Israel continues to inflict 'tragic, genocidal nightmare': US lawmaker

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) – Israel has continued to "inflict a tragic, genocidal nightmare” since it launched its brutal offensive on Gaza on Oct. 7 last year, US Congresswoman Cori Bush said Monday.

"This past year has been unfathomable, grief-ridden and gruesome, and it is only getting worse by the day," Bush said in a statement to mark the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas.

One year ago, she said nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed, including more than 40 Americans, and over 42,000 Palestinians, including nearly 17,000 children, have been killed.

"Now, a year later, the Israeli government continues to inflict a tragic, genocidal nightmare and teeters on the edge of a regional war, with no clear end in sight," Bush stressed.

She added that "unfettered bombing and violence" continues in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Israel, in Yemen, in Syria, in Iran and in Lebanon.

"The devastation and destruction that have unfolded are already beyond what any soul should ever endure. Humanity is being torn apart.

“If we don’t change course, our pain will only deepen, and the toll will become even more unfathomable. Frankly, the time to act was one year ago, and the reality is that for far too many, it’s already too late. But we cannot let this continue on," she said.

Stressing that the US must stop sending bombs and weapons to Israel to fuel "this violence," Bush said: "We must prioritize diplomacy and peace, and above all else, our collective humanity."

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 42,000 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 97,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.