The war and Israel:

This week has been particularly significant as Israel has been rocked by strikes. The discovery of six Israeli hostage bodies, recovered from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah region has sparked anger across Israel. Histadrut, Israel’s largest trade union, representing over 800,000 workers, is publicly calling for change. Histadrut wants to mobilise the workers to pressurise Premier Netanyahu to implement a ceasefire and hostage agreement with Hamas. This week, Israel witnessed its largest demonstration since last year with over 300,000 people rallying in Tel Aviv. Histadrut seeks to maximise disruption in the main sectors across Israel to effect change. Roads have been closed, Ben Gurion International Airport was shut down until strikes were called off. Companies from Israel’s tech sector such as Wix, Fiverr and HoneyBook also joined the strike, alongside schools that were closed early. Histadrut encouraged economic breakdown across Israel to send a clear message to Premier Netanyahu that resolving the hostage situation is a priority for the people. They want the remaining hostages in Gaza to be brought home safely.

On the 2nd September, Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted to the demonstrations by delivering a speech. He deliberately chose a map showing Israel from the river to the sea to emphasise his support for a one-state solution. His speech was designed to push back against the new wave of pressure to reach a ceasefire deal. He reiterated his commitment to free the remaining hostages to justify his continuation of his campaign in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 4 September that Israel will only agree to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza that guarantees the border area between southern Gaza and Egypt could never be used as a lifeline for Hamas. Netanyahu repeated his outright rejection of a withdrawal from the so-called Philadelphi corridor in the first phase of a deal, expected to last 42 days, saying international pressure would make it effectively impossible to return. However US Ambassador Jack Lew refuted Netanyahu’s claim that a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza and the Philadelphi corridor were part of the deal’s initial phase. He claimed, ‘The Philadelphi corridor isn’t mentioned in the agreement; it wasn’t even considered when the framework was drafted’. The US envoy to Israel warned, ‘Time is running out; There won’t be lives left to save.’ Meanwhile Hamas said that Netanyahu’s refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor aims to thwart an agreement to end the war and secure the release of the hostages.

The political response in Israel to these demonstrations however, has not been unified. Although Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid supported the strike action, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich opposes a Gaza ceasefire and ordered that the treasury should not pay salaries to those participating in the strike. Smotrich publicly accused Histadrut of representing Hamas’s interests by weakening the Israeli economy. These demonstrations have had a significant impact on the political situation in Israel, highlighting the dissension among its leaders.  Israel does not need to keep troops in the southern Gazan border area and this should not present an obstacle to a ceasefire deal with Hamas, said Benny Gantz, a rival to Benjamin Netanyahu and a former general. Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties are testing the unity of Netanyahu’s coalition government by demanding the same benefits as state-run schools.

Polio outbreak in Gaza:

The polio outbreak in the Gaza strip has raised alarms. Polio had not been detected in Gaza for over 25 years but it was discovered last month in 10-month old Abdel-Rahman Abu el-Jedian. The UN, alongside Palestinian health authorities has begun vaccinating children in Gaza against the virus. The health campaign is backed by WHO, UNICEF and the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees. Over 640,000 children under the age of 10 need to be vaccinated.

This has exposed the collapse of Gaza’s health infrastructure. The water supply and waste water disposal networks across the Palestinian territory have been destroyed, allowing the spread of polio. Fighting has been paused in designated areas of the Strip to allow the vaccinations to be administered but there will be no general ceasefire in the area. This is slowing the vaccination rollout and making it unsafe for families to access health centers for vaccinations.

Global implications:

This week, Britain decided to suspend 30 of the 350 arms export licenses to Israel due to the fear that Israel may use them to breach humanitarian law in Gaza. However, this is not a blanket ban or arms embargo. This action goes further than the action the US has taken so far. While the US has threatened to suspend exports, it has not yet done so. This marks a clear break with the Biden administration. The Labour government in England is calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In response to the governments decision, multiple Jewish groups and leaders have expressed their dismay. The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, publicly announced his disbelief at the governments decision to suspend some arms licenses to Israel. He stated that the ‘announcement will serve to encourage our shared enemies.’ Lord David Cameron had received legal advice when he was Tory foreign secretary indicating that Israel had breached international humanitarian law but decided not to suspend UK arms export licences.

President Biden recently stated to the media that the US is close to putting forward a final proposal for an agreement between Israel and Hamas. Biden answered no to a reporter when asked if Premier Netanyahu is doing enough to secure a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. This marks an attempt from the Biden administration to create some distance between itself and Netanyahu. The killing of an American citizen amongst the six hostages has further fuelled demands for a ceasefire by the Democrats.

Meanwhile Chief ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said his request for arrest warrants against PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant is based on evidence he personally reviewed, and that several world leaders tried to convince him to rescind his request.

Our Sister Organisation, Initiatives of Change International, issued a written statement to the United Nations calling for the full rehabilitation of all access points to the Gaza Strip, including the Gaza Port and the Rafah border crossing and unrestricted land access for the response to the humanitarian relief needs of all residents of the affected areas.

Al Shifa emergency unit reopened:

Al Shifa Hospital, the biggest in Gaza, reopened its emergency department on 4th September. Using salvaged equipment, medical staff at the complex in Rimal, Gaza city, will again be able to offer emergency treatment to Palestinians in northern Gaza. In April, Israel’s army conducted an operation at the hospital for two weeks, resulting in extensive destruction in the hospital and the surrounding area.

On the West Bank

Israeli forces pulled out of Jenin in the West Bank, leaving a mass of damaged buildings and infrastructure. They shot and killed a Turkish-American woman who was protesting against settlement expansion. Israel prison guards are filmed abusing detainees; but the Prison Service says it’s a ‘Routine Exercise’.