Israelis see starvation as a tool for applying pressure on Palestinians
War cabinet member Benny Gantz and observer Gadi Eisenkot have suggested temporarily limiting the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip so its distribution will no longer be controlled by Hamas, Israeli television reported Wednesday.
According to Channel 12 news, the two National Unity party ministers believe that limiting the entry of aid for a short amount of time could create pressure for an alternative body to take responsibility for distributing aid among the enclave’s civilians, helping shape conditions in Gaza “the day after” the war.
They also reportedly think that limiting humanitarian assistance to Gaza could increase pressure for the return of the hostages still held by Hamas.
In response [to Hamas’s October 7 attack], Israel launched an extensive military campaign against the terrorist organization, and the government initially said no aid would be allowed into Gaza.
By the end of October, however, Israel was allowing humanitarian aid to enter the Strip through the Rafah crossing on the Gaza border with Egypt. Netanyahu has since said multiple times that without minimal aid being given to Gaza, the IDF would be unable to complete its objectives in the war due to risks such as diseases. [Continue reading…]
The Times of Israel also reports:
Protesters blocked trucks carrying humanitarian supplies to Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, demanding that no aid be allowed to enter the Strip via Israel while 132 hostages taken captive by terrorists on October 7 remain in captivity.
The protest came days after the IDF designated the areas of both the Kerem Shalom and the Nitzana border crossings as closed military zones to prevent disruptions. Large groups of activists, including some families of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, protested daily at the crossing last week.
Photos and videos circulating on social media on Thursday morning showed protesters arguing with truck drivers and attempting to check their loads to see which were headed for Gaza.
Likud activist Orly Lev posted a photo from the protest on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption, “Now at the Ashdod Port, blocking aid to Nazis.”
Ultranationalist MK and radical settlement activist Tzvi Succot also attended the protest, according to Channel 12 news.
In one video widely circulated on social media, a teen activist was seen telling a truck driver, apparently Arab, “I’m the master here, you’re a slave here!” [Continue reading…]