Qatar’s prime minister has said Israel’s continuing assault on Gaza has undermined peace efforts. Speaking at Qatar’s economic forum, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said: When Israeli American soldier Aidan Alexander was released, we thought that moment would open a door to end this tragedy, but the response was a more violent wave of strikes. This irresponsible, aggressive behaviour undermines any potential chance for peace. Qatar is an influential Gulf state and a key US ally in the region. It has been a key mediator in Israel’s war, along with Egypt. Tom Fletcher went on to tell the BBC that he hopes 100 trucks well enter Gaza today. “It’ll be tough,” the UN’s humanitarian chief said, explaining how they will face obstacles along the way. “But we’ll load those up with baby food and our people will run those risks,” he added. The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, has been speaking to the BBC’s Radio 4’s Today’s programme about the dismal amount of aid Israel is letting into Gaza. International pressure over a looming famine forced Benjamin Netanyahu to announce on Sunday night that he would ease the devastating 11-week aid blockade to prevent a “starvation crisis” in Gaza – but only to a minimum level. Fletcher said five trucks of aid went into Gaza yesterday, but described this as a “drop in the ocean” and totally inadequate for the population’s needs. He said the aid lorries, which contain baby food and nutrition, are technically in Gaza but have not reached civilians as they are just on the other side of the border. Fletcher said 14,000 babies could die in 48 hours if aid doesn’t reach them in time. “I want to save as many as these 14,000 babies as we can in the next 48 hours,” he told the BBC. Asked how the UN arrived at this figure, he responded: “We have strong teams on the ground - and of course many of them have been killed… we he still have lots of people on the ground - they’re at the medical centres, they’re at the schools...trying to assess needs.” As key western allies demand Israel change course in its assault on Gaza, the US, Israel’s biggest arms supplier, remains largely unmoved. Here is an extract from a story by my colleague Joseph Gedeon, who explains why Washington’s support for Benjamin Netanyahu is so solid despite the increaasing international pressure. Despite Israeli promises to “flatten” Gaza, opposition from Congress – and mainstream Democrats more broadly – has been largely muted. While the besieged territory faces what the World Health Organization (Who) calls “one of the world’s worst hunger crises”, more than three dozen members of Congress from both parties recently appeared in an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) video in celebration of Israel’s 77th birthday. In New York, leading mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo held up an Israeli flag in the city’s annual Israel Day Parade on Sunday. This political genuflection comes as a March Gallup poll shows American support for Israel has dropped to 46% – its lowest point in 25 years – while sympathy for Palestinians has risen to a record 33%. Democrats reported sympathizing with Palestinians over Israelis by a three-to-one ratio. On a recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Senator Bernie Sanders blamed Washington’s reluctance to change course on the financial muscle of lobbying groups. “If you speak up on that issue, you’ll have super Pacs like Aipac going after you,” Sanders said, noting Aipac’s record $14.5m campaign to unseat Democratic representative Jamaal Bowman after he accused Israel of genocide. You can read the full analysis here: As we mentioned in the opening post, the UK, France and Canada issued a rare joint condemnation of Israel, denouncing its expanded offensive in Gaza and the blocking of aid into the territory. It marks a change in tone from the UK and Canada - in particular – which have broadly backed Israel’s war and insisted on its “right to defend” itself following the 7 October Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. This is despite Israel being accused of committing genocide and carrying out widespread and systematic violations of international law. France has been more openly critical of the Israeli military’s conduct. All three countries have called for more humanitarian aid to be let into the Strip, for the return of hostages and an end to the fighting but strong, coordinated diplomatic pressure has not been put on the Netanyahu government. Last year, the UK government suspended some arms sales to Israel (affecting equipment such as parts for fighter jets, helicopters and drones), saying there was a “clear risk” the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international law. But ministers gave a carve out for the supply of UK components to the global pool of F-35 jets, saying such disruption to the entire F-35 programme would be a threat to Nato’s peace and security. Canada stopped approving permits for arms exports to Israel last year, but its global affairs ministry had exported military goods and technology to Israel before this. Gaza’s civil defence agency said in its latest update that Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 44 Palestinian people in Gaza so far today. “Civil defence teams have transferred (to hospitals) at least 44 dead, mostly children and women, as well as dozens of wounded” across Gaza since 1:00 am (2200 GMT Monday), agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency. Bassal said eight Palestinian people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City and 12 other people in an airstrike on a house in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. Another 15 Palestinian people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a gas station near the Nuseirat refugee camp and nine others in an airstrike on a house in the Jabalia refugee camp. The first few aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday after nearly three months of Israel’s blockade of food, medicine and other supplies, Israel and the UN said. Five trucks carrying baby food and other desperately needed aid entered the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians via the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to the Israeli defence body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, Cogat. The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, called it a “welcome development” but described the trucks as a “drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed”. Food security experts last week warned of famine in Gaza. During the latest ceasefire that Israel shattered in March with a wave of deadly airstrikes, about 600 aid trucks entered Gaza each day. Fletcher said an additional four UN trucks were cleared to enter Gaza. Those trucks may enter Tuesday, Cogat said. Fletcher added that given the chaotic situation on the ground, the UN expects the aid could be looted or stolen, a growing problem as resources became increasingly scarce. Benjamin Netanyahu said his decision to resume “minimal” aid to Gaza came after allies said they couldn’t support Israel’s expansion of its assault if there were “images of hunger” coming from the Palestinian territory. Welcome to our continuing live coverage of the developments in the Middle East and Israel’s war on Gaza The leaders of the UK, France and Canada on Monday condemned Israel’s “egregious actions” in Gaza and warned of joint action if Israel did not stop its military offensive. But Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, hit back at British prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, saying their joint statement was a “huge prize” for Hamas in the war. Starmer, Macron and Carney criticised Israel’s blocking of aid and comments by ministers in Netanyahu’s government who have threatened the mass displacement of Palestinians. “We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions,” the leaders said. “If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.” Netanyahu gave a furious response in a statement released by his office. “By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities,” he said, referring to the Hamas attacks in 2023 that set off the war. Netanyahu said “all European leaders” should follow US president Donald Trump’s example in supporting Israel. “The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarised. No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t,” Netanyahu declared. “This is a war of civilisation over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved.”
Author: Yohannes Lowe