The year Israel became a symbol of civil devastation around the world

In 2024, the US-supported Israeli genocide in Gaza devastated lives and accounted for nearly 40% of civilian deaths and maimings worldwide

According to a new report from UK-based conflict monitor Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Israel has been identified as “the biggest cause of civilian harm in 2024”, accounting for 55% of “all civilian casualties caused by explosive weapons” around the world.

The AOAV also noted a 67% increase in civilian casualties resulting from “explosive violence” since the start of the Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

“The report attributes 33,910 reported deaths and injuries to Israeli actions, mainly in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. This also represents a 139% increase in civilian harm caused by Israel compared to 2023, when it was responsible for 39% of global civilian casualties,” states an AOAV press release.

As of January 15, the Gaza Ministry of Health has documented at least 46,707 Palestinian deaths, with more than 110,265 injured. However, a scientific study recently published by the journal The Lancet revealed that the number of deaths in the Israeli genocide was “underestimated” by 41% during the first nine months.

“We estimated 64,260 deaths due to traumatic injuries during the study period, suggesting that the Palestinian Ministry of Health underreported mortality by 41%,” the study states, adding that around 60% of those killed were women, children and the elderly.

The medical journal reported in June last year that the number of deaths in Gaza could range between 149,000 and 598,000 — taking into account direct and indirect deaths.

“The escalation of Israel’s military ground operations and attacks on healthcare facilities have severely disrupted their ability to record deaths electronically. This may have led to incomplete and geographically biased reporting, as seen in other conflict zones where protracted wars complicate casualty tracking.”

Tuesday’s AOAV report also reveals that civilian casualties resulting from the use of explosive weapons have increased by 1,145% compared to 10 years ago. “Incidents of explosive violence as a whole increased by 260% compared to 2014, reflecting a global escalation in the use of these weapons in conflict zones,” says the conflict monitor.

Earlier this week, the popular American television news program, 60 Minutes from CBS News, aired a report titled “Across the now-decimated Gaza Strip, America’s mark is everywhere” (“Across the now-devastated Gaza Strip, America’s mark is everywhere.”), showing images filmed in May of US-made ammunition rounds scattered across the region.

The report included an interview with former US diplomat Hala Rharrit, who reported that she was instructed by her superiors at the State Department not to release or show images of massacred children. Shortly thereafter, she was informed that her reporting on the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza was no longer needed.

Israel faces accusations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case supported by more than a dozen countries. Senior Israeli leaders also face arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for using starvation as a weapon of war.

With information from The Cradle*