The horrible war between Hamas and Israel has continued now over four months. At least 28,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 67,000 Palestinians have been injured since the war started on the 7th of October, last year. According to the United Nations, 30% of Gaza’s buildings and 60% of Gaza’s infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed. 85% of Gaza’s population is internally displaced. Israel has now announced that it is going to start ground offensive in Rafah, Southern Gaza, where half of Gaza’s population – over 1.4 million people – is located, at the moment. (1, 2) At the beginning of January, Israel estimated that the war is expected to continue throughout 2024 (3). So, what is the endgame of Israel and its allies? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that Israel will continue the war until Hamas is destroyed and Israel will gain “absolute victory” (4). However, it seems increasingly likely that the Zionist regime is using the war as an opportunity to try to get rid of Palestinians way or the other and to continue building Greater Israel.
Here are some important aspects of this disastrous war:
Claims of Israel’s war crimes and intent to commit genocide:
Legal cases against Israel have been coming thick and fast. At the end of January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered its interim ruling in South Africa’s case against Israel regarding Israel’s alleged genocidal acts in Gaza. The ICJ ruling didn’t call for a ceasefire. However, judge Joan Donoghue, the president of the ICJ, said that “some of the acts and omissions by Israel and its officials seem to fall within the scope of the Genocide Convention”. The ICJ warned that Israel should “take all measures in its power to prevent” acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention. (5) Professors Raz Segal and Penny Green wrote earlier last month that it is not difficult to prove Israel’s genocidal intent – there are plenty of examples of that. Human rights organization Law for Palestine has compiled a database of over 500 statements that show Israel’s intention to commit genocide and incitement to genocide since this war started. (6, 7)
Last year, Palestinian human rights groups and individual Palestinians brought a legal case against President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in California, USA. The federal court in California ruled a while ago that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza “plausibly” amounts to genocide. However, the court stated that the legal case aimed at stopping US military support for Israel was outside the court’s jurisdiction. (8)
At the end of December, international rights organization Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med) submitted its report regarding the Israeli genocidal acts in Gaza to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to United Nations rapporteurs. Euro-Med urged the UN special rapporteurs and the ICC Prosecutor to launch a swift investigation into human rights violations and other war crimes that Israel has committed against civilians on the Gaza Strip. (9) Also at the end of December, hundred lawyers in Chile filed a complaint before the ICC against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They accused him of committing crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes in Gaza. (10) Last month, Mexico and Chile asked the ICC to probe possible war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians during this war in Gaza (11).
Israel has reacted furiously to the accusations against it. After the ICJ ruling, Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant said, “Israel does not need to be lectured on morality.” Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the ICJ’s consideration of Israel committing a genocide against the Palestinians was “a disgrace that will not be erased for generations”. (12, 13) Not surprisingly, Israel’s key allies USA and Britain have dismissed the legal cases against Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said before the ICJ ruling that the genocide case against Israel is “meritless” and “galling”. After the ruling, US national security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the Biden administration still believes that South Africa’s genocide case against Israel is “meritless, counterproductive and completely without any basis and fact whatsoever”. Kirby continued by saying that “it has not been found that they (i.e. Israel) are committing genocide, we have no indication that that is going on, that they are deliberately exterminating the people of Gaza.” (14, 15) Before the ICJ ruling, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Israel has no case to answer at the ICJ and that the claim that Israel has intent to commit genocide is “nonsense” (16). At the beginning of January, Keir Starmer, leader of the British Labour Party, said in a radio interview that Israel has a right to carry out siege and cut off power and water from the Gaza Strip (17).
One surprisingly eager ally of Israel has been Germany. By the beginning of November 2023, Germany’s military exports to Israel had increased nearly 10-fold compared to year 2022 (18). Before the ICJ ruling, Germany wanted to intervene in the court case. Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for the German government, said, “The German government firmly and explicitly rejects the accusation of genocide that has now been made against Israel before the International Court of Justice. This accusation has no basis whatsoever.” Hebestreit also said that “Germany bears special responsibility for Israel due to the Nazi genocide of Jews during World War II” and that the German government would “continue to support Israel to defend itself against Hamas”. (19) So, basically Germany seemed to want to compensate Holocaust by facilitating another potential genocide. However, after the ICJ ruling Germany stated that Israel must comply with the ruling (20).
