What's at risk under Israel's planned Gaza offensive?
Israel's security cabinet has approved an expanded military offensive in Gaza that would push the entire population into a small pocket in the south of the strip.
Shortly after the decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a bold message: the troops will be there to stay.
Sources have told The National the plan will pave the way for Israel to seize the Gaza Strip and take control of aid in zones run by private security firms. The goal, Israel says, is to pressure the majority of Gazans to be pushed out of the enclave entirely.
Governments around the world, including some western allies of Israel, have opposed the plan, saying it would breach humanitarian law. UN agencies and aid groups have also strongly rejected the scheme, saying they will refuse to comply. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza fear they will be forced to flee their homes again, or worse.
In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher explores what makes this offensive especially alarming, even in the context of a brutal 19-month war. She looks at the impact it could have on humanitarian aid systems and why it may breach international law. She speaks to Ahmed Bayram, communications adviser for NRC Middle East, and international lawyer Saul Takahashi.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Hamas ready to negotiate and Iran, Egypt talk nuclear
Hamas says it is ready to begin indirect talks on 'points of contention' in a US ceasefire proposal. Iran and Egypt are in talks in Cairo. Emirates airline will resume flights to Damascus next month. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: Iran makes nuclear peace pledge in 'fruitful' talks with Egypt and IAEA Hamas says it is ready for indirect Gaza truce talks to resolve 'points of contention' in US proposal Emirates to resume flights to Damascus from July This episode features Aveen Karim, Assistant Foreign Editor; and Kamal Tabikha, Cairo Correspondent.
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
'Freedom Flotilla' sets sail for Gaza with Greta Thunberg on board
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and a French politician barred from entering Israel are setting sail from Italy on Sunday as part of a 'Freedom Flotilla", with the goal of reaching Gaza to deliver humanitarian supplies and protest against the war. The organisation, which has been sending vessels to Gaza for more than a decade, has faced Israeli military retaliation throughout its existence. In April, one of its ships was hit by armed drones, with organisers blaming Israel, although no one has yet claimed the attack. In 2010, Israeli forces killed 10 Turkish activists belonging to the group on the Mavi Marmara after a naval interception near the coast of Gaza. Ten Israeli troops were wounded in the attack. The latest vessel is setting sail from Sicily in a 'small but mighty yacht' called Madleen, named in 2014 after Gaza's only fisherwoman, the organisation's website said. It says the flotilla is "carrying a cargo of hope and humanitarian aid". Speaking on the deck as the vessel prepared to set sail, Ms Thunberg said the mission was 'about the Palestinians who are being systematically starved and ethnically cleansed" by Israel. 'The real news story today is not that we are setting sail towards Gaza. It is the fact that we have to be here,' she added. 'It falls on us to be the adults in the room … we have to keep our promise to the Palestinians to do everything in our power to protest the genocide and to try to open up the humanitarian corridor and break the siege. 'No matter what the odds are against us we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying we lose our humanity. No matter how dangerous this mission is it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world.' French politician Rima Hassan said on Friday the latest voyage was to 'condemn the humanitarian blockade and continuing genocide, the impunity granted to the state of Israel and raise international awareness'. Ms Hassan, a member of left-wing party France Unbowed, was due to visit the occupied Palestinian territories in February with a European Parliament delegation, but said she was refused entry to Israel. Aid has begun trickling back into Gaza in recent days, but humanitarian groups warn the war-ravaged enclave is facing mass starvation. The White House said on Thursday that Israel had "signed off" on a new US ceasefire proposal, but Hamas said it could not accept the deal.
Middle East Eye
6 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Trump nuclear proposal allows Iran to enrich uranium: Report
The US will allow Iran to enrich Uranium at a low level for a predetermined amount of time as part of a nuclear deal, according to a proposal passed to Iran from the Trump administration, Axios reported on Monday. The report could reassure advocates of a deal, given Iran's insistence that it retain the right to enrich Uranium at some level, but is likely going to be met with fiery criticism by Israel and its allies in the US Congress. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been advocating for preemptive military strikes on Iran. Israel says the only nuclear deal it wants is akin to that which former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi agreed to in 2003, which saw the full destruction of Libya's nuclear infrastructure. Trump said last week that he warned Netanyahu not to launch preemptive strikes on Iran. But he also said on Friday that he wanted a deal in which "we can blow up whatever we want, but nobody getting killed". His proposal is a serious climbdown from that kind of talk. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It would allow Iran to enrich uranium up to three percent within its borders to maintain a civilian nuclear programme. The figure is substantially below the 60 percent level it is currently at, according to Axios. It is close to the 3.67 percent enrichment level the Obama administration agreed to with Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. What we know The previous Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018. If the proposal stands as reported by Axios, it would mark a major concession by the Trump administration, which stated its own red line on a deal was preventing Iran from enriching uranium. "An enrichment programme can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment," US envoy Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News in May. Like the Obama agreement, Iran would be restricted to enriching at the three percent threshold for a certain time period. The JCPOA imposed a 15-year time limit on Iran's enrichment limit. The Trump proposal leaves the time limit open for the following rounds of negotiations. The US and Iran have held five rounds of talks so far. The negotiations have been mediated mainly by Oman, but Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have met in person. The Trump proposal reported by Axios also appears to echo the 2015 deal in other areas. Iran will not be allowed to build any new enrichment facilities and must "dismantle critical infrastructure for conversion and processing of uranium", Axios reported. That language is similar to the 2015 nuclear deal, which mandated Iran to dismantle and remove two-thirds of its centrifuges. The Trump proposal calls for Iran to make its underground enrichment facilities "non-operational" for a period of time to be negotiated by the parties. The 2015 deal prevented enrichment at the underground Fordow facility until 2031. Witkoff sent the US proposal to Iran on Saturday. Enrichment Consortium According to Axios, it relies heavily on a "strong system for monitoring and verification" by the International Atomic Energy Agency. One key difference between the 2015 deal and the Trump proposal is that it envisions a regional enrichment consortium including Iran. Several reports have said that Saudi Arabia and the UAE - two key US partners - could join Iran as part of the consortium. The Gulf states vehemently opposed the 2015 nuclear deal, as they were locked in proxy struggles with Iran throughout the region. However, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have had a rapprochement with the Islamic Republic over the last several years. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said after Trump's visit to Riyadh in May that the kingdom 'fully supports' the nuclear talks. The White House neither confirmed nor denied the Axios report. Iran has yet to comment on it. On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference that Tehran was seeking clarification on debilitating sanctions relief as part of a deal. 'We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted,' he said. "So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue.' The Wall Street Journal editorial board published an article on Sunday saying the Trump administration had paused all new sanctions activity toward Iran.
