Famine grips Gaza City as Israeli strikes continue | DW News

Key Concepts:

• Famine in Gaza
• Israeli military offensive in Gaza City
• Benjamin Netanyahu's political motivations
• Hamas's strategic goals and desperation for a ceasefire
• Donald Trump's influence on Netanyahu's actions
• The role of international pressure and aid
• The potential for war crimes investigations

1. The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza:

• The Hamas-backed health ministry reports numerous Palestinian deaths due to the Israeli military's attempts to occupy Gaza City.
• A UN-backed global hunger monitor declared a famine in Gaza, confirming what displaced Palestinians have been experiencing for months: severe lack of food and water.
• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports that over half a million people in Gaza face catastrophic hunger, and over a million are experiencing a food emergency.
• Eyewitness accounts describe starvation, with people eating only once a day and being too weak to walk.
• The situation is described as uniquely tragic, surpassing even the famine in Somalia.
• The IPC projects the hunger crisis will worsen without a ceasefire and increased aid.

2. Political Responses and Denial:

• Israeli Defense Minister threatens to "open the gates of hell" if Hamas refuses ceasefire demands.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the IPC report, calling it an "outright lie" and claiming Israel does not have a policy of starvation, but rather one of preventing it.
• Netanyahu's statements are contrasted with the reality on the ground and the reports from international organizations.

3. Israel's Military Operations and Displacement:

• Israeli airstrikes continue as part of an operation to take over Gaza City and other Hamas strongholds.
• Hundreds of thousands of Gazans are forced to flee again, describing the acts as attempts to terrify and displace them.

4. Analysis of Netanyahu's Motivations (Farz Gas's Perspective):

• Farz Gas argues that Netanyahu's strategic aim is to prolong the war to postpone domestic reckoning for the October 7th attacks.
• He suggests that permanent war keeps Netanyahu's coalition intact and prevents the end of his political career.
• Ending the war could also lead to the revival of Netanyahu's trial for theft, bribery, and other crimes from 2019.
• Gas believes Netanyahu aims to go down in history as the leader who destroyed the prospects of a Palestinian state.
• Gas emphasizes that Netanyahu is a "serial manipulator" and "serial liar," citing a former Israeli general's quote: "When Benjamin Netanyahu breezes, he breezes falsehood."

5. The Role of International Influence, Particularly Donald Trump:

• Gas identifies Donald Trump's support as a crucial factor enabling Netanyahu to continue the war.
• Despite widespread international and domestic opposition to the war, Trump's tweet ("The only way to release the hostages is to confront Hamas and destroy it. The sooner the better") is seen as giving Netanyahu a "green light."
• Gas asserts that Trump is the only person who could end the war immediately.

6. Hamas's Perspective and Strategic Goals:

• Hamas has stated it will not disarm until a Palestinian state is established.
• Gas acknowledges that Hamas has suffered greatly and is desperate for a ceasefire.
• However, Hamas's strategic goal is survival, and it fears that even if it releases the hostages, Netanyahu will continue the war to control Gaza militarily.
• Gas notes that more Palestinians are blaming Hamas for the humanitarian catastrophe.
• Hamas faces an "existential decision" and is unlikely to lay down its arms without a "face-saving formula" or a vision for the future.
• Hamas has transitioned into a guerilla force.

7. Conclusion:

• The situation in Gaza is dire, with a severe famine and ongoing military operations.
• Netanyahu's political motivations and the influence of international actors, particularly Donald Trump, are key factors driving the conflict.
• Hamas is desperate for a ceasefire but faces an existential threat and is unlikely to disarm without guarantees for its survival and a future for Gaza.
• The conflict is complex, with both sides facing significant challenges and strategic considerations.