Ethnic cleansing of Palestinians:
Several Israeli politicians and officials have supported the idea of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Michael Ben-Ari, who is a far-right extremist and former member of Israeli parliament Knesset, said that the population of Gaza must be expelled and forcibly relocated around the world “to ensure Israel’s safety and survival” (21). Ram Ben Barak, ex-deputy director of Mossad, also suggested that Gaza’s entire population should be resettled globally (22). In December, it was reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu was pushing for plans to implement “voluntary migration” of the Palestinians in Gaza to other countries (23). Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Palestinian residents of leave Gaza, so that Israelis could move there and “make the desert bloom” (24). According to media reports, Israel has been in secret talks with several African countries in order to get Palestinians to leave Gaza “voluntarily” to those countries (25, 26).
One particularly interesting idea has been a plan that Palestinian residents of Gaza should be moved to Sinai Peninsula that belongs of Egypt. After the war started in October, last year, it was revealed that Israel’s Intelligence Ministry had drafted a wartime proposal, “a concept paper”, to transfer the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million people to Sinai. According to the document, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates might support the plan financially or those countries and also Canada could take in displaced residents of Gaza. (27) Around the same time when the proposal was revealed, Israeli diplomat Danny Ayalon said that there is “endless space” for Gaza’s residents in Sinai and that they should all be moved there (28).
Israel and USA have apparently had plans to relocate Palestinians to Sinai for years. The idea was first suggested to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2014. Over the years, the idea has been discussed occasionally with Egypt and some other Middle Eastern countries, also during Trump’s presidency. (29) So, maybe it was no coincidence when former vice president Mike Pence said in October, last year, that if he were president, he would tell Egypt to accept Palestinian refugees. He continued, “Send us the bill. We’ll set up the refugee camps.” (30) Also in October, last year, the Biden administration asked Congress to fund the “potential needs of Gazans fleeing to neighboring countries” (31).
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has strongly rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians to Sinai. He warned that such a move would cause a war between Egypt and Israel. He also predicted that the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt would be followed by the displacement of Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan. At the meeting of the Arab League in November, last year, foreign ministers of Arab countries categorically rejected the displacement of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan. (32, 33)
Occupying the Palestinian territories and building Greater Israel:
While the rest of the world has wanted to revive negotiations for the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, many Israeli politicians have vehemently opposed any possibility of a Palestinian state. Israeli President Herzog said couple of months ago that this is not the time to talk about establishing an independent state (34). Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the end of January that after the war ends, Israel wants to keep security control of “all land west of the River Jordan” and that Israel’s “security needs” will leave no space for a sovereign Palestinian state. Netanyahu’s party Likud has stated its objection to the Palestinian state on its platform. The platform states, “The right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is eternal and indisputable… therefore, Judea and Samaria will not be handed to any foreign administration; between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.” (35, 36)
At the end of January, dozens of ministers from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government, including 12 ministers from Netanyahu’s party Likud, took part to a far-right conference “Settlement Brings Security and Victory”. The conference called for new settlements to be built in the Palestinian territories and encouraged displacement of Palestinians who live in Gaza. The conference presented a map of new settlements that should be build to Gaza. (37) Israeli rights group Peace Now reported in January, that there has been “unprecedented surge in settlement activities, including the construction of outposts, roads, fences, and roadblocks initiated by settlers” in the West Bank since the start of the war. The rights group added, “The permissive military and political environment allow the reckless construction and land seizure almost unchecked, with minimal adherence to the law. The result is not only physical harm to Palestinians and their lands but also a significant political shift in the West Bank.” (38)
