Devendra Kumar
Israel pressed ahead with its Gaza offensive on Sunday, despite a series of incidents that have raised questions about its conduct in the 10-week-old war. The country has been bombarding the coastal enclave with air and ground strikes, causing unprecedented death and destruction, and leaving 1.9 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of Gaza’s population, displaced.
Families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza attended a rally in Tel Aviv, calling for their return. Israel has vowed to continue operations until it dismantles Hamas, which triggered the war with its October 7 attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel has also promised to return the roughly 129 hostages still held in Gaza.
The war has flattened vast swaths of northern Gaza and driven most of the population to the southern part of the besieged territory, where many are packed into crowded shelters and rain-swamped tent camps. Israel has continued to strike what it says are militant targets in all parts of Gaza, vowing to destroy Hamas.
The US, Israel’s closest ally, has expressed growing unease with civilian casualties and the mass displacement of Palestinians. Washington has provided vital military and diplomatic support to Israel, but it remains far apart on who should run Gaza after the war. The US wants to see a unified Palestinian government in Gaza and the West Bank as a precursor to eventual Palestinian statehood.
In contrast, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is deeply opposed to Palestinian statehood and rejects any withdrawal from east Jerusalem or the West Bank. The government has also refused to agree to a comprehensive solution that creates an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem.
Hamas, which has pledged to destroy Israel, said the October 7 attack was a response to Israel’s actions in all three territories. Netanyahu said on Saturday that he was “proud to have prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state” during his more than 16 years in power.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza have been ongoing for four days, with a communications blackout in place to limit the dissemination of information. Aid groups have criticized the outages, saying they complicate rescue efforts and make it harder to monitor the war’s toll on civilians. Israel’s actions are likely to come under further scrutiny when US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin visits this week.