Venture Capitalist
Kenneth Ballenegger
Oyster Ventures
Hong Kong
Overview
Venture capitalist Kenneth Ballenegger took to Twitter on November 12 with a post advocating for the creation of concentration camps and sterilizations on the people of Gaza.
Calling for re-education camps and forced sterilization of civilians
On Sunday November 12, Kenneth Ballenegger posted on Twitter following the indiscriminate massacre of civilians perpetrated by Israel's IDF force in their operation "Swords of Iron", saying "After the war, Israel should handle Gaza like China handles Xinjiang. Full surveillance state. Re education camps. Sterilizations. It's warranted and the only way to pacify the jihadi population."
Responding to criticism from a former colleague, Ballenegger continued: "They reproduce like rabbits and raise them to be terrorists, creating more poverty misery and terrorism. Why should we allow that. The world would be a much better place if they didn't reproduce."
Context
The massacre by Israel in Gaza since October 10, 2023 has been marked by severe violence and allegations of war crimes. The The UN Human Rights Council and UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories reported clear evidence that war crimes have been committed during this latest surge of violence, emphasizing the need to hold those who violated international law and targeted civilians accountable.
As of November 24, 2023, Israeli forces had continuously engaged the Gaza Strip for 49 days, contributing to a mounting humanitarian crisis in the region. The death toll has been significant, with more than 15,000 Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Furthermore, 1.7 million civilians (80% of the population) have been internally displaced in Gaza as of November 23.
In contrast, the official death count in Israel stands at 1,200, where over a third killed were active military members, and many of the civilian casualties were reported as being a direct result of Israeli "scorched earth" tactics where helicopters fired hellfire missiles and machine gun rounds indiscriminately at people running in the fields, and tanks shelling civilian houses in the kibbutz.
Amnesty International conducted a detailed investigation into Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, focusing on incidents between October 7 and 12. The investigation revealed several alleged war crimes by the IDF, including:
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Indiscriminate Attacks on Civilian Areas: The IDF carried out thousands of air bombardments in the Gaza Strip, amounting to the equivalent explosion power of 2 atomic bombs, leading to widespread destruction. Attacks were found to be indiscriminate, failing to distinguish between civilian and military objectives. For instance, on October 7, an IDF strike hit a three-story residential building in Gaza City’s al-Zeitoun neighborhood, killing 15 members of the al-Dos family, including seven children. The youngest victim was just 18 months old.
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Strikes on Family Homes and Residential Buildings: On October 10, an air strike destroyed a family home in Gaza City’s al-Sahaba Street, killing 12 members of the Hijazi family and four of their neighbors. Three children were among those killed, with no evidence of military targets in the area at the time of the attack.
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Failure to Take Precautions to Spare Civilians: The IDF did not provide effective prior warnings to Palestinian civilians in many cases. Sometimes, no warnings were given at all, or they were inadequate, affecting whole buildings or streets full of people. This failure to take feasible precautions to spare civilians is a breach of international humanitarian law.
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Attack on a Refugee Camp and Public Market: An air strike on October 8 struck the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing members of the al-Naqla family, including children, and injuring many others. Additionally, on October 9, air strikes hit a market in Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 69 people.
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Attacks on Hospitals and Medical Facilities: Israeli forces struck several healthcare facilities in Gaza. For example, the Indonesian Hospital was hit multiple times, killing civilians; the International Eye Hospital was completely destroyed; and the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital was forced to close following air raids. Additionally, well-marked ambulances were struck, resulting in casualties.
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Devastation of Gaza's Healthcare System: As of November 10, two-thirds of primary healthcare facilities and half of all hospitals in Gaza were non-functional. At least 521 people, including 16 medical workers, have been killed in 137 attacks on healthcare in Gaza.
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Claims of Hamas Using Hospitals Unsubstantiated: Israel claimed that Hamas fighters set up command centers beneath hospitals, but these claims have been contested and not corroborated by Human Rights Watch. The sweeping nature of Israel’s evacuation orders did not consider specific requirements for hospitals and patients, revealing their actual intent.
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Blockade of Gaza Strip: The total blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip has been described as a war crime of collective punishment by Human Rights Watch.
Biographical Information
Kenneth is a venture capitalist and managing partner at Oyster Ventures, which is headquartered in San Francisco, though Kenneth's LinkedIn and X profiles indicate he is based in Hong Kong. Before his position at Oyster Ventures, he was previously CSO at Join Republic, and co-founder of Chartboost and Freshpay.
UPDATE
Sophie Liao, cofounding partner at Oyster Ventures posted on Monday November 13 a tweet confirming Kenneth has been suspended and will be removed as partner from the firm.
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