The Zionist expansionism is not a threat only to Palestinians and their land but also to some other areas and countries. According to media reports, the governments of Türkiye and Northern Cyprus are increasingly concerned about the growing Israeli presence in Cyprus island. Jewish individuals from Israel and other countries as well as Jewish companies that are registered in Northern Cyprus “have been involved in significant land acquisitions and construction projects, especially in areas facing Israel”. The Cyprus Foundation has issued “a public warning regarding the threat posed by Israeli expansion in the region”. Cyprus has had a special meaning for the Zionist movement – the island has been considered to be another “sacred homeland” for them. (39)
Some possible financial interests:
The war between Hamas and Israel has been profitable for Israeli and many other arms manufacturers. Independent journalist and filmmaker Antony Loewenstein pointed out in November, last year, that Israel dropped in a month more than 25,000 tons of explosives to Gaza – the equivalent of two nuclear bombs. He also wrote that Israel has used conflicts with Palestinians as an opportunity to test its new weapons. (40) American Friends Service Committee has listed the companies that have provided Israel with weapons and other military equipment used in its attacks on Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria between October 2023 and January 2024 (41). Canadian government authorized at least $28.5 million of new permits for military exports to Israel during the first two months of war against Hamas in Gaza – the amount of permits exceeded the 30-year annual record high of $26 million in Canadian military exports to Israel in 2021 (42). In addition to Germany, Italy and particularly Britain have supplied Israeli army with weapons and equipment that are now being used in the war against Hamas. (43)
There may be some other financial interests that are linked to this war. Political expert Seyed Hossein Mousavian wrote in November, last year, that “significant reservoirs of oil and natural gas” have been found off the Gaza Strip and in some parts of the occupied West Bank. He believed that the objective of Israel is “not only to demolish Hamas and/or exclude Palestinians from their homeland, but to confiscate Gaza’s multi-billion-dollar gas resources”. (44)
Israel’s announcement to start the ground offensive in Rafah has alarmed other countries. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting because of the situation. Saudi Arabia and many other countries as well as the EU and the UN have strongly condemned the planned ground offensive and rejected any possible attempts to force Palestinians to leave Gaza. President Biden reportedly told Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah “without a credible plan” to ensure the safety of the people who are sheltering there. (1, 45, 46) As the situation seems to be coming to a head, it remains to be seen, if Israel will be genuinely willing to ensure the safety of the civilians in Rafah. If not and if the war escalates further, how far Israel’s allies are willing to go to support Israel?
References:
(1) “Saudi Arabia calls for ‘urgent’ UN Security Council meeting to prevent Israeli invasion toward Rafah” Middle East Monitor 10.2.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240210-saudi-arabia-calls-for-urgent-un-security-council-meeting-to-prevent-israeli-invasion-toward-rafah
(2) “Satellite images show 30% of Gaza destroyed, UN centre says” Middle East Monitor 2.2.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240202-satellite-images-show-30-of-gaza-destroyed-un-centre-says
(3) “Israel says war in Gaza expected to continue throughout 2024” BBC 1.1.2024
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67855117
(4) “Netanyahu rejects Gaza ceasefire deal and says victory is ‘within reach’” The Guardian 7.2.2024
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/07/netanyahu-rejects-gaza-ceasefire-deal-and-says-victory-is-within-reach-israel
(5) “ICJ rules Israel must prevent acts of genocide in Gaza: Key takeaways” Al Jazeera 26.1.2024
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/26/icj-rules-israel-must-prevent-acts-of-genocide-in-gaza-key-takeaways
(6) “Intent in the genocide case against Israel is not hard to prove” Al Jazeera 14.1.2024
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/1/14/intent-in-the-genocide-case-against-israel-is-not-hard-to-prove
