Global response to Israeli government's intensification of military conflict
Over 300,000 homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, and farmland have been destroyed in Gaza, as the Israeli army prepares to take control of Gaza City. This decision has sparked widespread criticism from the international community, who fear the humanitarian and legal implications of such an operation.
The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting today regarding Israel's plan. The UN Security Council and officials emphasize that there is no military solution to the conflict and warn that the operation risks igniting another devastating chapter of displacement and destruction affecting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the offensive to be immediately halted, noting it violates international law and the International Court of Justice’s previous rulings that Israel must end its occupation and respect Palestinians' right to self-determination.
The European Union and France strongly condemn the plan, terming the occupation and forced displacement as serious violations of international law that would worsen the humanitarian crisis and undermine prospects for peace through a two-state solution. France advocates that Gaza's future must be under a Palestinian State led by the Palestinian Authority, not military rule, and calls on Hamas to release hostages and disarm.
Many Israelis are in shock over the Israeli government's decision to launch a new large-scale military operation. A poll found that 80% of Israelis want the war to end. Gil Dickmann, the cousin of former hostage Carmel Gat, believes the Israeli army is making the same mistake if it goes into Gaza City, as his cousin was killed during a similar operation in Rafah.
500 former intelligence officers and military commanders of the IDF have stated that there are no more military goals and urge an end to the war. 51-year-old Ali Abu al-Hanafi, a resident of Gaza City, has already lost his house and two children in the war and plans to stay despite the danger. Ali expresses fear of fleeing again, stating that he has experienced torture and destruction in the past.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City, one of the last parts of the enclave not occupied by Israeli forces, are at risk of further suffering and starvation due to the ongoing military operation. A protest Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner was held near the defense minister's home by families of hostages in a town south of Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu's government has released five principles for their plan, which include disarming Hamas and establishing an alternative civil administration in Gaza that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. However, 68-year-old retiree Yaffa Friedman, a major in the Israeli army, believes the Israeli government is being held hostage by far-right extremist ministers. Yaffa fears it will kill all the hostages.
300 Israeli architects and urban planners have called for a stop to the destruction in Gaza and for rebuilding efforts to begin. Five foreign ministers (Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and Britain) have condemned Israel's widening military operation.
In sum, the international community largely opposes Israel’s planned military control of Gaza City due to humanitarian law, regional stability, and peace process concerns, while Israelis justify it as a security imperative, and Palestinians fear immense human cost and loss of any statehood prospects.
- The European Union, France, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have all expressed concerns about Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City, stating that it violates international law and risks further displacement and destruction for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
- Amidst widespread criticism from the international community, the Israeli government's decision to carry out a large-scale military operation in Gaza has been met with opposition from within Israel as well, with 500 former intelligence officers and military commanders of the IDF urging an end to the war, and a poll showing that 80% of Israelis want the conflict to end.
