The Biden administration has notified Congress of plans to send another $1 billion in arms to Israel, including tank ammunition, mortars and tactical vehicles. The move comes as President Biden faces criticism from Israel and Republican lawmakers for pausing a single shipment of large bombs to Israel last week. The new $1 billion arms package is being advanced as Israel is widening its assault on Rafah and other areas of Gaza. More than 550,000 Palestinians have been displaced in recent days, and the death toll has topped 35,100. The Palestinian Authority says 80% of Gaza’s health centers are out of service due to Israeli attacks.
This all comes as Palestinians across the globe are marking the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, when some 700,000 Palestinians were violently expelled from their homes upon Israel’s founding. Many Palestinians say they are facing a second Nakba today. This is Hussein Junaid, who had to flee the Jabaliya refugee camp.
Hussein Junaid: “They deported us from the north of Gaza Strip. Here we are thrown on the streets. They destroyed our houses. They killed four children. They were martyred, among them a doctor and a head of department. My four older children died. They were martyred. Our homes were destroyed. They shook us, and they threw us on the streets. Who is looking for us? Which organization, which area and which government? Let them see that we are thrown on the streets with our children and small ones who don’t have milk and want food.”
