Israel's Netanyahu insists new push into Gaza City will end war quickly | DW News

Key Concepts:

• Israeli military operation in Gaza
• Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and central camps
• Post-war governance of Gaza
• Hostage situation
• Germany's arms embargo
• Humanitarian aid to Gaza
• Allegations of Hamas looting aid
• UN's role in aid delivery

Israeli Military Operation in Gaza

• Decision: Israel's decision to expand its war in Gaza prompted a rare Sunday session of the UN Security Council.
• UN's Perspective: The United Nations Secretary General calls the Israeli plan a dangerous escalation that risks deepening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and could endanger the lives of the remaining hostages.
• Netanyahu's Defense: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the decision, stating the operation would be launched on a short timetable.
• Security Cabinet Instruction: Israel's security cabinet instructed the IDF to dismantle the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps.
• Netanyahu's Rationale: Netanyahu claims this is the best and speediest way to end the war.

Post-War Governance of Gaza

• Netanyahu's Stance: Neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority can govern a post-war Gaza.
• Proposed Solution: A civilian administration should be established.
• Candidates: There are candidates for such a civil government, but Netanyahu did not specify who.
• Legitimacy Concerns: Any person coming from the outside will likely lack legitimacy in Gaza.

Military Officials' Concerns

• Criticism: Military officials in Israel have voiced criticism of the plan.
• Hamas's Capabilities: Hamas has been reduced to a terror group capable of guerrilla fighting.
• Historical Precedent: No army can defeat a terror group like this.
• Recommendations: Pull out of Gaza, prioritize hostage release, and negotiate a deal.
• Chief of Staff's Concerns: The chief of staff of the IDF has voiced similar concerns about getting potentially trapped in Gaza.

Hostage Situation

• Military Officials' Concern: The new offensive can risk the lives of the hostages.
• Netanyahu's Opinion: Netanyahu seems to be of the opposite opinion and that is also why he is pressing forward with this offensive.

Germany's Arms Embargo

• Netanyahu's Reaction: Netanyahu said that Germany's chancellor ultimately bucked under international pressure.
• Hope for Change: Netanyahu hopes that Matz will eventually change his mind.
• European Leaders' Support: Several European leaders have voiced their support privately for Israel's actions but cannot stand against public opinion.

Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

• Public Opinion: Public opinion in Europe has been largely shaped by reports of Israel starving the population in Gaza.
• Netanyahu's Rejection: Netanyahu repeatedly rejected the claim that Israel is starving the population in Gaza.
• Netanyahu's Explanation: The reason for why not enough humanitarian aid was reaching the population in Gaza was because Hamas was looting the deliveries and the UN was not also delivering the aid that had already been approved by Israel.

Allegations of Hamas Looting Aid

• Lack of Evidence: Netanyahu has not provided any evidence for this allegation.
• Israeli Military Officials' Contradiction: Israeli military officials even last year said that this was not true in fact.
• UN's Rejection: The UN has also rejected these claims.

UN's Role in Aid Delivery

• Safe Passage Issues: There is no safe passage for a lot of the aid that they have readily available because it's simply not safe in Gaza yet because of the different combat zones.
• Hunger Impact: The hunger in Gaza makes the delivery also very difficult when there's any limited aid coming through.
• Aid Availability: They say that they have over 6,000 truckloads of aid ready if Israel would allow these this aid in.
• Israel's Control: Israel is in control of what goes in and out of Gaza.

Conclusion

The situation is complex, with Israel proceeding with a controversial military operation despite international concerns and internal military reservations. The post-war governance of Gaza remains uncertain, and the humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by challenges in delivering aid, with accusations and counter-accusations regarding responsibility. Germany's arms embargo reflects the international pressure on Israel, while Netanyahu maintains that Germany remains an important ally.