Palestinians Desperate for Aid as Convoy Arrives in Gaza City
The devastating impact of the Israel-Hamas war on Gaza City has left Palestinians in desperate need of aid. Five months after a brutal attack on Israel, the numbers are staggering. Over 1,500 Hamas-led militants stormed across the fortified border, killing almost 1,200 people in Israel and retreating back into Gaza with over 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion, resulting in a staggering humanitarian crisis.
Today, the situation in Gaza City is dire. More than 30,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, tens of thousands are wounded, and hundreds of thousands are struggling to avoid starvation. Additionally, 1.7 million people have been displaced from their homes. The few hospitals still functioning are overwhelmed, and aid trucks are overrun by desperate families at risk of starvation.
The suffering in Gaza City has garnered international attention and sparked protests worldwide. The United States has been the largest provider of aid, sending over $180 million in humanitarian assistance since the war began. However, the demand for aid far exceeds the supply. The UN Relief and Works Agency reports that 17,000 children have been orphaned, and 1 in 6 children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza are acutely malnourished.
As humanitarian agencies struggle to function in the war zone, the demand for nutritious food, safe water, and medical services continues to grow more severe. Adele Khodr, the regional director of UNICEF, emphasizes the urgent need for reliable entry points to bring in aid without denials or delays.
In an effort to address the crisis, the US Department of Defense and the Jordanian Royal Air Force have collaborated to airdrop 70,000 meals into Gaza City. However, this is far from enough to meet the overwhelming demand.
The Biden administration, along with Egypt and Qatar, is brokering talks to resolve the crisis. The latest proposal calls for a six-week cease-fire, the release of hostages, and a significant increase in humanitarian aid. While the US claims to prioritize responding to the humanitarian crisis, it has vetoed calls for an immediate cease-fire in the UN Security Council.
Both sides of the conflict have been accused of crimes against humanity. Dr. Mehran Kamrava, a professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar, criticizes the West’s hypocrisy in proclaiming human rights while ignoring the deaths of thousands of Palestinians. He questions why the United States, a self-declared bastion of peace, repeatedly vetoes UN cease-fire resolutions.
Israel has agreed to a cease-fire framework, but Hamas insists on Israel’s military withdrawal from Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raises concerns about the hostages’ conditions and demands an accounting from Hamas before sending a delegation to the talks in Cairo.
Hamas claims that multiple militant groups are holding the hostages scattered around Gaza, and a cease-fire is necessary to track them down. The United States has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Zev Faintuch, a senior intelligence analyst at Global Guardian, asserts that Israel will not be deterred from eradicating Hamas and hunting down its leaders. He believes that external pressure will not prevent Israel from achieving its goals.
A recent poll shows that 52% of Americans believe the US should halt weapons shipments to Israel until its military withdraws from Gaza. However, there is a partisan split, with 62% of President Biden’s supporters favoring the halt compared to only 30% of Donald Trump’s supporters.
Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official, predicts that Hamas’ negotiating strength will fade as Ramadan approaches. He believes that Netanyahu’s resolve will continue until Hamas is broken and the hostages are returned. Melamed foresees a temporary pause in the conflict but expects Israel to focus on the city of Rafah in the long term.
The Hamas attack on Israel was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks since 1970. The Israeli government blames the civilian death toll in Gaza on Hamas’ use of human shields. Netanyahu vows to continue fighting until Hamas and its leaders are crushed.
The devastating impact of the Israel-Hamas war on Gaza City has left Palestinians in desperate need of aid. The international community must come together to provide the necessary resources to alleviate the suffering and bring an end to this humanitarian crisis.