(7) “Law for Palestine Releases Database with 500+ Instances of Israeli Incitement to Genocide – Continuously Updated” Law For Palestine 4.1.2024
https://law4palestine.org/law-for-palestine-releases-database-with-500-instances-of-israeli-incitement-to-genocide-continuously-updated/
(8) “Israel’s campaign in Gaza ‘plausibly’ amounts to genocide, US court finds” The Guardian 1.2.2024
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/01/genocide-gaza-israel-california-court
(9) “Euro-Med submits findings on Israeli army executions in Gaza to ICC, UN, calling them ‘genocide'” Middle East Monitor 26.12.2023
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231226-euro-med-submits-findings-on-israeli-army-executions-in-gaza-to-icc-un-calling-them-genocide/
(10) “100 lawyers in Chile call on ICC to probe Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza” Middle East Monitor 9.1.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240109-100-lawyers-in-chile-call-on-icc-to-probe-netanyahu-for-war-crimes-in-gaza
(11) “War on Gaza: Mexico and Chile request ICC probe over possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza” Middle East Eye 19.1.2024
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/mexico-chile-request-icc-investigation-over-israeli-war-crimes-gaza
(12) “Gallant responds to ICJ: ‘Israel does not need lecture on morality’” Middle East Monitor 27.1.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240127-gallant-responds-to-icj-israel-does-not-need-lecture-on-morality
(13) “Netanyahu says Israel will continue war in Gaza despite ICJ ruling” Middle East Monitor 26.1.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240126-netanyahu-says-israel-will-continue-war-in-gaza-despite-icj-ruling
(14) “US says genocide case against Israel ‘meritless’, ‘galling'” Middle East Monitor 9.1.2021
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240109-us-says-genocide-case-against-israel-meritless-galling
(15) “US doubles down on dismissing genocide claim despite ICJ ruling” Middle East Eye 26.1.2024
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-doubles-down-dismissing-genocide-claims-despite-icj-ruling
(16) “David Cameron Says It Is ‘Nonsense’ To Claim Israel Is Committing Genocide In Gaza” Yahoo News 14.1.2024
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/david-cameron-says-nonsense-claim-114701587.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmZpLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANrbdYfkvzzV8g0t-T5IcyZ56Oo0quML_UXm813t7TIQB48j7rzKiEjLwnz0oC5gx_P_QBvOygr43-4blyhr2opP-axcc5-fS_cAQxEfl8Om-EYHO7H6wMaZAJ5zzemLK4ow_j2_v2RTzvovpWZtTsCJKr9G25W37cm6TOgrlDaL
(17) “Keir Starmer says Israel has right to carry out siege on Gaza” Middle East Monitor 4.1.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240104-keir-starmer-says-israel-has-right-to-carry-out-siege-on-gaza
(18) “German military exports to Israel up nearly 10-fold as Berlin fast-tracks permits” Reuters 8.11.2023
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-military-exports-israel-up-nearly-10-fold-berlin-fast-tracks-permits-2023-11-08/
(19 )”Germany to intervene in genocide case against Israel: Official” Middle East Monitor 12.1.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240112-germany-to-intervene-in-genocide-case-against-israel-official
(20) “Germany says Israel must comply with UN court’s Gaza ruling” Anadolu Ajansi 26.1.2024
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-says-israel-must-comply-with-un-court-s-gaza-ruling/3120108#
(21) “Former Knesset member says Gazans must be forced out of Gaza for Israel’s survival” Middle East Monitor 29.12.2023
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231229-former-knesset-member-says-gazans-must-be-forced-out-of-gaza-for-israels-survival
(22) “Ex-Mossad deputy director proposes resettling Gaza’s entire population globally” Middle East Monitor 4.11.2023
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231104-former-mossad-deputy-director-proposes-resettling-gazas-entire-population-globally
(23) “Netanyahu pushes for ‘voluntary migration’ for Palestinians in Gaza: Israeli media” Middle East Monitor 26.12.2023
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231226-netanyahu-pushes-for-voluntary-migration-for-palestinians-in-gaza-israeli-media
(24) “Israeli minister reiterates calls for Palestinians to leave Gaza” Al Jazeera 31.12.2023
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/31/israeli-minister-reiterates-calls-for-palestinians-to-leave-gaza
(25) “Israel in talks with Congo and other countries on Gaza ‘voluntary migration’ plan” The Times of Israel 3.1.2024
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-in-talks-with-congo-and-other-countries-on-gaza-voluntary-migration-plan/
