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Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
As Gaza burns, the moral foundation of international support for Israel has begun to crack
Written by Sujata Ashwarya For decades, Israel has relied on the political cover of its closest allies, the United States, Britain, France, Canada, and Germany, during its periodic military operations in the Gaza Strip. These offensives were often described by Israeli military officials as 'mowing the grass,' a cynical phrase implying that occasional large-scale strikes are necessary to keep Hamas's strength in check. But as Gaza smoulders under one of the most destructive military campaigns in recent history, the moral and political foundations of international support to Israel are beginning to crack. In a rare joint statement last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza as 'wholly disproportionate'. They criticised the continued blockade of humanitarian aid, denounced incendiary statements by members of Netanyahu's cabinet, and warned that Israel's actions 'will have consequences'. Britain went further, suspending free-trade negotiations with Israel and imposing sanctions on individuals linked to illegal settlement activity in the West Bank. While these leaders reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself, especially after Hamas's brutal attack on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 taken hostage, they stopped short of offering unconditional backing. Instead, their joint statement voiced support for US-led ceasefire efforts and reaffirmed a commitment to recognising a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution. It is a significant shift. For years, these countries have shielded Israel diplomatically, even as the humanitarian toll of its military operations raised questions. But the current war has crossed a threshold. Since Israel started its offensive after October 7 (which resumed this March after a brief, fragile ceasefire in January), over 53,900 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed, according to Gaza's health authorities. Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened. Hospitals, schools, and water treatment plants lie in ruins. Gaza has also faced a complete electricity blackout, when Israel cut off supplies paid for by the Palestinian Authority, shutting down the territory's only power plant. Most of Gaza's population has been displaced, and hunger is now being used as a weapon, with medical aid and food supplies blocked at border crossings. The destruction has prompted not only political backlash but also a deeper reckoning with the assumptions that have guided international policy since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. To understand how we got here, we must revisit that pivotal year. After Hamas's landslide victory in the January 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections, a vote encouraged at the time by international actors, most of the world turned its back. The group's refusal to meet the Quartet's conditions, including recognising Israel and honouring previous peace agreements, led to sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Hamas's efforts to share power with Fatah through a national unity government failed amid rising tensions and violence. By June 2007, after a brief but brutal civil conflict in Gaza, Hamas had taken control of the Strip, expelling Fatah officials and severing the Palestinian polity in two. This rupture reflected a deeper ideological divide within Palestinian society: Between those who believed in state-building and negotiations, and those who saw resistance as the only viable path under occupation and siege. Fatah, with its long-standing ties to international diplomacy and institutions, retained control of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Hamas, cast out but not broken, dug into Gaza, and for many Palestinians, continued to embody justice and resistance. Had the international community responded differently, recognising the legitimacy of Hamas's electoral win and engaging politically instead of isolating Gaza, the present conflict might have followed another path. But the years since have brought repeated cycles of siege and devastating violence. Each time, international actors called for restraint, Gaza was bombed back into deeper despair. What makes this moment different is not just how vast the destruction is, but how deeply and clearly disillusioned the world has become. The idea that Israel's actions can be reduced to tactical containment – 'mowing the grass' – no longer holds. The destruction of civilian infrastructure and thousands of deaths are increasingly seen not as unfortunate side effects but as deliberate elements of a military strategy aimed at remaking Gaza by erasing Palestinian identity through force. And now, even Israel's closest allies are asking whether such a strategy is justifiable. They are also beginning to acknowledge what has long been denied: That any future political settlement will have to reckon with Hamas, not simply as a military problem to be eliminated, but as a political force rooted in the lived reality of Palestinians. The West's alliance with Israel is not broken, but it is strained. And as Western leaders take hesitant steps toward accountability and recognition of Palestinian rights, they face a critical choice. Will they continue to shield Israel as it doubles down on a war with no clear end? Or will they finally recognise that peace cannot be built on rubble, and that political engagement, not just military dominance, is the only path forward? The writer is Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Al Etihad
31-03-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
Palestinian patients praise UAE's assistance, send Eid Al-Fitr greetings to its leadership
31 Mar 2025 19:00 RAFAH (WAM) During a visit to the UAE field hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, families of patients and the wounded extended their heartfelt congratulations and warmest greetings to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the occasion of Eid wished President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed continued health and well-being for his ongoing humanitarian also expressed their deep gratitude to the government and people of the UAE, praising the nation's noble stance in supporting the Palestinian people, particularly through Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, which has played a vital role in providing medical and humanitarian assistance to the wounded and sick in and their families also extended Eid greetings to the medical team and the UAE mission working at the field hospital, expressing their sincere appreciation for the exceptional efforts being made to deliver healthcare and also noted that the hospital has become a beacon of hope for many amid the severe conditions in the Juma'a, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, also conveyed his Eid Al-Fitr greetings to His Highness the UAE President, the government, the people of the UAE, and the medical team at the UAE field hospital. The UAE field hospital in Rafah continues to provide comprehensive medical services, reaffirming the UAE's commitment to its humanitarian approach and its unwavering dedication to supporting the Palestinian people and alleviating their suffering during these challenging times.
