Israel must stop its murderous airstrikes now!
Over 200 Palestinian lives have been lost since Israeli aerial bombings began on July 8. Ground operations began on the 13th with the deployment of Israeli commandos into the Gaza Strip. Israel has indiscriminately bombed civilian buildings in Gaza, including hospitals and mosques, heightening the death toll of women and children. The UN reported 80% of victims were civilians, a quarter of them children. Over 1,500 more have been wounded. Israel's bombings are now extending into Syria. The mainstream media portrays the clash between Israel and Hamas as if it were a battle between equal forces. But Israel deploys state-of-the-art weaponry such as drones, Apache helicopters and warships as means to slaughter civilians. It has also deployed the Iron Dome missile defense system which costs $50 million per battery and $20 thousand per missile. While talking about a cease-fire, the US approved additional aid for Israel's Iron Dome.
The Israeli prime minister passed all blame onto Hamas, saying the latter refused to accept a cease-fire offer by Egypt. However, the Egyptian government has itself been a principal accomplice in the blockade of Gaza. El Sisi, in particular, has sought to close the Rafah border connecting Egypt and Gaza, and in that context ordered the destruction of hundreds of underground tunnels bringing in food, weapons, fuel, and other supplies to Gaza. Lifting the Gaza blockade, opening the Rafah border, and the release of Palestinian detainees in Israel are the minimum demands of ordinary Palestinians.
Above all, this tragedy will endlessly repeat itself unless Israel immediately dismantles its illegal settlements, end the occupation, and withdraw from Palestinian territory altogether.
Israel must stop this butchery right now!
South Koreans who yearn for peace and justice will not condone Israel's crimes!
- Israel should immediately halt all military operations inside Palestine.
- Israel must immediately stop the expansion of illegal settlements and pull them out of Palestine.
- Israel must stop the occupation and colonization of Palestine and immediately withdraw from all Palestinian areas it seized in 1967 (East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank).
