Genocide, urbicide, domicide – how to talk about Israel’s war on Gaza

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South Africa has taken Israel to nan International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians successful Gaza – and 12 different countries person backed nan case.

“Genocide” is simply a ineligible word that has been progressively utilized to picture what Israel is doing successful Gaza arsenic it kills much people, a fig nearing 40,000.

What different position person been utilized to picture what’s happening successful Gaza?

Genocide, sidesplitting a people

Genocide is nan “deliberate sidesplitting of a ample number of group from a peculiar federation aliases taste group pinch nan purpose of destroying that federation aliases group”.

It was coined by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin – “geno”, nan Greek connection for title aliases tribe, and “-cide”, Latin for sidesplitting – to picture nan Nazi execution of Jews and different groups during nan Holocaust.

The word “genocide” appeared early connected successful this warfare – successful October, much than 800 scholars signed a letter informing of “potential genocide successful Gaza”.

In a March report, nan United Nations typical rapporteur connected quality authorities successful nan occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, said location were “grounds to judge that nan period indicating nan committee of nan crime of genocide… has been met”.

Analysts and authorities monitors constituent to statements from elder Israeli officials, arsenic good arsenic soldiers fighting successful Gaza, advocating for nan demolition of Gaza and displacement of its population.

Urbicide, sidesplitting a city

Coined successful nan 1960s, urbicide describes nan deliberate demolition of a metropolis and became wide utilized successful nan aftermath of nan Serbian siege of Sarajevo betwixt 1992 and 1996.

Russian attacks connected Grozny, Chechnya successful 2001, Israel’s demolition of Beirut’s confederate suburbs successful 2006, Bashar al-Assad’s authorities destroying nan Syrian cities of Homs and eastbound Aleppo betwixt 2012 and 2017, ISIL’s (ISIS) run successful Mosul, Iraq, and Russia attacking Mariupol and Bucha successful Ukraine person been described arsenic urbicide.

Between October 7 and May 31, Israel damaged aliases destroyed astir 55 percent (or 137,297 structures) successful Gaza, according to a study by nan UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).

As these structures are nan makings of a metropolis – homes, schools, hospitals, taste sites, belief sites and infrastructure related to water, energy and carrier – immoderate researchers deem Israel’s actions to beryllium nan sidesplitting of Gaza’s cities, aliases urbicide.

Domicide, sidesplitting home

Domicide is an hold of urbicide and intends nan deliberate and systematic demolition of surviving spaces, targeting friendly places of residence truthful that immoderate shape of stability, beingness aliases emotional, is replaced pinch a emotion of changeless flux.

Of everything destroyed by Israel since October, Gaza’s lodging has been deed worst. UNOSAT counted 135,142 damaged lodging units, mostly successful Gaza City, Khan Younis and bluish Gaza.

With homes nary longer habitable and their consciousness of relationship destroyed, immoderate Palestinians will consciousness they person nary prime but to time off Gaza.

Despite this being a forced migration, it would successful a consciousness let Israeli officials to contradict immoderate work for Palestinians leaving their homeland.

The UN says restoring Gaza to pre-conflict levels would return decades of labour-intensive clearance of rubble, unexploded munitions and landmines.

Politicide, sidesplitting representation

Politicide is erstwhile a powerful character useful to politically execute nan nationalist and backstage spheres of their enemy.

The word first appeared successful nan 1970s to picture nan demolition of groups of group who stock a governmental identity.

It is besides utilized to mention to nan sidesplitting of governmental leaders and later grew to see nan demolition of structures that let governmental entities to exist.

Politicide “was used… to picture Israeli argumentation towards nan Palestinians connected nan eve of and during nan 2nd Intifada successful 2000, erstwhile Israel’s clear nonsubjective was to destruct nan conditions for nan specified beingness of a Palestinian state”, Ziad Majed, a professor of Middle East studies and world relations astatine nan American University of Paris, wrote successful Orient XXI successful December.

Ecocide, sidesplitting nan environment

Ecocide – destroying nan situation – was coined successful 1970 by biology professor Walter W Galston, protesting nan US usage of nan toxic herbicide Agent Orange successful Vietnam to destruct works maturation nan Viet Cong hid under.

Israel’s munitions person had a superior effect connected nan climate and ecosystems successful Gaza wherever Israeli attacks person contaminated ungraded and groundwater pinch munitions for illustration white phosphorus.

Israel has destroyed much than half of Gaza’s farmland, according to anJazeera investigation.

While this makes vital resources for illustration water vulnerable to entree aliases consume, nan afloat grade of nan harm is still not known.

In 2021, 97 percent of Gaza’s h2o was not suitable for quality depletion aft much than a decade of Israeli blockade and aggregate wars.

Israel continued attacking infrastructure and blocking aid, rendering desalination and wastewater curen plants non-functional.

By past November, 130,000 cubic metres (34.3 cardinal gallons) of untreated sewage were being dumped into nan Mediterranean Sea each day, according to nan Norwegian Refugee Council.

Even nan aerial successful Gaza became vulnerable during Israel’s warfare – smokey and polluted by Israeli bombs aliases fires made by displaced group retired of immoderate scrap they found.

Researchers and experts astatine biology organisations opportunity nan semipermanent harm has led to calls that Israel’s actions beryllium called ecocide.

Educide and scholasticide, sidesplitting knowledge

Educide and scholasticide are nan systematic demolition of an acquisition strategy and its institutions.

Educide, successful particular, is nan systematic sidesplitting of academics and intellectuals, aliases nan genocide of education, according to British world Rula Alousi.

The word was first utilized successful 2009 to picture nan sidesplitting of Iraqi acquisition unit aft nan 2003 US invasion.

UN experts person warned of scholasticide successful Gaza arsenic astatine slightest 90 percent of nan territory’s schools person been damaged aliases destroyed.

All 12 universities and higher acquisition institutions successful Gaza person been destroyed, while thousands of students and teachers person been killed.

More than 600,000 students person been deprived of schooling since October 7.

Culturcide, sidesplitting a consciousness of self

Culturcide is nan demolition of a culture, particularly 1 unsocial to a circumstantial ethnic, political, religious, aliases societal group.

Israel has destroyed aliases damaged astir 200 historical taste sites successful Gaza.

Archaeological sites, historical mosques lodging uncommon manuscripts, 1 of nan world’s oldest Christian monasteries and an ancient harbour making love to 800 BCE are among nan taste casualties.

South Africa included wiping retired Gaza’s taste practice successful its suit against Israel astatine nan ICJ.

“Israel has damaged and destroyed galore centres of Palestinian learning and culture,” it said successful its exertion to nan World Court.


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