A surprise attack killed 1200 people inside israel. The besieged gaza strip is facing a humanitarian catastrophe as israel intensifies its Bombing Campaign that has already killed over 1000 palestinians. I have never seen airstrikes of this kind. In 2014, not 2008. No war like this. Every minute and every second there are airstrikes. Amy we will go to ramallah in the occupied west bank to speak with my stuff up Mustafa Barghouti and to tel aviv to speak with israeli journalist gideon levy. Then we host a debate between two leading progressive activists in the United States. Medea benjamin and barbara smith. They will also discuss u. S. Funding for israel. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The death toll in israel and palestine has soared over 2200, with at least 1200 israelis and 1000 palestinians killed since fighting broke out saturday. The majority of palestinian debts are in gaza. At least 18 reported in the west bank. Israel is amassing some 300,000 reservists close to gaza as it continues to pound the besieged enclave with airstrikes. Officials warn gaza is on the cusp of a humanitarian catastrophe as the territorys power plant is running out of fuel. The scale of atrocities committed against civilians is continuing to come to light. Rescuers are still pulling bodies from the rubble. Everybody tried to escape death only to find it. The occupation planes followed them. They came to find shelter. They were taking refuge next to the stairs. They targeted them and killed them. This is the blood of injured people. Some injured people were sleeping here. This is their blood. Here was a mother and their children. We just took the children from the rubble. Amy among the dead and gaza are at least seven journalists. On tuesday, media workers held a funeral procession for two of the slain reporters. Blue press helmets placed on their bodies. A local press unions at the head of its committee of women journalists was killed alongside her husband and children when their home was bombed. A gazan journalist has been chronicling the war on social media, giving a rare firstperson insight into the constant evacuations, bombings faced by residents of gaza. No internet, no electricity until now. We dont know what is happening in the world. Amy in israel, over 100 bodies were found at the beeri kibbutz. It was attacked by hamas fighters, killing entire families, including children. Meanwhile, at least 100 hostages are believed to be held by hamas in gaza. Among those missing are u. S. Citizens. This is a father of a hostage. It was destroyed in a barbaric, inhuman attack in which dozens of my friends, neighbors were killed. Many dozens more are either known to be hostages or missing. I am here speaking today, reaching out to my son who grew up on the kibbutz. He is an arm links the way gaza, evidently, but could not be farther from me and our family right now. Amy President Biden spoke to netanyahu tuesday and did not urge restraint in israels response to the attack by hamas. Pres. Biden this is an act of sheer evil. More than 1000 civilians slaughtered. Slaughtered. Among them at least 14 american citizens, killed. Amy President Biden did not refer to slain palestinians or the illegal Israeli Occupation of palestinian territories in his remarks. The first shipment of advanced weaponry from the u. S. Arrived in israel tuesday. Antony blinken is scheduled to land in israel thursday. Will have the latest after headlines. Afghanistan was rocked by another 6. 3 magnitude earthquake early this morning in western Herat Province as locals are still reeling from saturdays series of deadly quakes. The regions governor said todays earthquake caused huge losses, though its not clear yet how many people were killed or displaced. Rescuers are still working to recover residents who perished over the weekend. This is one of the survivors. In some neighboring villages, dead bodies are still under the rubble. They could not pull the bodies yet. Some people have tents and some do not. Amy it is believed at least 3000 afghanis were killed in the first earthquake this weekend. In burma, at least 29 people, including children, were killed in a military raid monday night on a refugee camp in the northern kachin state near the border with china. The camp is home to people displaced by violence and was located just a few miles away from the headquarters of the kachin independence army, which has been in a decadeslong conflict with the burmese army. This is one of the deadliest assaults on civilians since the military seized power in the february 2021 coup. The National Unity government, which was established by democraticallyelected burmese politicians ousted during the coup, condemned the attack as a war crime. A spokesperson for the military junta has denied responsibility. Though a recent u. N. Human rights report found a seemingly Endless Spiral of military violence in burma. In the netherlands, climate activists are celebrating after lawmakers on tuesday approved a motion requiring the dutch cabinet to come up with a plan to phaseout fossil fuel subsidies. This comes after a sustained campaign by activists, including a nearly monthlong blockade of a major highway. This is Lucas Winnips of Extinction Rebellion netherlands. After monthlong of more than 9000 arrests, the Dutch Parliament cabinet came up with sinners for a phaseout fossil fuel subsidies. During this campaign, we achieved transformation of Dutch Society with three quarters of the people now wanting a phaseout of fossil fuel subsidies. Even one third of the people want immediate stop of fossil fuel subsidies that Extinction Rebellion demands. Amy activists say they are prepared for