Israel's history marked by massacres: 75 years of bloodshed

In the backdrop of the horrifying hospital massacre in Gaza, a history of relentless cruelty spanning 75 years is revealed. Established in 1948, Israel, in defiance of international law, has occupied Palestinian lands under various pretexts and has a track record of similar massacres. On July 9, 1948, the Israeli Army brutally slaughtered 426 civilians in Lidda. Since October 7, Israel has imposed a genocidal blockade on Gaza, committing unprecedented atrocities even in violation of the laws of war. Israeli forces, showing no discrimination between civilians, soldiers, children, and women, have even bombed hospitals. Most recently, Israel bombed the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, claiming the lives of 500 innocent civilians. These atrocities have been recurrent since Israel's inception in 1948. UNPRECEDENTED MASSACRES COMMITTED Since its establishment, Israel has committed significant massacres on Palestinian territories, leaving no one, including children, untouched. Israeli forces targeted camps, hospitals, and civilian settlements on numerous occasions, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. On May 14, 1948, shortly after its founding, Israel was responsible for a large-scale massacre. Israeli forces invaded the Lifta town in northwest Jerusalem on July 9, 1948, systematically carrying out a massacre to force the local population into exile. 426 Palestinian civilians lost their lives due to Israeli bullets, leaving Lifta as a ghost town today. Israel also carried out a civilian massacre on June 5, 1967, to force Palestinians to leave Jerusalem. Through aerial and ground bombardments, Israeli forces killed 300 civilians. Thousands of Palestinians were left homeless, compelled to abandon Jerusalem. Palestinian territories and cities were effectively annexed to Israel through mass slaughters. MASSACRES WERE COMMITTED EVEN IN REFUGEE CAMPS August 12, 1976, bore witness to an inhumane brutality committed by militia forces supported by Israel. As innocent people attempting to leave the Tel-El Zaatar Palestinian Refugee Camp sought refuge, they were met with gunfire, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,500 innocent lives, predominantly women and children. Israel's massacres extended beyond this, with one of the largest civilian massacres occurring in a place of worship. On February 25, 1994, Israeli soldiers attacked the Mosque of Abraham (Hz. İbrahim Camii) and cruelly killed 79 Muslims in the midst of their prayers.