The long-protracted conflict in Gaza continues as new attacks have left seven Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead. The exchange took place near the city of Khan Younis in the south of Gaza as an undercover Israeli intelligence operation became exposed. Israeli forces have defended the secret operation that was being carried out, that resulted in the death of one of its officers and of seven Palestinians on 12 November.
Great March of Return
Violence has flared up on and off since March 2018 when Palestinians began weekly protests at the Gaza-Israel border. The ‘Great March of Return’ started on 30 March and was initially launched as a six-week campaign made up of protests taking place in different locations in Gaza. The protests were launched to demand the right of return for Palestinian refugees; there are currently over 7 million refugees and 720,000 internally displaced people, as well as to demand an end to the ongoing blockade. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in protests since they began in March, and 2 Israeli soldiers have also lost their lives in the same period.
In Monday’s crossfire the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) estimate that over 300 rockets have been launched across the border into Israel. Israeli warplanes had carried out more than 100 bombings. The Israeli military has been accused of using excessive force against protestors but have claimed soldiers have only acted in self-defense.
Israel’s military said it struck more than 70 sites that it said were “terror targets”. One attack on Al-Aqsa TV, a Hamas-affiliated station based in Gaza saw the station destroyed but reports on indicate that “there was no immediate word of any casualties.”
The IDF has warned it is prepared to “dial up its response” to the rocket fire, while Hamas’s military wing said it was ready to “expand the circle of fire” against Israel.
International Response
Egypt is working to broker a ceasefire after requesting that the tensions come to an end. Palestinian factions have now agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza at Egypt’s request, according to Palestinian reports. Officials from the UN and Egypt will visit Gaza on 14 November. According to a Haaretz report, an Israeli official said Israel is currently not working with the UN nor Cairo to defuse tensions.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who had been visiting Paris for the first world war centenary commemorations short his visit to Paris, where he had been attending first world war commemorations. On his return home he praised the slain officer, whose identity was being kept confidential, and said,
“our forces acted courageously.”
Humanitarian Response
In Paris on Sunday UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that he would do everything possible to avoid a needless war in Gaza. He told reporters,
“A new war in Gaza would be an incredible tragedy…we must avoid it at all costs,”
Guterres’ concerns over another war and the impact on humanitarian issues in Gaza are echoed by those of the international community. In a statement issued in September, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OCHAOPT) stated that funding for humanitarian activities in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) is at an all-time low.
At the time of publication, the report said that humanitarian agencies urgently required $21 million to respond to casualties in the Gaza strip. Currently in Gaza some areas only have access to three to four hours a day of electricity, and 95 percent of the water in Gaza is undrinkable according to WHO (World Health Organisation) standards. The recent US withdrawal from UNWRA funding has also created additional pressure on the humanitarian response in Gaza.