Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
05 August 2024 | 23:54 CAT
3-minute read

The carnage in the Gaza strip on day 303 of the genocide continues unabated.

Over the weekend, Israel carried out massacres at two schools in the enclave, in which at least 30 people were killed, most of whom were children. Israel claimed that the strikes on the Hassan Salam and al-Nasr schools on Sunday, which left dozens wounded, damaged Hamas infrastructure.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the only targets that the Israelis are targeting , particularly in these last few weeks, are only hospitals, are only schools which are housing displaced people,” Moulana Ebrahim Moosa said on Radio Islam’s Palestine Report earlier today.

As global attention focuses on escalating tensions in the region, such as Iran’s potential response to Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination while on a visit to Tehran and ceasefire discussions prior to that, the lived experiences of Palestinians on the ground remain extremely dire.

Analysts have reportedly argued that the only effective response to Haniyeh’s assassination will be one that is focused on ending the genocide to halt Israel’s plans for the full-scale domination of the West Bank.

“The brunt of the assault is being felt by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. And therefore…we should keep the focus on the Gaza Strip, because if a response is going to be created just for the sake of a response, even if that response is quite strong, it defeats the purpose if it is not tied up to the objective of ending the war in Gaza,” Moulana Moosa said.

Moulana Moosa warned about the proliferation of misinformation in the wake of Haniyeh’s assassination with regards to the method that was used in the attack and the consequences of his death on Hamas operations and functions.

Reports suggesting that Hamas is in a state of disarray and confusion after the attack have been refuted by the Palestinian resistance movement.

Additionally, Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas’s representative in Tehran, clarified that the attack took place at 01:37 a.m. (GMT +3:30) and was carried out by an aerial projectile – possibly a missile or a shell – and not a bomb as some reports suggest.

It has also been revealed that Haniyeh was in Iran on an official visit and his movements were publicly known.

Israel, to absolve itself of direct responsibility and capitalise on the attack, is projecting an image of strength.

“And likewise, the Iranians at this moment are trying to save face after the breach of their security, and they are also trying to project strength with a lot of propaganda,” Moulana Moosa said.

Hamas has issued statements indicating that the organisation is functioning smoothly and has begun the process of electing a new leader.

Meanwhile, the South African Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is mobilising to halt the country from supplying coal to Israel.

This comes after Columbia announced in June that it will suspend coal exports to Israel until the genocide stops, given its strategic importance in weapons manufacturing.

Israel responded by saying that its main source of coal is the Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company Glencore, not Columbia.

Columbia, Russia and South Africa are three of the biggest Israeli coal suppliers, each supplying 50, 36 and 13 percent respectively.

Beneficiaries of coal deals with Israel include Patrice Motsepe and Gill Marcus, both of whom are affiliated with Glencore.

With coal-fired power stations supplying over 20% of Israel’s electricity, South Africa’s coal deals with the country are significant.

If South Africa were to terminate the deals, it would severely impact the ongoing genocide.

“South Africa can make an indelible impact on stopping the genocide if the parties involved have the courage to put aside the profits and be true to their convictions,” Moulana Moosa said.

Listen to the Palestine Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.