As allegations of war crimes mount and anti-Israeli protests sweep across the globe, Israel appears to be losing its PR offensive against Hamas. Meanwhile, a new generation of Palestinians scarred by the war will increasingly turn to militancy, resulting in perpetual conflict in the region.
According to eyewitness and survivor accounts, on January 4th, a day after the Israeli ground offensive began, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) occupied Zeitoun, a Palestinian town on the outskirts of Gaza City. After seizing three male teenagers for interrogation, the IDF ordered about 100 members of the Samouni clan, half of them children, into a single-storey house where they remained confined throughout the night without food, water, or electricity. They were warned not to attempt escape.
As dawn broke, the IDF repeatedly fired shells directly into the house in which it had confined the 100 Samouni clan members, killing roughly 30.
The Israeli army had already confiscated all cell-phones from the clan members, preventing any communication with the outside world. Because Gaza is also without power, due both to the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory and attacks on Gaza’s power station and grid, landlines were also inoperable. Finally, Israel’s ban on foreign journalists meant no media verification of the mass-killings.
However, the near identical account of both survivors and witnesses lend credence to the events, in addition to charg… >>>
