM in 2020 and not only did the situation not change, it got worse), and
c) the people whose opinions do matter (both the people in the region, and the leaders who aren't already Zionist compradors) already know that Israel is full of shit and that they just murdered nearly a thousand civilians in a single bomb attack.
It is despair-inducing to think that the genocidal Zionist entity is so brazenly, so smugly getting away with bullshitting this away into a cloud of confusion, as they release their metaphorical squid ink just like they did with the stupid babies story, but the propaganda and the media narrative that they are creating isn't what matters. It cannot address the fundamental contradictions ripping the country, the region, and the world apart any more than masterfully-applied makeup can fix a stab wound. It can merely obfuscate.
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA daily-ish reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news (and has automated posting when the person running it goes to sleep).
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
Various sources that are covering the Ukraine conflict are also covering the one in Palestine, like Rybar.
The Country of the Week is still Palestine! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants.
Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.
The weekly update isn't coming because I'm sick and too focussed on the collapse of the Zionist entity.
Links and Stuff
The bulletins site is down.
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Add to the above list if you can.
Resources For Understanding The War
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Telegram Channels
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
Pro-Russian
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Last week's discussion post.
UNRWA report #10 Saturday, October 21, 2023
https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-10-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-jerusalem
spoiler
All information valid as of 20 October 2023 at 23:00
Day 14 of the War
Focus on shelter
Nearly 384,200 internally displaced people (IDPs) are sheltering in 90 UNRWA shelters in the Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas of the Gaza Strip. Due to continued bombardments in the southwest of Gaza area, in the last 24 hours the number of IDPs in the southern areas has increased by 16,000, with more than half of this increase in Rafah.
On 12 October 2023, before the evacuation order from the Israeli Authorities, nearly 160,000 IDPs were sheltering in 57 UNRWA schools in the northern and Gaza City governorates. UNRWA is no longer able to assist or protect the displaced in those areas and does not have information on their needs and conditions.
In an effort to improve conditions and reduce overcrowding at the Khan Younis Training Centre, where 17,000 IDPs are sheltering, UNRWA distributed 80 tents. UNRWA has not established any new camps in the Gaza Strip. The total number of Palestine Refugee camps in the Gaza Strip remains eight.
Living conditions in shelters are dire, with up to 70 people per classroom. Overcrowding, lack of privacy, limited availability of water and sanitation facilities are causing increased psychological distress. Anxiety, fear and grief are rising due to relentless Israeli Forces airstrikes, bombardments and the loss of family members, loved ones and people’s homes. Tensions amongst IDPs are increasing, including reports of violent disputes in UNRWA shelters.
To provide a safer environment, women and children are accommodated in classrooms at night while men and adolescent boys stay outdoors in the schoolyards. UNRWA has some counsellors and social workers in the shelters. They provide psychological first aid and other specialized protection services. In all shelters, displaced persons established committees to help with their management.
In cooperation with the World Food Programme, (WFP) bread continues to be distributed at shelters. However, due to the increasing numbers of IDPs on a daily basis, bakeries are overwhelmed and do not have the capacity to produce sufficient bread. In coordination with other UN agencies, UNRWA is providing logistics support to provide health care and potable water to shelters.
Area general updates
One more UNRWA colleague was confirmed killed in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number to 17 since the war began.
In Gaza, two UNRWA schools sheltering IDPs in the Middle Area and Khan Younis and one health centre were impacted.
UNRWA is conducting a Rapid Gender Analysis to better respond to the impact of the current conflict.
UNRWA and UN partners are prepositioning supplies at Al Arish ahead of a potential opening of the Rafah crossing. The Agency is ready to support distribution of supplies able to enter the Gaza Strip to populations in need.
In the West Bank, there was an Israeli incursion into Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarem. 13 Palestinians were killed and roads, electricity and water networks damaged.
Protection of Civilians
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 4,137 people have been killed since 7 October, including 1,661 children, and 13,162 injured, including 4,232 children.
According to the same source, an additional 1,400 people are missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings, including 720 children.
One UNRWA staff who was critically injured earlier in the conflict died. The total number of UNRWA colleagues confirmed killed since 7 October is 17.
Five UNRWA personnel have been injured, one of them critically. All were injured while on duty. Since 7 October, 15 UNRWA personnel have been injured.
An UNRWA school in Khan Younis was hit. Three IDPs sheltering at the school were killed and 55 were injured. The school sustained minor damage.
An UNRWA school in Nuseirat Camp, in the Middle Area, was affected by collateral damage due to a nearby strike. Eight IDPs and two UNRWA personnel were injured, while one person was killed. Since the beginning of the war, over 160 IDPs sheltering at UNRWA schools have been injured while 12 have been killed.
An UNRWA health centre in Nuseirat Camp in the Middle Area, was also affected by collateral damage.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October, 82 Palestinians have been killed and 1,425 injured (OCHA).
The situation in the West Bank is increasingly tense. There was a major Israeli incursion into Nur Shams, from 19 – 20 October, which resulted in the deaths of 13 Palestinians, including 11 from inside the camps. Streets were damaged and electricity and water lines cut. The UNRWA health centre sustained minor damages; no other damages to UNRWA installations were reported. The Agency is assessing the situation.
In Israel, 1,400 people have been killed and another 4,629 injured according to Israeli sources.
Health
UNRWA is providing health care in 90 shelters through 77 mobile medical teams and 80 mobile medical points.
According to UNRWA, initial health assessments, among the IDPs there are nearly 13,400 persons with non-communicable diseases, over 3,200 pregnant women and over 200 post-natal cases requiring medical attention.
UNRWA stocks of medicines continue to decrease, with around 15 days’ supply remaining overall and one week’s supply of insulin. Some items may run out sooner based on needs at shelters.
Fuel stocks in the functional health centres are running extremely low, thus hampering the provision of primary health care in UNRWA health centres.
Since 7 October UNRWA has provided 3,000 individuals with psychosocial services.
Sanitation Services
Some solid waste collection from the camps and emergency shelters and transfer to landfills continue in Middle, Khan Younis and Rafah areas. The scarcity of fuel and staff is negatively impacting solid waste management activities.
The number of available water trucks is insufficient to provide water to all shelters and water tanks can be refilled only once a day. Considering the number of people in the shelters, the water provided is barely or not enough to cover the needs of the internally displaced people in UNRWA shelters.
UNRWA Installations
At least 36 UNRWA installations in Gaza have been impacted since the war began.
seeing death toll in a cutesy infographic is always strange
guess I should be used it to since COVID