From the New York Times:
“Under the plan, Israel would suspend attacks in specified areas of Gaza to allow the people to get supplies. The statement early Wednesday said the goal was to ”prevent a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.’”
Read more in the New York Times article.
Israel’s Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
| 396 | truckloads of humanitarian aid that have been delivered through Israeli crossings into Gaza since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead, including basic food commodities, medication, medical supplies, blood units and donations by various governments and blood units. [3] |
| 80 | truckloads of humanitarian aid expected to arrive in Gaza on Jan. 5 [4] |
| 20 | Palestinians evacuated to Israel for medical treatment (including two children) [5] |
| 800,000+ | leaflets disseminated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to Gaza civilians instructing them to stay away from terrorist and weapons storage sites [6] |
| 70+ | times the IDF warned populated areas before conducting airstrikes [7] |
| 10,000 | tons of aid transported into Gaza at the request of international organizations, the Palestinian Authority and various governments since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead. The World Food Program informed Israel last week that that it would cease shipment of food to Gaza because warehouses are at full capacity, with enough food to last two weeks. [8] |
| 0 | wounded Palestinians allowed by Hamas to cross from Gaza into Egypt for treatment. [9] |
The following statement was issued by David Saranga, Consul for Media and Public Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York:
Earlier today, upwards of 35 Palestinian civilians were reportedly killed in two unfortunate accidents in Gaza, one at a school run by UNRWA and the second at an apartment in Gaza City. These deaths are indeed a tragedy, and investigations are underway to ensure that further operations continue to avoid civilian casualties.
These initial investigations indicate that Hamas used the UNRWA school to fire at IDF forces, indicating once again that Hamas is more than willing to sacrifice Gaza citizens to promote terrorism. International law recognizes that the presence of civilians in an area of conflict does not delegitimize a military target. Israel and the IDF will continue to abide by these laws and to make every effort to avoid harming civilians in conducting further operations. We urge the international community to strongly condemn Hamas’s cynical exploitation of its citizens and firing of rockets, which remain the most effective way to ensure peace for Gazans and Israelis alike.
This is not the first time Hamas has used a school as a launching pad for weapons. See this YouTube video for further information.
In addition, Hamas has used other civilian structures to house materiel. See our previous posts (here and here) on the subject.
The answer to this question is becoming somewhat clearer with the IDF’s operations in Gaza. The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, keeping tabs on the goings-on on the ground, has put out the following updates on the situation. Since the IDF has found explosives in mosques and private homes, it’s no wonder soldiers have had to operate in these areas.
Bret Stephens writes in today’s Wall Street Journal on ways that Israel can achieve its military aims without imposing unnecessary hardship on the residents of Gaza. The goal, he notes, should be to make it as hard as possible for Hamas to continue firing rockets at Israel–and to make them pay when rockets are launched. In other words, establishing a credible threat of deterrence (diminished in 2006). Achieving this aim would not require Israel to take over large swaths of Gaza, but it would require an extended policy of smaller-scale counterterrorism operations, along the lines of the successful West Bank operations. In the long run, it might even make peace feasible in Gaza (and it is becoming easier in the West Bank) and bring some measure of quiet to the region.
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