more action if the government fails to follow through on phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. The u. N. s World Food Programme has resumed Food Distribution to 900,000 refugees across ethiopia four months after suspending the aid. In june, the u. S. Also suspended its food aid, accusing the Ethiopian Government of weaponizing humanitarian aid as military units seized the supplies. The World Food Programme said it has fully revamped safeguards and controls to ensure the food reaches those who most need it. In related news, the u. N. Special adviser on the prevention of genocide is warning ongoing fighting between Government Troops and local militias in ethiopia is leading to a heightened risk of genocide and other crimes in the tigray, amhara, afar, and oromia regions. In niger, the first set of french soldiers have started to withdraw from the country after orders by nigers military coup junta following their july takeover. In the capital niamey, residents welcomed the french soldiers departure. Today dispatch of french soldiers who have arrived and who will, god willing, shortly be taking to the road to return home, is only the culmination of the struggle that the people have engaged in. The people are on their feet to demand the departure of the french soldiers from niger soil because one thing is certain, niger remains for the people of niger. Amy this comes as the u. S. Formally designated the ouster of president Mohamed Bazoum and military takeover as a coup, suspending aid to niger. But u. S. Officials say they do not plan to remove any of its 1000 military personnel from niger. Embattled new york Congressmember George Santos was charged with 10 more criminal counts tuesday. The superseding indictment accuses the republican lawmaker of inflating his Campaign Finance reports, including fabricating contributions and charging donors credit cards without authorization. And Hughes Van Ellis, one of the last remaining survivors of the 1921 tulsa race massacre, has died at the age of 102. As many as 300 black people were killed when a white mob burned down what was known as black wall street, the thriving African American neighborhood of greenwood. The last two known survivors of the massacre are 109yearold viola fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis sister, and 108yearold Lessie Benningfield randle. In 2021, all three testified before the u. S. Congress in favor of reparations. This is Hughes Van Ellis. Because of the massacre, my family was left with nothing. We were made lepers in our own country. Amy in august, the Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from survivors of the massacre, whose reparations lawsuit was dismissed in july. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman in new york, with democracy now s Juan Gonzalez in chicago. Hi, juan. Juan hi, amy. Welcome to all of our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Amy gaza is on the verge of losing all electricity as israel continues to bombard the territory while imposing a siege blocking the import of all fuel, food, and electricity. The death toll from israels massive Bombing Campaign has topped 1055 palestinians with over wounded. 5000 meanwhile, the death toll in israel has soared to 1200 following saturdays shocking attack by hamas militants. Another 2400 israelis have been wounded. Hamas is believed to be holding as many 150 hostages. Israel is now preparing to launch a Ground Invasion of gaza. Tension is also growing along the israellebanon border where Israeli Forces and hezbollah fighters have repeatedly exchanged fire. Earlier today, a u. S. Plane carrying ammunition landed in israel a day after President Biden gave a speech at the white house where he reaffirmed u. S. Support for israel but made no reference to israels bombardment of gaza which has reportedly killed at least 260 children and 230 women since saturday. According to press freedom groups, at least seven palestinian journalists have also been killed. Inside gaza, residents say there is no safe place for civilians to go. This woman lost her brother in an israeli airstrike. We had fled, escaping from death. There were continuous airstrikes over our heads. They told us to come. We came to find out. If we stayed in our houses, we died. If we go in the streets, we died. Oh, my beloved brother, he fled from one place to another. May your soul rest in peace. I have no people left except for 20 stop i hope to carry their children. Oh, my beloved brother. Please, god, dont take anyone else. I cant handle anymore. I hope i die before them all. Amy she would not to describe the scope of israels Bombing Campaign. She spoke from a nursery or her family had taken refuge. I have never seen airstrikes have this kind. Not in 2014, not true thousand eight. Ive never seen anything like this. Every minute and every second there are airstrikes. Every minute there are martyrs in their houses, young people, children. I cant talk. I swear im so tired. We have never witnessed strikes like this. We thank god when the day is done. They say will be worse. We wonder what else can happen. The coming days can be harsher. Amy meanwhile, tensions are high in israel as hamas continues to fire rockets. Meanwhile, hezbollah has claimed responsibility for firing an antitank missile at an Israeli Military post near the lebanese border earlier today. Residents in northern israel say they no long feel safe. It doesnt feel very safe because if they came into our house and they did anything they wanted without any way of protecting ourselves, this is a very unsettled this is israel. This is the 21st century. We should feel secure. We should feel like we have a home