WW3 Map Updates Show Gaza Rubble Clearance Risks Erasing Evidence of Atrocity Crimes
Israeli opposition leaders declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unfit to serve after a report that the UAE warned him of an impending Hamas attack more than a week before the Oct. 7, 2023 assault, as the war in Gaza continues with over 73,000 Palestinian deaths and mounting concerns about rubble clearance erasing evidence of atrocity crimes, according to ww3 map coverage of the conflict.
UAE Warning to Netanyahu
Haaretz newspaper, in a report excerpted from a forthcoming book by its reporters, said UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to Netanyahu a week and a half before the attack and told him that Hamas was planning a major operation. [1] Netanyahu’s office called the report by the left-leaning newspaper “an absolute lie” and denied he spoke to the Emirati leader at that time. [1] The newspaper, quoting mostly anonymous sources, said that Netanyahu replied calmly to the warning. [1]
Opposition Criticism of Netanyahu
Gadi Eisenkot, a former military commander who has emerged as Netanyahu’s top rival in upcoming Oct. 27 elections, accused the long-serving prime minister of evading responsibility for security lapses and resorting to “pathetic” excuses, such as saying he was not woken up soon enough on the morning of the attack. [1] “Netanyahu received dozens of warnings for October 7 and ignored them all. He is unfit,” Eisenkot wrote on X. [1] Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister also running in elections, said Netanyahu “bears personal and direct responsibility” for the deaths on Oct. 7. [1] “Netanyahu cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute,” Bennett said. [1]
UN official highlights burden on tens of thousands of Gaza widows supporting families. — Source: anadolu
October 7 Attack and Hostages
Haaretz said that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, later killed by Israel, had warned a former Palestinian official that the militants were preparing “a terrifying operation,” which he described as an “earthquake.” [1] The former Palestinian official relayed the message to an Emirati adviser, who passed it on to the Emirati leader, who then called Netanyahu, the newspaper said. [1] Hamas on Oct. 7 stormed into Israel in a rampage that included mass killing at a music festival. [1] The attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. [1] The militants also dragged into Gaza 251 hostages, 44 of them already dead. [1] The 2023 Hamas-led attacks killed 1,200 people in Israel while another 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. [3]
Gaza Death Toll and Destruction
The massive Israeli offensive in response has left most of Gaza in ruins and killed 73,658 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. [1] More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, according to Gaza health authorities. [3] UN Women says nearly 1 in 4 Gaza households now headed by women, roughly double than before Israel launched its war on the besieged Palestinian territory. [2] Tens of thousands of widows bear a growing burden of holding Gaza families together. [2]
Israeli forces clear rubble in Gaza amid UN warnings of destroyed atrocity evidence. — Source: korea-herald
Rubble Clearance Concerns
Israel's assault on Gaza — started after the deadly raid into Israel by Hamas in October 2023 — has generated around 61 million tons of wreckage and debris that could take seven years to clear, according to the United Nations. [3] A UN expert said Monday that Israeli clearance of rubble in Gaza could destroy valuable evidence of "atrocity crimes" and prevent the recovery of human remains. [3] Francesca Albanese, the UN expert on the Palestinian territories, said evidence should be gathered and human remains identified before full clearance started. [3] She issued a statement headlined, "UN expert warns Israeli rubble-clearing could erase traces of atrocity crimes" and said Palestinians should be behind any plans to remove waste. [3] "In devastated Gaza, rubble is not just construction waste. It is part of a crime scene, a graveyard, and the material record of what happened during a brutal and senseless bombing campaign that lasted two years,” she said. [3] Palestinian authorities estimate more than 8,000 people remain buried in the wreckage. [3] In a statement, Hamas said it appreciated Albanese's warning, and urged that the rubble be removed in a manner that "ensures the recovery of the remains of missing persons and the preservation of evidence." [3] Hamas accuses Israel of attempting to conceal evidence of Gaza genocide. [4] Palestinian group calls for international investigators and forensic experts to oversee recovery of bodies and preservation of evidence. [4]
Context of Israel-Hamas Relations
The UAE normalized ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords under US President Donald Trump’s first administration. [1] Netanyahu sees close ties with the UAE as a key achievement. [1] Netanyahu for years had sought to preserve the status quo with Hamas, which would receive funding via Qatar with an understanding the Islamist group was more interested in self-preservation than a devastating war with Israel. [1] Israel says it has gone to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties and that Hamas uses Gaza's civilians as human shields in densely populated areas -- a claim Hamas denies. [3]
What to watch next: Israeli companies involved in rubble clearance and calls for Palestinians to lead any removal plans remain under scrutiny as more than 8,000 people are still believed buried in the debris.
