Israel’s divide, rule and erase strategy is failing

The past few weeks have showed that Palestinians across Palestine and beyond struggle and resist as one people.

On May 21, after bombarding Gaza for 11 days and killing 253 Palestinians, including 66 children, Israel announced a ceasefire. Among the victims were entire families torn to pieces by Israeli fighter jets while sleeping in their homes. The Abu Hatab family was killed in their home in the Shati refugee camp on May 14. A day later, during a massive Israeli air raid on al-Wehda Street in Gaza City, 17 members of the al-Kulak family were killed. Israel’s purposeful targeting of residential areas and homes has left some 74,000 people homeless. Other civilian buildings were also damaged or destroyed, including schools, ministries, police stations, banks, clinics. In addition, Israeli fighter jets bombed vital infrastructure, damaging roads and putting electricity and water installations out of order. In the face of the massive destruction of civilian buildings and infrastructure, Israel’s claim that it targeted Hamas does not stand. The Israeli army constantly boasts about using “precision” military technology; if it is so precise, then how is it that it has caused so many civilian deaths and so much destruction? The answer is clear: it intended to kill civilians, including children, and destroy the homes and livelihoods of Gaza’s Palestinians in yet another act of collective punishment.