Hunger in Gaza: is the West doing enough?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip. According to the organisation, the lack of aid deliveries and violence and chaos during food distribution are leading to ever more deaths. The dire situation was also sharply criticised in a statement published on Monday in which 30 countries called for an immediate ceasefire. Commentators discuss whether the circumstances warrant more than just appeals to Israel.
No peace without pressure
Appeals to Israel are not enough, news website In puts in:
“Clearly, as long as Israel is not under any real pressure, as long as it continues to be treated as an ally, dialogue partner, trading partner, investor and, of course, recipient of military aid, it will not stop its acts of violence - at least not while Netanyahu's far-right government remains in power. Worse still, the voices in Israel calling for ethnic cleansing here and now will continue to grow louder. That is why the time has come to make it clear that without real pressure there can be no peace and the situation will only get worse and worse.”
Impose arms embargo on Israel
Writing in Le Monde, a collective of lawyers accuses Israel of using hunger systematicatically:
“As experts in international humanitarian law, we condemn the use of famine as a weapon of war, the misappropriation of aid for the purpose of ethnic cleansing, and the genocidal policies being carried out against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. ... France and the European Union must punish those who deliberately organise hunger by obstructing access to humanitarian aid, and impose a total arms embargo on Israel. In addition, the International Criminal Court must intensify its investigations into these practices and consider charging those responsible for this organised famine with genocide.”
Express the powerless rage
NRC notes that the Dutch are becoming increasingly frustrated over their government's inaction:
“Rarely has the lack of humaneness been as visible as it is regarding Gaza. The feeling of powerlessness is everywhere. The vast majority of Dutch citizens want the violence to stop, but they see that it is only getting worse. ... It's not just a matter of exerting influence but also of giving voice to the powerless rage that continues to build up. Gaza is today's moral benchmark, the Vietnam of our time. This must be reflected in Dutch policy.”
Wanton devastation
Israel is clearly not just fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Irish Examiner complains:
“An estimated 90 percent of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged and most of its more than 2 million people displaced. Such a level of wanton devastation must surely be deliberate policy. The amount is so catastrophically high that any claims of targeting Hamas militia or tunnels or hidden arms caches every time cannot be credible. The country's politicians and military keep saying they are protecting civilians, but such protests ring depressingly hollow given that civilians are the ones dying by the legion.”
The problem is Hamas
Israel should not be demonised over this, warns The Daily Telegraph:
“If Britain and the other signatories are serious about seeking an 'unconditional and permanent ceasefire' in Gaza, as the statement says, then they should focus their efforts on the following: Forcing Hamas and its supporters in Iran to acknowledge the inevitable and accept that the terrorist organisation's continued presence in Gaza must end. ... If Hamas retains even the slightest influence in the territory, the Israeli people would be at risk of another devastating terrorist attack. This is why Prime Minister Netanyahu insists that there can be no peace in Gaza as long as Hamas remains there.”
Terrorists do not deserve support
Kronen Zeitung criticises Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger for signing the declaration:
“This is tantamount (albeit probably unintentionally) to backing the terrorist organisation Hamas, which so far doesn't seem willing to agree to any ceasefire. It is no coincidence that Germany and the EU's foreign affairs representative [Kaja Kallas] have not signed this declaration. And that Austrian Chancellor [Christian] Stocker remains silent on the matter.”
EU's stance deplorable
In La Vanguardia, editor-in-chief Jordi Juan laments the West's passivity:
“It's very exhausting to have to keep reminding people that yes, Hamas committed a dreadful massacre, but this terrorist attack cannot be used as an excuse for the campaign to destroy the Palestinian people. ... It's a disgrace that Gazans are being killed while waiting for food, and that food is being rationed so that hunger can be used as a weapon of war. And above all, that the West is incapable of putting a stop to this war. ... Little can be expected from Donald Trump, but the EU's attitude has also been pretty deplorable.”
The core issue must be addressed
The appeal to Israel would be more convincing if Hamas were also explicitly criticised, according to the Frankfurter Rundschau:
“Then the Israeli government couldn't simply dismiss such an initiative by saying that those responsible for the move didn't understand the threat to Israel. ... Perhaps more than a minority in Israel would then be prepared to recognise the suffering of the Palestinians and, as a next step, urge their own government to end the war and thus put an end to the hellish operations in Gaza. Those who lose sight of the core issue in the conflict run the risk of fuelling the gruelling spiral of arguments. Or have already accepted the hopelessness of the conflict.”
Action needed from the Islamic world too
Star stresses that not just the West bears responsibility for the suffering in Gaza:
“In the Gaza Strip, Israel, which is supported by the US, is cruelly killing dozens of Palestinians every day and systematically using hunger as a weapon against two million people. ... And the Islamic world made up of two billion people is just standing by and doing nothing. ... The current situation is not due to a lack of funds or donations. Thousands of tonnes of food, medicine and other relief supplies are waiting on the other side of the border. ... Not because of any shortages but because of the blockade by Israel and the inaction of the governments of the Islamic world.”
Up to Hamas now
The widespread criticism of Israel is too one-sided, argues De Telegraaf:
“The war could end if Hamas surrendered and released the hostages. Since last week, a proposal for a ceasefire has been on the table which would also lead to a better system for providing aid to Gaza. Israel has made the necessary concessions and accepted the proposal. Now it is up to Hamas. The statement by the 28 countries comes at a sensitive moment in the negotiations, as there has been no reaction from Hamas. But now the terrorists have been quick to welcome it. As long as the pressure is exerted only on Israel, Hamas will be content.”
This appeal could do some good
El País sees the joint appeal as a positive sign:
“This is Benjamin Netanyahu's most significant diplomatic setback so far. ... In their harsh statement the signatory states particularly condemn what they call the 'drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians'. ... So far Netanyahu has not budged an inch from his position of total destruction. On the contrary, the Likud leader has made a show of his impunity before international judicial authorities, believing that nothing will change Israel's privileged relationship with the most developed countries. It remains to be seen whether this latest initiative by a number of them will prolong the sterile chapter of pretty words or finally help to stop the killing of innocent people.”
The tone is clear
Things are now happening, Corriere del Ticino comments with approval:
“True, we are still no further than the sphere of appeals. But at least the tone of the 25 foreign ministers was unequivocal from the very first words: 'The war in Gaza must end now' ... We have mentioned the absence of Germany. It should be added that Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz took the floor yesterday and pointed out that the actions against the civilian population in Gaza violate humanitarian norms, but also underlined how important it is to 'keep the doors open for dialogue'.”
Israel clearly responsible
Corriere della Sera backs the appeal:
“It is not only the disproportionately high number of casualties in Gaza or the inhumane treatment of starving people trying to get food that are making the West reject Netanyahu's war. ... The question of whether people queuing for bread are shot deliberately or accidentally - or whether it's even Israeli soldiers who are doing the firing - is important, but not decisive. Because the country is occupied and controlled by the Israel Defence Forces, and independent access to the media is being prevented. Hence, everything that happens and all the chaos that reigns there is today clearly the political responsibility of Israel.”
What the EU can do
De Morgen puts forward concrete proposals:
“[EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja] Lahbib and top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas could propose sending a European humanitarian mission. ... The EU already has two missions in the Palestinian territories that could serve as a springboard for such a mission. ... Nothing prevents the Commission from proposing to turn [the EU mission] EUBAM into a full-fledged humanitarian intervention force. It could also be backed up by a police force consisting of neutral European and Jordanian officials, for example.”