Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

World experts on genocide have confirmed what we here in Galway long suspected: Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

The International Association of Genocide Scholars in September said Israel’s conduct in Gaza meets the United Nations definition of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It’s not just the widespread attacks on hospitals, schools and aid, and systematic flattening of homes, which are needed for survival.

The scholars also noted Israel’s killing – murdering – and maiming of 50,000 children which impacts on Palestinians’ ability to survive as a group and regenerate in Gaza.

Israeli leaders’ desire for forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and evil threats to “flatten” Gaza, provided further evidence of intent.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, also confirmed Israel had committed genocidal acts.

In reaching its conclusions, the UN said it examined the Israeli military operations in Gaza, “including killing and seriously harming unprecedented numbers of Palestinians; imposing a total siege, including blocking humanitarian aid leading to starvation; systematically destroying the healthcare and education systems in Gaza; committing systematic acts of sexual and gender-based violence; directly targeting children; carrying out systematic and widespread attacks on religious and cultural sites; and disregarding the orders of the International Court of Justice”.

Israel has banned foreign media from Gaza, meaning Palestinian journalists and media workers alone are operating on the ground, bearing witness to the atrocities. They’re being killed in unprecedented numbers, too.

The International Federation of Journalists, a group affiliated with the National Union of Journalists, a trade union for journalists in Ireland and UK, said Israel has deliberately targeted Palestinian journalists.

With thanks to the IFJ who keeps a database of journalists killed, and with apologies for omitting those who have been killed since this column was filed, the following are the names of each of the 222 Palestinian journalists and media workers killed during Israel’s war and genocide.

Space prohibits listing their positions, media organisations, and dates of death, but we print their names because these individuals were not just a number – they were human beings killed by an evil regime.

Pictured: Some of the many people who took part in The West’s Awake Rally for Palestine in the city centre last Saturday.