Soldiers maintain a tank in Gaza Menahem Kahana / AFP November 5th, 2023
Save them Hostages kidnapped by Hamas is currently Israel’s primary target. To this end, the Israeli army relies on different strategies. These range from incessant bombardments of the Gaza Strip to smaller offensives in Lebanon an ally of the Palestinian terror group to the total siege of the enclave and even the mention of a nuclear bomb by the farright Israeli minister Amichai Eliyahu, on Sunday (5).
Eliyahu’s statement was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who suspended the minister from attending government meetings. According to the Prime Minister, “Minister Amihai Eliyahu’s statements are not based on reality,” and the state acts in accordance with international rules to avoid harming innocent people in war. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also condemned Eliyahu’s speech.
Despite reprimanding the minister, Netanyahu has faced sharp criticism from the international community over the ongoing bombings in Gaza since October 7 a response to Hamas’ surprise attack in southern Israel that killed 1,400 people. According to Hamas Health Ministry figures released on Sunday (5), at least 9,970 Palestinians have been killed in attacks on Palestinian territory so far.
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Although there is an imminent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Friends and family of the hostages reject a ceasefire, in line with Netanyahu. On October 30, the prime minister ruled out any possibility of a ceasefire in Palestinian territory, which he said would mean a “surrender to Hamas.” The head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, also rejects a ceasefire, but supports a humanitarian pause in certain areas to allow the delivery of aid or other humanitarian activities.
In parallel with the bombings, the Israeli army began a land attack that reaches its ninth day this Monday (6) and tends to intensify in the coming days, with the aim of rescuing all the hostages. On Thursday (2) Israeli forces announced that Gaza City, the region’s largest city, was completely surrounded.
In an impassioned speech on Saturday (4), an Israeli soldier promised a crowd of soldiers that Israel would conquer the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, adding that the last month of the war was the “happiest” of his life, except for the scenes of the horror story of January 7 October. The speech was welcomed by colleagues, with some calling for the “conquest of Gaza”. The man was then called to clarify matters with his superiors.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza are currently facing a humanitarian crisis. The situation is due not only to the ongoing Israeli bombing since the start of the war, but also to the lack of basic necessities such as water, food, medicine, electricity and fuel. On October 9, Israel declared a total siege of Palestinian territory to pressure the return of the hostages.
Hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing in recent weeks. Nevertheless, Israel prevented the delivery of fuel to Palestinian areas on the grounds that it could benefit Hamas. The fuel shortage has already led to the closure of several hospitals, including the only oncology ward in Palestinian territory.
Due to a lack of medication, the few hospitals still in operation carry out procedures without anesthesia. In AlShifa, which was bombed by Israel this Friday (3), experts described the working conditions as “catastrophic”.
The lack of fuel is also endangering the lives of at least 120 premature babies in incubators. Once the generators fail, newborns could die within minutes.