(26) “War on Gaza: Israel ‘negotiating with African states’ to receive exiled Palestinians” Middle East Eye 3.1.2024
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-negotiating-african-countries-expel-palestinians-gaza-report
(27) “Intelligence Ministry ‘concept paper’ proposes transferring Gazans to Egypt’s Sinai” The Times of Israel 31.10.2023
https://www.timesofisrael.com/intelligence-ministry-concept-paper-proposes-transferring-gazans-to-egypts-sinai/
(28) “Israeli diplomat: There’s endless space in Egypt’s Sinai Desert for Gaza’s civilians” Middle East Monitor 14.10.2023
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231014-israeli-diplomat-theres-endless-space-in-egypts-sinai-desert-for-gazas-civilians
(29) “ANALYSIS – ‘Deal of Century’ and the plan to relocate Palestinians” Anadolu Ajansi 28.1.2020
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/analysis/analysis-deal-of-century-and-the-plan-to-relocate-palestinians/1716084#
(30) “What Republican presidential candidates are saying about the Israel-Hamas war” NPR 18.10.2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/10/18/1206565510/republican-president-election-israel-hamas-trump-haley-biden
(31) “Israel-Palestine war: White House accused of endorsing Palestinian displacement in budget request” Middle East Eye 27.10.2023
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-white-house-accused-endorsing-displacement
(32) “Egypt’s Sisi: Displacing Palestinians to Sinai could ignite a war with Israel” Middle East Monitor 19.10.2023
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231019-egypts-sisi-displacing-palestinians-to-sinai-could-ignite-a-war-with-israel
(33) “Arab FMs reject displacement of Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan” Middle East Monitor 10.11.2023
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231110-arab-fms-reject-displacement-of-palestinians-to-egypt-jordan
(34) “Herzog joins top Israeli officials to reject two-state deal in snub to US” TRT World December 2023
https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/herzog-joins-top-israeli-officials-to-reject-two-state-deal-in-snub-to-us-16243584
(35) “Netanyahu defies Biden, insisting there’s ‘no space’ for Palestinian state” The Guardian 20.1.2024
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/20/netanyahu-defies-biden-insisting-theres-no-space-for-palestinian-state
(36) “Netanyahu: Only greater Israel will exist from ‘river to the sea’” Middle East Monitor 19.1.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240119-netanyahu-only-greater-israel-will-exist-from-river-to-the-sea
(37) “Israeli ministers join gathering calling for resettlement of Gaza” Al Jazeera 29.1.2024
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/29/israeli-ministers-join-gathering-calling-for-rebuilding-settlements-in-gaza
(38) “‘Unprecedented surge’ in settlement activity in West Bank since war on Gaza” Middle East Monitor 10.1.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240110-unprecedented-surge-in-settlement-activity-in-west-bank-since-war-on-gaza
(39) “Silent occupation: Are Zionists attempting to expand into Cyprus island?” TRT World January 2024
https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/silent-occupation-are-zionists-attempting-to-expand-into-cyprus-island-15999042
(40) “When it comes to the Israeli-led ‘war on terror’, follow the money” Al Jazeera 19.11.2023
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/11/19/when-it-comes-to-the-israeli-led-war-on-terror-follow-the-money
(41) “The Companies Profiting from Israel’s 2023-2024 Attacks on Gaza” American Friends Service Committee AFSC January 2024
https://afsc.org/companies-2023-attack-gaza
(42) “Trudeau Government Authorized $28.5 Million Of New Military Exports To Israel Since October” The Maple 10.2.2024
https://www.readthemaple.com/trudeau-government-authorized-28-million-of-new-military-exports-to-israel-since-october/
(43) “Europe ‘aiding and assisting’ Israel’s war in Gaza with key weapons” Euronews 3.11.2023
https://www.euronews.com/2023/11/03/europe-aiding-and-assisting-israels-war-in-gaza-with-vital-weapons
(44) “Israel-Palestine war: Israel wants to seize Gaza’s multibillion dollar gas field” Middle East Eye 15.11.2023
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/israel-palestine-war-geopolitics-gaza-multibillion-dollar-gas-field
(45) “Biden joins international calls for Israel to halt planned Rafah offensive” The Guardian 12.2.2024
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/12/foreign-secretaries-and-diplomats-try-to-persuade-netanyahu-to-call-off-rafah-offensive
(46) “UN: We will not be party to the forced evacuation of Palestinians from Rafah” Middle East Monitor 13.2.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240213-un-we-will-not-be-party-to-the-forced-evacuation-of-palestinians-from-rafah
IDIS Observer 