Israeli Forces Seize Donkeys from Gaza, France Welcomes Them as Symbols of Compassion
The captured donkeys, vital to Gazans as primary transportation in the fuel-starved enclave, were flown out of occupied territories and subsequently received with fanfare by French and Belgian animal sanctuaries.
During the war, donkeys played a crucial role in Gaza's daily life, where fuel shortages due to Israel's ongoing blockade have rendered motor vehicles largely unusable.
The animals became emblematic of civilian resilience, even inspiring a local festival honoring them with red carpets, flowers, and decorations amid the rubble.
But beneath the surface of these heartfelt celebrations, Israeli soldiers carried out operations that Kan described as 'rescue missions' for 'neglected or sick' donkeys in areas of Gaza under occupation.
In many video footage shows military personnel gathering dozens of these animals, actions that international law categorizes as the seizure of civilian property during armed conflict, a potential war crime.
The donkeys were taken to a rehabilitation farm near Tel Aviv called 'Starting Over Sanctuary,' managed by activist Sharon Cohen. She describes the animals as traumatized and fearful, requiring special care.
However, the sanctuary holds no legal ownership papers, maintains no communication with Gaza's owners, and ignores ethical or legal responsibilities to the Palestinian communities from which the animals were taken.
On May 18, 2025, the first shipment of 58 donkeys was airlifted from Ben Gurion Airport to Liège, Belgium, before being distributed to shelters in France and Belgium.
The operation was managed by Israeli air cargo firm Orien Cargo and international groups including Network for Animals, run by Gloria Davis and Shannon Edwards.
Among the receiving shelters is the French 'La Tanière, Zoo Refuge' near Chartres, which publicly welcomed the donkeys as symbols of 'compassion and civilization.'
Yet the original narrative of these animals being Palestinian-owned and forcibly taken amid siege and bombardment is erased. Instead, the donkeys are portrayed as survivors of hardship, sanitized of their political and human context.
This phenomenon is not limited to Gaza. Kan also reported on donkeys taken from the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, under the pretext of poor animal care.
Despite no active fighting or infrastructure damage in the area, Palestinian farmers lost their animals, which were transferred to the same Israeli rehabilitation farm, revealing a consistent pattern of confiscation beyond wartime exigencies.
What appears on Israeli media as a humanitarian rescue, donkeys eating carrots, veterinarians providing care, European sanctuaries extending a warm welcome, is, in reality, part of a larger mechanism of occupation: systematic theft of Palestinian civilian property, cloaked in a veneer of compassion, and amplified politically by Western institutions.
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