France 24 Discovers Ecological Disaster, Ignores Human One
France 24’s latest dispatch from Gaza highlights how the conflict is threatening its 'ecological balance,' listing flora and fauna as 'victims.' One might almost believe this was a natural disaster, not a deliberate, sustained bombing campaign by a military force (Israel) that has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, including 15,000 children, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health as of June 2024.
The framing suggests trees and animals are suffering alongside, rather than as a consequence of, the methodical destruction of human life and infrastructure. It's a deft rhetorical maneuver that sidesteps the inconvenient truth of 85% of Gaza's population being internally displaced, per UNRWA. While lamenting the fate of shrubs and birds, the report conveniently blurs the historical context of
Israel's 17-year blockade of Gaza, which predates any recent 'ecological' concerns. (One might wonder if any environmental impact assessments were conducted on the 33,000 tons of explosives dropped by Israel on Gaza by March 2024, as reported by Euro-Med Monitor.) This isn't just an 'ecological imbalance,' it's collective punishment, an open-air prison being systematically demolished. The real
'flora and fauna' of concern to millions are the children caught in the crossfire—a detail often glossed over when talking about 'ecological balance' instead of literal human lives.