to go back to. Many people in israel, unfortunately, are not feeling say. They dont have a house anymore. They dont have family. The line for the funerals are endless. Theres so much pain. Beyond explanation of words. This is truly a nightmare. Amy we begin today with dr. Mustafa barghouti, a palestinian physician, activist, and politician who serves as general secretary of the Palestinian National initiative. He has been a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council since 2006 and is also a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization central council. He is joining us from ramallah in the occupied west bank. Dr. Barghouti, welcome back to democracy now if you can give us the context for what is happening right now, what youre most concerned about. We are talking to you and the occupied west bank as hundreds of thousands of israeli reservists are moving down to gaza. What concerns me most is this process of dehumanizing palestinians. Which western government leaders, including President Biden, are participating. Dehumanizing palestinians to deliver we were called animals. Human rights watch was absolutely correct when they came out the statement saying this kind of description of palestinians is nothing but justification of war crimes from them. That is what is happening now. The crimes happening, israeli locate on gaza. Depriving 2. 2 Million People from water, food, electricity and medical supplies. Depriving them from the possibility of normal life. Children are lacking water, lacking milk. I get calls from our people constantly. Patients who have kidney problems, need dialysis who could die in two or three days because they could not get it. Patients with cancer who lost treatment. And other sick people who are in very deep situations. This is not the only situation. In addition to that, the second crime that is happening is the bombardment of gaza with terrible airstrikes. You have just said it took the lives already of 1000 innocent civilian palestinians. It slaughtered no less than 260 children. But the worst thing is 250,000 people have lost their homes. Thousands of houses have been destroyed. Buildings have been smashed to the earth. People dont have a single space which can be safe for them. I heard an israeli saying she was to be safe and i want her to be safe, but they should also remember also palestinians need to live in peace and security. More than that, israel is back to using what was prohibited, which is white phosphorus. They used it in 2008 campaign on gaza. Now they are back to using it. It is prohibited. It is forbidden. But they use it openly. The more important thing, netanyahu is saying that palestinians should be evicted from gaza. Preparing for a ethnic cleansing of the population of gaza. He said every palestinian in gaza should leave their homes. He did not say where to. Maybe to the sea. But his spokesperson of the army made it clear, he said in a statement in the newspaper that all palestinians in gaza must evict to egypt. These people, these criminals who committed ethnic cleansing against 70 of the Palestinian People in 1948, 70 of the population from gaza were among these people who were evicted from palestine. Now they are subjected to the possibility of another kind of ethnic cleansing that would empty gaza so netanyahu can annex it. Now i understand after all of these threats with ethnic cleansing, what netanyahu meant when he said he would change the map in the order of the area for 50 years to come. Now understand what netanyahu did when he carried the method israel. In the United Nations, in front of the whole world community, a map of israel that includes annexing the west bank, annexing gaza strip come and annexing east jerusalem, including also heights. Golan heights. Nobody said a single criticism to that except maybe the german government. This is the background of what is happening. Let me also say, what we see now in gaza is only a result of a protracted problem of 56 years of Israeli Military occupation of palestinian lands. How many times on your show, amy, and on other shows we said the solution is to end the Israeli Occupation palestinians . To stop the were system of apartheid ever . How many times we said building settlements in the occupied territories would destroy any perspective for two state solution . How many times we complain about settler violence and terror against palestinian communities . I find President Biden, unfortunately, practiced excuse me for that, but i have to say mr. Biden practiced Racial Discrimination between americans who carry israeli citizenship and americans who carry palestinian citizenship. I did not see him say that those a very peaceful journalist who was palestinian and american and was never held to account come was indicted for killing her. He did not say a word about american palestinians whose houses were burned and whose cars were attacked and whose lives were threatened by israeli legal settlers, some of whom also carry american citizenship. Illegal settlers, some of whom also carry american citizenship. I do not want anyone to be killed. Im against killing children. But today and now, israel is preparing a huge ground operation on gaza. If that happens, it will be a total disaster. If ethnic cleansing takes place, this will be a terrible, terrible, terrible disaster for everybody. If the ground operations start, it will definitely lead to the explosion in the north and hezbollah getting involved and maybe this will lead to a whole regional war. I think what we need to hear is a balanced, reasonable, and responsible actions. And nothing continuation of dehumanizing palestinians and using palestinians of