Many Israelis ask why the country is still fighting in Gazapublished at 12:52 British Summer Time
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem
Israeli media had a scathing reaction to the measures announced by the military to alleviate the growing hunger crisis in Gaza, blamed by the UN, aid agencies and even some of Israel’s allies – including the UK – on Israel’s restrictions on the entry and delivery of humanitarian aid.
The head of the World Health Organization said Palestinians in the territory were suffering from man-made mass starvation.
The general view is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to reverse his own policies given growing international outrage over images of emaciated children and reports of Palestinians starving to death.
Israel, however, has consistently denied there is hunger in Gaza, despite the overwhelming evidence, and rejected accusations of being responsible for the crisis there.
Netanyahu has often been accused of prolonging the war for political gains, including to keep alive his governing coalition, which relies on the support of ultranationalist parties.
The announcement of military pauses for aid distribution and humanitarian corridors came as the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, went on a summer recess, which means that Netanyahu’s government seems to be safe, for now.
His more hard line supporters, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, had in the past threatened to quit the coalition if more aid was sent to Gaza.
In fact, they publicly oppose any aid to the population there, have defended the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and its resettlement with Jews.
Many in Israel have been asking for a long time why, almost 22 months after the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, they are still fighting in Gaza, as Hamas as an organised group has already been defeated.
Meanwhile, their country’s international isolation is growing, as the suffering in Gaza shocks the world. There will be more pressure for it to strike an agreement with Hamas, the only way to boost the delivery of humanitarian aid and prevent an even worse crisis.
Image source, Reuters