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    Israel’s use of aid as leverage draws criticism in Gaza conflict

    Mars Posted on

    The United Nations on Monday described the situation in northern Gaza as “desperate”, sparking new criticism of Israel, a year after the launch of a major offensive against Hamas.

    For more stories from The Media Line, visit themedialine.org

    A statement from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOCHA) said it was “dismayed by Israel’s continued bombings and other attacks on… northern Gaza, where its forces have trapped tens of thousands of Palestinians…in their homes and shelters with no access to food or other basic necessities. The UN also reported a sharp drop in humanitarian aid to the region since the start of the month.

    The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for northern Gaza, citing reports that Hamas was regrouping. This followed an offensive against the Jabaliya refugee camp.

    Residents were invited to resettle in humanitarian safe zones. However, reports suggest that many did not follow orders, possibly due to exhaustion from repeated displacement throughout the war year. The UN estimates that nearly 2 million Palestinians have been displaced, many of whom have been forced to move as the Israeli military withdraws and reintegrates various parts of the territory.

    Humanitarian aid to Gaza, largely controlled by Israel through its surveillance of all entry points, has been a contentious issue in Israel since the war began in October last year, drawing scrutiny and criticism international.

    IDF soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip. (credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

    Israeli media reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering “the general’s plan,” proposed by retired army generals. The plan calls for a halt to humanitarian aid to northern Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas and secure the release of 101 Israeli hostages. It assumes that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has not relented during a year of military campaigning and suggests that withholding aid could force the desired outcome. The plan also proposes indefinite Israeli military control over the area. Netanyahu has denied any intention to control or permanently resettle Gaza, which Israel evacuated in 2005.

    “What we are seeing looks like either an attempt to implement the first part of the plan or a test run of it,” said Michael Milstein, director of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center for Studies. on the Middle East and Africa. Media Line. “But the Palestinian population is not cooperating and it doesn’t seem to be working,” Milstein added. “It is not clear to what extent such a plan will contribute to Israel’s objectives. “The plan aims to completely rid the area of ​​civilians. Any who remained would be considered combatants by the Israeli army, allowing troops to engage them. The military declined to say whether it was following this plan or acting under other orders.

    “The terrorist organization Hamas is using Gaza residents as human shields and preventing them from obeying IDF calls to move to safe areas,” Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, Arab spokesperson for the Hamas, said Monday. Israeli army, accusing Hamas of lack of civilian cooperation.

    Prevent Hamas from regrouping

    The army’s latest decision to reposition itself in Gaza is part of ongoing efforts to prevent Hamas from rebuilding. After an intense ground operation at the start of the war, the IDF has significantly reduced its presence, with relatively few troops now stationed in Gaza. “This represents a moment of strategic embarrassment,” Milstein said. “Israel has been at a crossroads for a long time without making a decision. The doctrine that they believed they could overthrow Hamas without occupying Gaza 24/7 is a failure. »

    With its forces engaged in a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon and potentially facing an imminent confrontation with Iran, the Israeli military is likely overstretched to maintain a larger presence in Gaza.

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    “This leaves no choice but to reach a deal with Hamas, which would see Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of the hostages,” Milstein said. The Israeli army controls several areas of Gaza, while leaving others under Hamas control. Israeli forces are present on the Gaza-Egypt border, in the perimeter of the Gaza Strip and in the northern part of the territory.

    Hardliners within the Israeli government are advocating a total occupation of the Gaza Strip, while Israel faces growing criticism over the humanitarian situation in the impoverished territory.

    “The UN reports that no food has entered northern Gaza for almost two weeks. Israel must urgently do more to facilitate the delivery of aid to those who need it. Civilians must be protected and have access to food, water and medicine. International humanitarian law must be respected,” US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said on Monday.

    The IDF’s coordinator of government activities in the territories reported that 83 trucks carrying humanitarian aid and 12 gas and fuel tankers entered Gaza on Monday. The war between Hamas and Israel began after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel. The assault, which shocked the nation, left 1,200 Israelis dead, thousands injured and more than 250 people taken hostage. Since the start of the war, 154 hostages have been freed, some of whom died. The fate of the remaining hostages remains uncertain, with dozens of people believed to have died.

    UNOCHA figures, based on reports from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, indicate that more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war. While Israel says many of the victims were armed fighters, international and Palestinian sources report a high number of civilian deaths. These figures have not been independently verified but have nonetheless led to criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war.

    As the war rages, Israel continues to pound Gaza in hopes of achieving the two main goals its government has set for the war: toppling Hamas and securing the release of the hostages. A year after the start of the conflict, international organizations continued to warn that Gaza was on the brink of famine. Israel, however, denies any threat to food security, insisting that it maintains a constant flow of humanitarian aid into the territory. Some Israelis advocate using humanitarian aid as leverage to pressure Hamas, which currently controls its distribution, thereby maintaining its hold on Gaza. Several Israeli officials have suggested that prominent Gaza families or clans could rule the territory in place of Hamas. However, the Israeli government has ruled out reinstalling the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a replacement, citing its support for terrorism and its failure to condemn the October 7 attack on Israel.

    “If the Palestinians had to choose between Hamas or the Gazan clans to rule Gaza, they would choose Hamas,” Mkhaimar Abusada, chair of the political science department at Al-Azhar University in Gaza and a visiting scholar, told The Media Line at Northwestern University. “If Israel allowed the PA to rule Gaza again, the goal of marginalizing Hamas would be easier. We must not forget that the Palestinian Authority would not set foot in Gaza without the agreement of Hamas.

    “Gaza residents do not trust the Israeli army, which has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, to distribute aid,” Abusada added. “The overwhelming majority of them consider the Israeli army to be murderers and will not accept food from them. » However, if left with no other choice, Gazans may be forced to accept help from the Israeli army.

    “There is no competition for Hamas in Gaza,” Milstein said. “They continue to control the area, through civilian governance. They survived Israel’s massive offensive and are still the dominant force in Gaza. They survived by being like chameleons who manage to constantly change. Without complete occupation, this will not go away despite Israel’s efforts to do so. »

    Hamas ousted the Palestinian Authority from Gaza in 2007. Violent images of Hamas fighters throwing PA employees from rooftops in Gaza City highlighted the deep animosity between the two rival Palestinian factions. Years of reconciliation efforts have failed, despite repeated claims to the contrary. However, recent negotiations in Cairo are believed to have brought the two sides closer to an agreement on post-war Gaza.

    “Hamas agreed in principle to allow the Palestinian Authority to rule the Gaza Strip, but they now agree that Hamas is more open to this scenario,” Abusada said.

    The likelihood of this scenario occurring remains slim, due to a complex set of circumstances that have significantly weakened the Palestinian Authority over the past decade. While Hamas is still in power in Gaza and the Israeli army is stretched too thin to eliminate it, humanitarian aid remains at the heart of the conflict. With no sign of a ceasefire on the horizon, civilians will continue to pay the price.



    Mars
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