• The U.S. House passed an amendment to restrict disclosure of the Gaza death toll, criticized for concealing the humanitarian crisis and dehumanizing Palestinians.
• Despite disputing the Gaza Health Ministry’s figures, U.S. and Israeli officials use the data for internal reports, revealing a hypocritical stance that justifies ongoing military actions.
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment that restricts the State Department from disclosing the death toll in Gaza. This decision, which passed with a vote of 269-144, has sparked significant controversy and criticism from various quarters. Opponents argue that this move is an attempt to deny the extent of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, making it easier for the U.S. and its allies to avoid accountability and continue their support for Israel without facing backlash from the international community.
The amendment comes at a time when there is a growing need for transparency and accurate reporting of the situation in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has been the primary source of casualty figures, but these numbers have been disputed by some, including U.S. officials, who allege that the figures might be inflated or inaccurate.
Casting doubt on the figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, such as with this amendment, effectively strips the Palestinian people of their humanity and further dehumanizes them. It allows U.S. and Israeli officials to downplay the human cost of the genocide and shift the narrative away from the suffering of civilians.
This strategy not only undermines the credibility of the Gaza Health Ministry but also makes it easier to continue military actions in Gaza without facing significant international accountability.
Passing this amendment is part of a broader strategy to control information and protect U.S. foreign policy interests by ensuring that potentially damaging details remain concealed. By limiting the flow of information, the U.S. government is able to maintain its support for Israel without facing the full extent of the backlash that would come from a transparent accounting of the civilian death toll in Gaza.
Most recent reports indicate that the Palestinian death toll has surpassed 37,000, with at least 15,000 casualties being children.
Despite these staggering numbers, the new amendment makes it difficult for the public to access reliable information about the true impact of the genocide. This lack of transparency is dangerous, as it allows for the continuation of actions that result in civilian casualties without adequate scrutiny.
Human rights organizations and some members of Congress have been vocal in their opposition to the amendment. They argue that it not only conceals the true extent of the crisis but also emboldens further violations of international law. By failing to hold Israel accountable for its actions, the U.S. risks being complicit in the ongoing violence. Chris Van Hollen, a U.S. senator, has been particularly critical, calling for a ceasefire and greater humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
On the House floor, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, delivered a passionate speech condemning the amendment and the broader U.S. policy towards Gaza. She highlighted the dehumanization of Palestinians and criticized her colleagues for prioritizing political interests over human lives. Tlaib stated:
“It’s a shame my colleagues are more focused on silencing me than they are on saving lives. Many of them have shown me that Palestinian lives simply do not matter to them but I still do not police their rhetoric or actions.”
She emphasized the need to recognize the humanity of Palestinians and called for an end to the violence and the apartheid system that subjects Palestinians to inhumane treatment and racism.
Moreover, there is a growing movement within the international community to address the situation in Gaza more robustly. The United Nations and various human rights groups have repeatedly called for independent investigations into war crimes and for measures to protect civilians. The amendment, however, represents a significant setback for these efforts, as it hinders the flow of crucial information needed for such investigations.
In late October, President Biden publicly doubted the accuracy of the casualty figures reported by the Gaza Health Ministry, stating there was “no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people were killed.” This statement not only incited outrage among Palestinians but also drew criticism from human rights organizations and NGOs working in Gaza. The controversy deepened when it was revealed that, despite Biden’s public denial, officials within his administration had used the Gaza Health Ministry’s figures in 20 different situation reports, with one official suggesting that the death toll might actually be an undercount.
Ironically, even Israeli intelligence has been using the figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry.
According to a report by Vice, despite public skepticism about the accuracy of these numbers, Israeli intelligence has cited them in various analyses and situation reports. This is a significant contradiction: while the U.S. and Israeli officials publicly doubt the casualty figures, they simultaneously rely on the same data for their operational and strategic decisions.
This contradictory stance—using the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty figures while simultaneously disputing their accuracy—is both disgusting and deceptive. It reveals a troubling inconsistency in the narrative put forth by these governments. If these numbers are deemed unreliable, they should not be utilized in any capacity. However, the fact that both U.S. and Israeli officials rely on these figures in their reports and strategic planning while publicly claiming their inaccuracy is hypocritical and conniving. This selective skepticism serves to dehumanize the Palestinian people and justify the continuation of military actions in Gaza, without facing the moral and ethical repercussions of acknowledging the true extent of the humanitarian crisis.
By casting doubt on the figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, the U.S. government is able to shift the narrative away from the suffering of civilians and continue its support for Israel with less scrutiny. This move ultimately resulted undermines the prospects for a just and humane resolution to the onslaught in Gaza.
