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Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Opinion View on hunger war on Gaza: It must end
Starvation spectres loom over Gaza. For weeks, kitchens run by aid organisations such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) were the only dependable sources of food in the war-ravaged territory. Although these kitchens could only meet around 25 per cent of the daily nutritional needs of roughly half the population, according to UNFP data, they remained a crucial lifeline. That lifeline was severed in early March, when Israel imposed a total ban on the entry of humanitarian aid — just days before a fragile ceasefire, in effect since January 19, collapsed amid renewed Israeli strikes. This is the longest period so far during which Gaza has been completely cut off from aid since the war began following Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023. Thousands of Palestinians are facing severe hunger and malnutrition, further compounded by a shortage of clean water. Israeli officials have signaled a policy of using starvation as leverage to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages. Such tactics are, of course, a clear violation of international law — under the Geneva Conventions, occupying powers are obliged to ensure that food and essential supplies reach civilian populations. This blockade of aid has become so normalised that even modest proposals to resume it are met with fierce resistance. When Israel's Defence Minister proposed a 'civilian-based distribution infrastructure', he faced immediate backlash. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said, 'There is no need to bring in aid [to Gaza]. They have enough. Hamas's food stores should be bombed.' Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has gone further, saying that starvation is 'justified and moral' if it secures the release of hostages. Hamas, on the other hand, has declared it will no longer engage in negotiations unless Israel ends what it terms a 'hunger war'. Millions of displaced Palestinians remain trapped in a man-made calamity with no end in sight. Israel must be compelled — by its closest ally, the United States, and by the international community at large — to establish secure humanitarian corridors without delay. While US President Donald Trump said that he has publicly urged Israel to resume aid, and Canada's new prime minister and several European allies have echoed these calls, more decisive pressure is required. Instead of focusing on ceasefire negotiations, Israel has announced an 'intensified' offensive. These plans risk completely derailing the Arab-led efforts to broker a ceasefire and initiate post-war reconstruction. By blocking aid and escalating its military campaign, Israel will continue to subject Gaza's civilians to collective suffering. This strategy will not defeat Hamas. Rather, it will further destabilise the region and fuel more conflict. Only sustained dialogue can pave the way to a lasting ceasefire — and, ultimately, a durable peace.
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Palestinians Need Food, Not Words
A full-blown humanitarian emergency in Gaza is no longer looming. It is here, and it is catastrophic. It's been more than two months since Israel cut off all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies into Gaza. The World Food Program delivered its last stores of food on April 25. Two million Palestinians in Gaza, nearly half of them children, are now surviving on a single meal every two or three days. At makeshift clinics run by my relief organization, American Near East Refugee Aid, signs of prolonged starvation are becoming more frequent and alarming. In the past 10 days, our lab technicians began detecting ketones, an indicator of starvation, in one-third of urine samples tested, the first time we have seen such cases in significant numbers since we began testing in October 2024. Food, fuel and medicine are exhausted or close to it. Every hour is a race against time — but without the access and political will needed to deliver aid, save lives and end the unimaginable suffering, our hands are tied. This is the longest continuous total siege Gaza has endured in the war. Israel is now openly exploiting aid as a tool of war; senior Israeli officials have declared what effectively is the intent to use starvation as a tactic to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages — a clear violation of international law. Many Palestinians fear it is also part of a plan to expel them from Gaza, and aid groups warn that Palestinians could end up in 'de facto internment conditions.' Israel's blockade — and the deliberate delays, denials and excessive security procedures that surround it — is not just a failure of logistics. It is an engineered system of deprivation. The short-lived cease-fire in January proved inadequate to meet humanitarian needs. Aid increased beginning on Jan. 19, but was again cut off entirely by March. The intent to use hunger as leverage is explicit, and it is unconscionable. As food stocks vanish, leaders including President Trump, Canada's new prime minister and Israel's allies in Europe and around the world are calling for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid. Yet their words remain no more than that: just words, empty and ignored. On Sunday, Israel's security cabinet approved plans to step up its military campaign in Gaza. Just as ominously for Palestinians, Israel also approved a plan to entrench its control over aid, through Israeli-established hubs with private companies handling security. This appears part of a broader