Pearls and Irritations

Innocent citizens in Gaza (80 % of whom are refugees), the West Bank, Lebanon and Yemen are being blown to bits in horrific numbers. But it is Palestinian refugees across the region who have been the principal target of this horrific American-Israeli war machine for over 76 years.

As the genocidal war on Gaza enters its second year, the American – Israeli war across the Middle East is killing and maiming thousands of innocent people, destroying infrastructure and the environment, and taking the region closer to an even greater catastrophe.

Israel continues with its unquenchable thirst for land to satisfy it’s messianic, theocratic dream. Innocent citizens in Gaza (80% of whom are refugees) the West Bank, Lebanon and Yemen are being blown to bits in horrific numbers. But it is Palestinian refugees across the region who have been the principal target of this horrific war machine for over 76 years.

This American – Israeli war machine is now impacting Palestinians on three battleground fronts; in Gaza, the West Bank and now in Lebanon. Over the last few days we have seen extensive bombing across Lebanon, in the south, Beirut, the north, and east in the Bekaa Valley. This war machine that is American- Israeli aggression in Lebanon is not new. And this time, as in Gaza and the West Bank, we are seeing live feeds through social media recording the many war crimes that this alliance is now committing in Lebanon.

We can’t let Australia off the hook either, as each of those F35 jets carrying such death and carnage is supported by Australian spare parts which, in spite of all the evidence available, the government continues to deny.

The Palestinian camps across the region and in Lebanon were formally established in early 1950 following the forced expulsion, often at gunpoint of over 700,000 Palestinians off Palestinian land in 1948 by the Israeli military after the establishment of the state of Israel. The first, but not the last Israeli-Palestinian war. Around 100,000 Palestinians refugees found their way to Lebanon. They now live under the auspices of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). UNRWA which was established by the United Nations General Assembly General Assembly resolution 302 (1V) of 8 December 1949, is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. Australia, happy enough to quickly withdraw our contribution in response to Israel’s highly disputed charge of UNRWA staff involved in the October 7th events, has since re-established our contribution. America however, the largest contributor, continues to withhold funds reportedly until 2025.

Israel has long been determined to destroy UNRWA and has repeatedly bombed it’s schools in Gaza, where thousands are taking shelter. Israel has also attacked and killed 220 of its staff, the most UN staff killed in any conflict since the UN was established. The UNRWA staff and infrastructure in the West Bank has also been repeatedly attacked by Israel, doing its best to trash, not only UNRWA but also the United Nations.

In Lebanon, UNRWA now cares for nearly half a million Palestinian refugees and an additional 31,400 Palestinian refugees from Syria. It provides education in 64 schools across the country and provides preventative health care, relief and social services and emergency assistance. Over half of the refugees live very often in great poverty. In 12 camps across Lebanon refugees remain stateless as well as being denied opportunity to earn a living in many occupational areas. Four refugee camps exist in Beirut, two in the north in Tripoli, one in the Bekaa Valley in Baalbeka and five across the south of Lebanon; the latter being El Buss, Ein El Hilweh, Burj al-Shemali, Rashidieh and Mieh Mieh. All of these are now very close to the American Israeli bombing. Many from the camps are near the Israeli Lebanese border such as those in Tyre, would have fled fearing a ground invasion. One of the largest camps in the south, Ein el Helweh in Sidon would be undertaking emergency preparations as would be the camps in Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley.

The people of Lebanon, and perhaps even more so the Palestinian refugees there, are tragically too well accustomed to to this killing and destruction. Borj el Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut is located on the edge of the Dahiyah area that has been heavily bombed, killing many, among them the Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasallah and several other leaders over this last weekend. This massive bombing campaign, and those that continue, now have killed one thousand civilians and created nearly a million displaced persons. Palestinian refugees living on the edge of the camp have been killed and many living just outside the camp have lost housing, with possible loss of life also. Those who have moved with family and friends close to the centre of Beirut, many living in now crowded small flats. Even there they will not be safe as Israel has now bombed the Cola area, a Lebanese Sunni area and general transport hub in central Beirut. The targeted strike in that area has killed, it is reported, three members of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestinian (PFLP). The PFLP are part of the PLO and in Palestine part of the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah. The head of Hamas in Tyre has also been killed in a targeted attack.

In all the wars that Israel has wrought in Lebanon, Palestinians have been directly affected. In the 1978 and 1982 invasions of Lebanon Israel specifically targeted the refugees camps, home to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. Hundreds of thousands were killed across Lebanon and in the camps. In September 1982, after the PLO left Lebanon, Israel facilitated Christian militia to slaughter around 3,000 old men, women and children both Palestinian and Lebanese in the Shatila camp and adjacent Sabra area. After this horrific war Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militia, emerged and fought Israel in several wars in 1993 and 1996 when Israel was finally driven from all of Lebanese lands. Although the Shebaa Farm areas, on the Lebanese Syrian border occupied by Israel, remains contested. The bombing of the southern suburbs around the Dahiyah area in 2006, so close to the camps near by, also affected the Palestinian refugees and in 2023 Hezbollah fired missiles from the south of the country to Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

In 1982, people were surviving in much the same way they are now, in schools, mosques, churches, bombed out buildings, or just in the street, relying on humanitarian assistance from Non Government Organisations (NGO’s) and the Palestinians from UNRWA. The camps in Beirut and in the south were totally destroyed with Ein El Hilweh located in Sidon completely flattened, with not a trace of human habitation or infrastructure left. In time that camp and others were rebuilt and refugees returned, having nowhere else to go, but not without considerable loss of life and livelihood.

Now people across the country, and millions of relatives of Lebanese and Palestinians across the globe are terrified of what is to come next. Diplomats at the UNGA meeting in New York are warning of a full scale invasion of Lebanon, in the Bekaa Valley, in the capital and in the south similar to that of 1982. And Netanyahu has threatened to “bomb Lebanon back to the stone age”, a threat tragically carried out in Gaza. Plans are underway for a massive humanitarian response, much needed immediately with an estimated one million people displaced. Lebanon only has a caretaker government, is generally believed to be bankrupt and government services almost non existent. Poverty is widespread as it is among the Palestinian refugee population. In just a few days of American-Israeli massive bombing across the country Lebanese and Palestinians alike are rapidly facing a tragic, horrific catastrophe while the world again watches in silence and Israel proceeds with absolutely impunity to main and kill at will.

Palestinians in Lebanon, many now for the fourth or fifth generation, remain stateless. Trapped in 75 years of limbo and denied the Right of Return. They continue to be subjected to war and displacement while Australia and other western nations refuse to implement international court rulings.

Share and Enjoy !

SHARE TWEET SHARE COPY EMAIL PRINT