Israel's attack on Northern Gaza must be stopped
Photo courtesy of the Israeli Defense Forces
The events of the last week rank among the most transformative of the many episodes that make up the decades long Israel-Palestine conflict.
On October 7th, Hamas militants crossed into Israel to launch a multipronged assault which killed more than 1,200 Israelis. Hamas killed indiscriminately, most notably gunning down people sleeping and partying at a music festival. As many as 150 Israelis were kidnapped and brought to Gaza. These attacks constitute war crimes, and should be condemned in the strongest words possible. Some defenders contend that all Israelis are ‘settlers’ and thus murdering them is justified. To argue this, one must possess a level of wilful ignorance and shameless bloodlust that I find remarkable and disheartening. The vast majority of Israelis around Gaza did not actively settle anything, the region has been firmly a part of Israel since the 1949 armistice. To advocate the murder of civilians is to sacrifice a piece of your humanity.
In response, Israel has begun an unprecedented bombing campaign against Gaza, killing at least 1,500 Palestinians in just a few days. Human Rights Watch confirmed that it used white phosphorus in some of its attacks, a substance that causes severe burns and serves as a catalyst for uncontrolled fires. The organizations explained that the use of white phosphorus “magnifies the risk to civilians and violates international humanitarian law.” Israel cut off the already insufficient supply of water, electricity, and food that it allows into Gaza. This strategy of collective punishment is also against international law, not to mention morally reprehensible.
Any sort of moral high ground one party tries to claim should be dismissed by reasonable people when their response to heinous war crimes is more indiscriminate murder of civilians.
Israel issued orders on Thursday night to residents of Northern Gaza to evacuate to the south. This ultimatum, leave or be considered part of Hamas and thus a legitimate military target, affects more than 1.1 million people and will further contribute to the horrific humanitarian crisis that has developed in Gaza. The United Nations has warned that evacuating the over one million residents of the north is “impossible” in the period of time Israel has permitted. It is important to note that Gazans have nowhere to go. The Gaza strip is considered the world's largest open-air prison. Israel refuses to allow Palestinains to construct an air or sea-port and its only other neighbor, Egypt, has shut its border to Gaza.
Israel's order to evacuate likely means a ground incursion or steep escalation of its already unprecedented bombing campaign. In either scenario, tens of thousands of civilians remaining in Northern Gaza could die.
The planned siege of Gaza is both immoral and unnecessary. Israel killed most of the militants responsible for the October 7th attack when it happened, and has dropped over 6,000 bombs in the days since to target Hamas leadership in Gaza.
Unfortunately, Israel seems keen on punishing all Palestinians. Its President argued today that “It’s not true this rhetoric about civilians [being] not aware, not involved…. They could have risen up, they could have fought against the evil regime which took over Gaza.”
Israel enjoys political, economic, and military support from countries in the West, namely the US and the UK. Israel is the largest recipient of American foreign aid of any country, taking in roughly $3.7 Billion annually. The UK is one of Israel's closest allies, a relationship that's gotten even cozier under Rishi Sunak. Both countries have stood firmly by Israel over the last week, deploying their own militaries to the Eastern Mediterranean.
This is exactly the wrong response. The US and the UK should use its leverage over Israel to reign in its concerning response. While it is too late to save the nearly 1,500 dead Palestinans and 1,200 dead Israelis, the bloodshed can end now. Since Israel is not satisfied with this retribution, its allies should prevent it from killing more civilians by pressuring it to pursue an alternative.
Israel should continue fighting Hamas with targeted assassinations in Gaza, not bombings, and in cities like Doha and Damascus, where some of its leadership live. While this is still a furtherance of violence, it would spare an immeasurable number of Palestinian lives and address Israel's desire for retribution.
The US and the UK have a moral responsibility to nudge Israel in that direction and away from its planned attack on Northern Gaza. If the two countries fail to do so, they will be responsible for aiding and abetting Israel in committing heinous war crimes and continuing its record of disproportionate violence against Palestinains.