effort that includes the continued closure of Gaza's crossing with Egypt and a ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the main source of humanitarian support for Palestinians. The clampdown on aid would also undermine Arab-led regional efforts for genuine recovery and reconstruction by ignoring or putting off feasible and legitimate security and governance plans. The danger for relief workers is constant. This March, the Israeli military killed 14 aid workers and a U.N. official. For my organization, the war became deadly in March 2024 when an Israeli airstrike killed our colleague Mousa Shawwa and his young son. At least 418 humanitarian staff members have been killed in Gaza over the past 18 months, making it the deadliest region in the world for aid workers. Since breaking the cease-fire with intensified bombing on March 18, the Israeli military has pushed Palestinians in Gaza into smaller and smaller enclaves, expanding 'no go' military or evacuation zones to about 70 percent of their territory. Israel must be required to create open and secure humanitarian corridors. Without them it is impossible to scale up relief because every delivery is a gamble with civilian and aid workers' lives. And while an immediate cease-fire and influx of aid are urgently needed, that will not be enough. There must be a plan, not just for relief but for recovery, which cannot happen in a war zone or under permanent siege. True recovery requires a political agreement that guarantees Palestinian presence, security and self-determination. Humanitarian access is not just a moral imperative, it is a prerequisite for any hope of a better future. Imagine instead a Gaza where homes are rebuilt, clean water flows, children return to school and families can once again harvest food from their own land. This vision may seem distant after decades of Israeli military occupation, blockade and repeated wars that have severely damaged infrastructure and essential services. But we've helped improve the lives of Palestinians in Gaza before and we can do it again. What stands in the way isn't capacity, it's deliberate policy blocking the path to basic human dignity. When we talk about peace, we must ask: What kind of future are we envisioning if an entire people is left to suffer starvation? Israelis will not be safer while Gaza remains under siege. Sustainable peace is built not through domination, but through dignity, freedom, opportunity and mutual security. This is the moment of moral reckoning. Will the world be complicit in Gaza's collapse, or part of its recovery?
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel approves plans to capture all of Gaza
Israeli Cabinet ministers approved a plan early Monday to take over the Gaza Strip for an unspecified period of time, a move that dampens hopes of a ceasefire with Hamas in the near term. Israeli officials suggested the plans, which would mark a sharp turn away from talks proposing an Arab-led transition in Gaza, would not be put into action until after President Trump's planned Middle East visit later this month. Two Israeli officials confirmed the plans to The Associated Press, as well as other outlets, saying the goal is to increase pressure on Hamas to free hostages held in Gaza and to isolate the militant group from civilian populations to aid in Israel's goal in destroying Hamas entirely. Israeli officials also said it would also facilitate aid to civilians, which has been halted for two months under an Israeli siege. Critics are calling the new plans an occupation, saying there's little hope for the surviving hostages if Israel follows through. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on Israeli officials to prioritize the hostages and secure a deal quickly, the AP reported. Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held hostage, spoke at a Knesset committee meeting Monday and called on soldiers 'not to report for reserve duty for moral and ethical reasons,' the AP reported. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid in a radio interview questioned Netanyahu's plan to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists without a clear goal for the operation, according to Al Jazeera. The European Union also expressed concern over what it called an 'extension of the operation by Israeli forces in Gaza,' which it said would 'result in further casualties and suffering for the Palestinian population.' 'We urge Israel to exercise the utmost restraint,' European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said during a Monday press briefing. Israel National News cited a senior security source who reportedly stated that, under the plan, the Israeli military 'will increase its forces and act forcefully to defeat and subdue Hamas and destroy its military and governmental capabilities, while creating strong pressure for the release of all the hostages.' 'A central component of the plan is the broad evacuation of the entire Gazan population from the fighting zones, including northern Gaza, to areas in southern Gaza, while creating a separation between them and Hamas terrorists – in order to allow the IDF [Israeli military] operational freedom of action,' the security source added. The plan approved by the Cabinet, according to the official, would use civilian companies to distribute humanitarian aid, seeking to bypass and undermine Hamas as the governing authority in the territory. It would move more than a million Palestinians into one southern pocket of the already densely packed strip. A defense official told the AP that the plan would not take place until after Trump wraps up his visit to the region later this month, a timeline likely meant to ramp up pressure on Hamas to strike a ceasefire agreement. 'There is still a window of opportunity until President Trump concludes his visit to the Middle East, if Hamas understands we are serious,' security Cabinet Minister Ze'ev Elkin told Israel's Kan news outlet Monday, Reuters reported. Asked about the Isreali plan, the White House said Trump 'remains committed to securing the immediate release of hostages and an end to Hamas rule in Gaza.' 'The President has made clear the consequences Hamas will face if it continues to hold hostages, including American Edan Alexander, and the bodies of four Americans. Hamas bears sole responsibility for this conflict, and for the resumption of hostilities,' National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Israel approves plans to capture all of Gaza