Gulf Today
31-03-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Palestinian patients praise UAE's assistance, send Eid greetings to its leadership
During a visit to the UAE field hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, families of patients and the wounded extended their heartfelt congratulations and warmest greetings to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr. They wished President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed continued health and well-being for his ongoing humanitarian support. They also expressed their deep gratitude to the government and people of the UAE, praising the nation's noble stance in supporting the Palestinian people, particularly through Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, which has played a vital role in providing medical and humanitarian assistance to the wounded and sick in Gaza. Patients and their families also extended Eid greetings to the medical team and the UAE mission working at the field hospital, expressing their sincere appreciation for the exceptional efforts being made to deliver healthcare and treatment. They also noted that the hospital has become a beacon of hope for many amid the severe conditions in the Strip. Ashraf Juma'a, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, also conveyed his Eid Al Fitr greetings to His Highness the UAE President, the government, the people of the UAE, and the medical team at the UAE field hospital. The UAE field hospital in Rafah continues to provide comprehensive medical services, reaffirming the UAE's commitment to its humanitarian approach and its unwavering dedication to supporting the Palestinian people and alleviating their suffering during these challenging times. WAM
Jordan Times
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Israel army tells Gazans to evacuate part of southern city of Rafah
Palestinians search through the rubble of a building at the site of an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip today (AFP photo) JERUSALEM — The Israeli military on Sunday urged residents of the southern Gaza city of Rafah to evacuate as forces launched an offensive against militants in the area. Hamas also said a senior Hamas official was killed in an Israeli strike. In a statement on X, military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army "launched an offensive to strike the terrorist organisations" in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan district. Adraee called on Palestinians there to leave the "dangerous combat zone" and move further north. Leaflets bearing the same message were dropped over Tal al-Sultan by drone, AFP correspondents said. Earlier, an Israeli strike on a tent encampment in Al-Mawasi, in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis area, killed senior Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil and his wife, the Islamist movement said in a statement Sunday. Bardawil, a well-known Hamas figure, was a member of the movement's political bureau and the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Palestinian Authority's parliament which has not met since 2007. The Israeli military also announced on Sunday that it was conducting operations in Beit Hanun, in the north of the Gaza Strip. "During the operation, fighter jets struck several Hamas targets," the army said in a statement. Israel, vowing to destroy Palestinian militant group Hamas, on Tuesday resumed intense bombardment of Gaza and redeployed ground troops, shattering a truce that had largely held since January 19. Before its renewed assault, Israel in early March blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into war-ravaged Gaza and cut electricity supply, in a bid to force Hamas to accept the Israeli terms for an extension of the ceasefire and release the 58 hostages still held by Palestinian militants since the October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. The electricity supplied by Israel had fed Gaza's main water desalination plant, and the decision to cut power has aggravated already dire conditions for Gaza's 2.4 million people. Rafah, on the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, was already the target of a major Israeli offensive about a year ago.
Jordan Times
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Israel army says encircled district in Rafah, southern Gaza
lestinians looks at smoke billowing from Israeli strikes on a makeshift displacement camp in central Gaza City on March 23, 2025 (AFP photo) OCCUPIED — The Israeli military on Sunday said it had encircled a district in Rafah in southern Gaza where it had earlier warned civilians to leave. Israeli troops have "in recent hours" encircled Tal Al Sultan in Rafah, the military said in a statement. Earlier on Sunday, Israel had warned residents of the area to evacuate. In a statement on X, military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army "launched an offensive to strike the terrorist organisations" in Rafah's Tal Al Sultan district. Adraee called on Palestinians in the area to leave the "dangerous combat zone" and move further north. Leaflets bearing the same message were dropped over Tal Al Sultan by drone, AFP correspondents said. Earlier, an Israeli strike on a tent encampment in Al Mawasi, in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis area, killed senior Hamas official Salah Al Bardawil and his wife, the Islamist movement said in a statement on Sunday. Bardawil, a well-known Hamas figure, was a member of the movement's political bureau and the Palestinian Legislative Council -- the Palestinian Authority's parliament which has not met since 2007. The Israeli military also announced on Sunday that it was conducting operations in Beit Hanun, in the north of the Gaza Strip. Israel, vowing to destroy Hamas, on Tuesday resumed intense bombardment of Gaza and redeployed ground troops, shattering a truce that had largely held since January 19. Before its renewed assault, Israel in early March blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into war-ravaged Gaza and cut electricity supplies, in a bid to force Hamas to accept the Israeli terms for an extension of the ceasefire and release the 58 hostages still held by Palestinian fighters since the October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. The electricity supplied by Israel had fed Gaza's main water desalination plant, and the decision to cut power has aggravated already dire conditions for Gaza's 2.4 million people. Rafah, on the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, was already the target of a major Israeli offensive about a year ago.
