G7 Presses for ‘Humanitarian Pauses’ in Gaza but Not Cease-fire
As the death toll in Gaza surpassed 10K earlier this week, the G7, a forum of Western nations including the US and UK, has called for 'humanitarian pauses' in the fighting between Israel and Hamas but not for a cease-fire. The pauses are intended to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and civili...
Facts
- As the death toll in Gaza surpassed 10K earlier this week, the G7, a forum of Western nations including the US and UK, has called for 'humanitarian pauses' in the fighting between Israel and Hamas but not for a cease-fire. The pauses are intended to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and civilians to flee dangerous areas but would not end hostilities between the two parties.1
- Foreign ministers present at the political summit affirmed Israel's right to defend itself in the wake of Hamas's surprise attack against Israel last month but emphasized the need to comply with international law during the conflict. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected calls for a cease-fire, citing the hostages taken by Hamas and the necessity of preventing another attack.2
- Blinken did clarify that he did not believe that Israel should 'reoccupy' the Gaza Strip, saying instead that at the end of the conflict there must be a 'transition period' after Hamas was dislodged. British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said that Gaza should be eventually administered by 'a peace-loving Palestinian leadership.'3
- Meanwhile, Israel's defense minister said that Israeli forces had entered 'the heart of Gaza City,' and Hamas's local political leader, Yahya Sinwar, is 'surrounded in his bunker.' Israel also claimed that it had killed Hamas's head of weapons., NoneAbu Zina, but none of these claims have been verified by independent or Palestinian sources, and Israeli forces are still likely concentrated on the outskirts of Gaza City.4
- An Israeli military official said 'every day and every hour the forces are killing militants, exposing tunnels and destroying weapons and continuing onward to enemy centres.' Hamas has claimed that it has killed scores of advancing Israeli troops, as Israeli tanks continue to encircle Gaza City.4
- The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 10,569 people have been killed in Gaza, including 4,324 children, with over 200 being killed in the last 24 hours as of Wednesday. Another 2.5K people are also reported missing — including 1,350 children — as medical supplies, food, and fuel are still in short supply.5
Sources: 1BBC News, 2The Guardian (a), 3The Guardian (b), 4Sky News and 5Al Jazeera.
Narratives
- Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Times of Israel. While images of the destruction in Gaza and the high number of casualties as a result of Israeli air strikes may be distressing, they need to be put in the context of other wars. During World War II, the Allies killed 37K Germans during one aerial bombardment, most of whom were civilians. Wars are inevitably destructive, and this one was started by Hamas. Israel was forced to respond to a heinous terror attack, and justice can only be served when Hamas's leadership has been dismantled.
- Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. While Hamas's attack on Israel cannot be condoned, that does not justify Israel's brutal war on Gaza in which it has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians — the vast majority of whom have no affiliation with Hamas. This is collective punishment on the Palestinians, and the international community must apply more pressure on Israel to spare Palestinian lives. 40% of casualties being children is not a normal part of war but rather an act of genocide.