Israeli Cabinet ministers approved a plan early Monday to take over the Gaza Strip for an unspecified period of time, a move that dampens hopes of a ceasefire with Hamas in the near term. Israeli officials on Monday suggested the plans, which would mark a sharp turn away from talks proposing an Arab-led transition in Gaza, would not be put into action until after President Trump's planned Middle East visit later this month. Two Israeli officials confirmed the plans to The Associated Press, as well as other outlets, saying the goal is to increase pressure on Hamas to free hostages held in Gaza and to isolate the militant group from civilian populations to aid in Israel's goal in destroying Hamas entirely. Israeli officials also said it would also facilitate aid to civilians, which has been halted for two months under an Israeli siege. Critics are calling the new plans an occupation, and say there's little hope for the surviving hostages if Israel follows through. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on Israeli officials to prioritize the hostages and secure a deal quickly, the AP reported. Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held hostage, spoke at a Knesset committee meeting on Monday and called on soldiers 'not to report for reserve duty for moral and ethical reasons,' the AP reported. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid in a radio interview questioned Netanyahu's plan to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists without a clear goal for the operation, according to Al Jazeera. The European Union also expressed its concern over what it called an 'extension of the operation by Israeli forces in Gaza,' which it said would 'result in further casualties and suffering for the Palestinian population.' 'We urge Israel to exercise the utmost restraint,' European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said during a Monday press briefing. Israel National News cited a senior security source, who reportedly stated that, under the plan, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) 'will increase its forces and act forcefully to defeat and subdue Hamas and destroy its military and governmental capabilities, while creating strong pressure for the release of all the hostages.' 'A central component of the plan is the broad evacuation of the entire Gazan population from the fighting zones, including northern Gaza, to areas in southern Gaza, while creating a separation between them and Hamas terrorists – in order to allow the IDF operational freedom of action,' the security source added. The plan approved by the Cabinet, according to the official, would use civilian companies to distribute humanitarian aid, seeking to bypass and undermine Hamas as the governing authority in the territory. It would move more than a million Palestinians into one southern pocket of the already densely packed strip. A defense official told the AP that the plan would not take place until after President Trump wraps up his visit to the region later this month, a timeline likely meant to ramp up pressure on Hamas to strike a ceasefire agreement. reported.
Broadcast Pro
03-04-2025
- Science
- Broadcast Pro
KSA's Falak Space launches space research mission aboard SpaceX
The mission contributes to global research on the effects of microgravity on the ocular microbiome in spacean essential yet largely unexplored area of eye health. Saudi Arabias Falak Space and Research, a nonprofit organisation, has launched its pioneering space research mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This historic mission, which lifted off from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is now in a polar orbit carrying Saudi research experiments aimed at advancing space medicine. Marking a significant milestone, this is the first Arab-led space research mission conducted by a nonprofit organisation. Falak Space aims to transform astronaut eye health protocols through its high-quality scientific research, with potential implications for long-duration space missions, including future Mars expeditions. The special mission, named 'Fram2,' is crewed by a diverse team of four astronauts: mission commander and crypto entrepreneur Chon Wang, Norwegian film director Janicke Mikkelsen, Australian polar explorer Eric Philips, and German robotics researcher Rabia Ruge. Over the course of the three- to five-day mission, the crew will conduct more than 20 scientific experiments, including the first X-ray photography in space and mushroom cultivation in microgravity. These studies are expected to contribute valuable insights for the development of future interplanetary missions. The capsules trajectory will take it over both the North and South Poles, providing a unique experimental environment that enhances the scientific scope of the mission.
