Israeli military takes DW team on heavily-controlled trip inside Gaza | DW News

Gaza Report: Israeli Military Embed and Perspectives on the Conflict

Key Concepts:

• Israeli military embed: Controlled press visits organized by the Israeli military in Gaza.
• Hamas's use of civilian infrastructure: Allegations of Hamas using hospitals and other civilian sites for military purposes.
• Muhammad Sinoir: Hamas military leader, claimed to be killed by the IDF.
• International Humanitarian Law: Laws governing the conduct of warfare, including the protection of hospitals.
• Independent Reporting vs. Military Embeds: The limitations of reporting within the constraints of military-controlled visits versus independent access.
• Humanitarian Situation in Gaza: The dire conditions faced by civilians in Gaza, including displacement, lack of access to healthcare, and constant shelling.
• UN Human Rights Monitoring: The role of the UN in monitoring and reporting on human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
• Hamas's Command and Control: The extent to which Hamas's leadership and infrastructure have been damaged by Israeli military operations.
• Post-Conflict Security and Administration: The challenges of establishing security and governance in Gaza after the conflict ends.
• Hamas's Financial Network: The global financial network that supports Hamas and the efforts to disrupt it.

Israeli Military Embed in Gaza

• Purpose: The Israeli military organized a press trip to Gaza, specifically near Han Yunis, to showcase what they described as a successful operation, including the alleged killing of Hamas military leader Muhammad Sinoir. The goal was to demonstrate to both the Israeli public and the international media that Hamas is being eliminated and that the threat to the Israeli border is being addressed.
• Controlled Access: Foreign journalists are banned from entering Gaza independently, making these military embeds the only way for them to access the territory. However, these visits are highly controlled, with the Israeli military deciding what the press can see and for how long.
• Destination: European Hospital: The destination was the European Hospital on the outskirts of Han Yunis, which the army had taken over. The area had been hit by airstrikes.
• Tunnel Complex: The IDF showed journalists an underground tunnel complex beneath the hospital, claiming it was a Hamas command center where they found Sinoir's body.
• Allegations of Hamas Using Human Shields: The IDF claims Hamas uses hospitals and civilians as human shields.
• Impact on Healthcare: The strikes around the hospital have left one of the biggest hospitals in southern Gaza out of commission.
• Limited Interaction: There was no possibility to speak with Palestinian residents during the visit.
• Atmosphere: The area was described as eerily quiet, except for the occasional airstrike. The area was under an evacuation order, and people had been displaced.
• Short Duration: The visit lasted less than two hours.

Tanya Kramer's Observations

• Limited Scope: Kramer acknowledged that military embeds are very limited in scope but still valuable for gaining some insight.
• Israeli Control: Her impression was that the Israeli military is very much in control of the area they brought the journalists into.
• No Substitute for Independent Reporting: Kramer emphasized that a military embed is not a substitute for independent access to Gaza and independent reporting.
• Tunnel Description: Kramer described the tunnel as narrow, dark, and filled with the smell of decomposing bodies.
• Destruction: Kramer noted the sheer destruction on the way to the hospital, particularly in the rural areas.
• Constant Shelling: There was a constant sound of shelling and bombing in the area.

UN Perspective on the Human Rights Situation

• Ajit San, Head of the UN Human Rights Office: The situation in Gaza is described as "super precarious" and the most difficult and severe in the last 20 months.
• Monitoring and Reporting: The UN has been monitoring human rights violations for a long period and has issued nine reports since the beginning of the war, covering violations by both Israel and armed groups.
• Challenges in Access and Verification: Accessing parts of Gaza and verifying information is extremely challenging due to ongoing bombardments and controlled access by the IDF.
• Reliable Information: Despite the challenges, the UN maintains that it has very reliable information that it can stand behind.
• Grave Human Rights and Humanitarian Situation: The UN emphasizes the extremely grave human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza.
• Contesting Israel's Claims: The UN contests Israel's claim that it is abiding by international human rights and humanitarian law.
• Violations of International Law: The UN cites examples such as the flattening of Gaza and the denial of access to food as violations of international law.
• Investigations by ICC and ICJ: These violations are the subject of investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• Reliance on Firsthand Information: The UN relies on firsthand information gathered by its staff and network of sources, rather than solely on journalistic reporting.

Analysis of Hamas's Situation and Israel's Goals

• Hans Jakob Schindler, Counter Extremism Project: Hamas's command and control infrastructure in Gaza is very damaged, and they are running out of senior leaders.
• Hamas's Motivation for Not Confirming Sinoir's Death: Hamas wants to portray itself as a still-functioning terror group.
• Israel's Goals:
  • Preventing Hamas from carrying out massive terror attacks like October 7 (achieved).
  • Preventing Hamas from regaining control over the Gaza Strip (not yet achieved).
• Security Control of Gaza: Israel appears to have decided to take security control of the Gaza Strip, which comes with political and military costs.
• IDF Capacity: The IDF may not have sufficient strength to fully control Gaza, leading to ongoing operations.
• Administrative Functions: Israel has lost trust in UN agencies and is trying to set up the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to provide administrative functions, but this new entity faces challenges.
• Hamas's Financial Network: Disrupting Hamas's long-term ability to rebuild requires going after its global financial network, but this has not been prioritized due to the hostage situation.
• Purpose of Releasing Tunnel Footage: Israel wants to show that Hamas purposefully misuses civilian infrastructure to build its hardened underground network, which secures its survivability as a terror group.
• Hamas's Re-emergence: Wherever the IDF withdraws, Hamas is the only other armed force and can immediately re-emerge as the controlling factor.

Conclusion

The report highlights the complexities of the situation in Gaza, including the challenges of reporting on the conflict, the dire humanitarian conditions, and the ongoing debate over compliance with international law. The Israeli military's controlled press visit offered a limited glimpse into the situation, while the UN emphasized the grave human rights concerns and the need for independent monitoring. The analysis of Hamas's situation and Israel's goals underscores the difficulties of achieving long-term stability and security in the region.