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Palestine is a war zone, pitting an Israeli aggressor against millions of defenseless Palestinians. State-sponsored terror continues unabated.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported at least 2,617 Palestinians shot with live fire or potentially lethal rubber or plastic coated steel bullets in October, used indiscriminately – around 760 struck with live fire, 1,857 with rubber bullets often causing injuries, some serious or fatal.

Another 5,400 needed treatment for toxic tear gas inhalation. An 8-month-old infant was suffocated to death from exposure. Through Sunday, 72 Palestinians were murdered in cold blood, around 8,300 injured.

Video evidence in some cases showed premeditated assassinations, knives then planted beside victims to claim attempted stabbing incidents – Big Lies blaming them for Israeli cold blooded murder.

October was the deadliest month in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Second Intifada – from September 2000 to February 2005.

Its horrific toll included:

* 4,166 Palestinians killed, including 886 children and 271 women; * 554 extra-judicial assassinations, including 253 bystanders; * 3,530 Palestinians disabled, maimed, or otherwise horrifically injured; * 8,600 imprisoned, including 288 children and 115 women; * 576 students killed, including 199 university-level ones and 32 academics; * another 4,713 students injured and 1,389 detained; * 2,329,659 dunums of land confiscated; * another 73,613 dunums razed plus 1,355,290 uprooted trees; and * 7,761 demolished homes plus 93,842 others damaged.

Conditions are much worse now under Netanyahu than then under Sharon. Whether years of committed resistance met by Israeli atrocities lie ahead remain to be seen.

Extreme brutality, including extrajudicial assassinations, reflect official Israeli policy – with full support and encouragement from Washington, generously funding its killing machine, partnering in its wars of aggression.

Ramallah-based Birzeit University Political Science Professor Saeed Nimer told Press TV Palestinians are being “killed just on suspicion and without threatening even the Israeli soldiers.”

“They think if they face the Palestinians with more aggression that will bring down the Intifada while it is to the contrary.”

“The more killing every day by the Israelis and the more atrocities by the Israeli occupation, will bring the Palestinians even more and more and aggravate the Palestinians and give them the ability to fight back against the Israeli occupation.”

“We know the Israelis do not want peace…They left the Palestinians with nothing…Palestinian factions are supporting the Intifada but it is quite clear that on the streets the youngsters are managing themselves so far, and we cannot see that there is a clear leadership…in a political way.”

A combination of justifiable pent up anger against a ruthless occupier, spontaneity, and young people wanting freedom they’re denied drives the resistance.

It’s heroic by any standard – met by Israeli viciousness continuing into November, another Palestinian death reported on Sunday, one more on Monday so far, the total now 74.

Eight Israeli deaths are known, the last one on October 18 – only two from stabbing incidents. Daily claims of knife wielding Palestinians are Big Lies, blaming victims for Israeli high crimes.

Overnight Saturday, soldiers stormed Qusra village south of Nablus, invaded Mayor Hussein Abu Reida’s home, ransacked it, then arrested him and his son, Tariq.

Palestinian officials often are arrested and imprisoned for belonging to the wrong political parties. On October 20, Hamas affiliated lawmaker Hassan Youssef was arrested at home in a pre-dawn raid.

Four PLC members are currently imprisoned, all for political reasons, including Khalida Jarrar, targeted for her courageous activism. A previous article discussed her persecution.

The Addameer prisoner support group called her arrest and imprisonment “vengeful, arbitrary and political, with an aim to punish her for her political opinions and activism for Palestinian human rights.”

One-sided Israeli media reports feature daily fabricated stabbing incidents, including sensationalist commentaries like from right-wing columnist David Horowitz saying to Abbas “you need to tell (your people) to stop stabbing us.”

Not a word about premeditated assassinations of Palestinians threatening no one – legitimately resisting a brutal occupier. Nothing about indiscriminate use of live fire, potentially lethal rubber bullets and toxic tear gas, as well as Palestinians being bludgeoned by batons and rifle butts.

Israel is a ruthless apartheid regime, Palestinians on their own, heroically struggling for freedom, deserving universal support.