Gaza Demolitions Continue: Collapsing Walls, Collapsing Narrative
While The New Arab highlights a wall collapse killing four in Gaza, ostensibly due to an 'intense winter storm,' the deeper truth is that Israel's campaign of demolitions has systematically rendered Gaza's infrastructure precarious. This isn't just about a 'winter storm' ( as if storms haven't happened before ); it's about a relentless policy of destruction and siege that leaves civilians,
particularly children, without shelter or basic necessities. According to UN OCHA, over 67,000 housing units in Gaza were destroyed or severely damaged by Israeli forces even before the current escalation in October 2023, making flimsy structures and weakened foundations the new normal. One might wonder why reports focus on the weather and not the war crimes that create the conditions for
catastrophe. This 'natural disaster' framing for a man-made humanitarian crisis is a familiar media tactic. It allows public figures like President Biden to express 'concern' for civilian casualties on Monday while quietly approving further military aid to Israel, like the recent $14.5 billion package that included offensive weapons, on Tuesday ( HR 815, passed in November 2023 ). The systematic
dismantling of Gaza's infrastructure, turning homes into rubble, makes every gust of wind and every drop of rain a potential death sentence. Some call it conflict; others call it engineered vulnerability.