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Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Why Israel is forced to sabotage itself
Israel's recently announced tactical pause in several sectors of Gaza, aimed at facilitating the distribution of humanitarian aid, is not merely a gesture of compassion under fire. It is a tactical adjustment born of necessity and certainly not a shift in moral posture. To understand this move properly is to grasp the complex interplay of military constraint, media manipulation, psychological warfare, and political coercion. The decision to implement a daily ten-hour pause in military activity in areas such as Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City reflects more than an internal policy shift. It reflects the immense, and at times irrational, external pressure placed on Israel by international actors moved not by objective fact, but by a meticulously engineered campaign of imagery and emotion. What has been presented to the world as a humanitarian necessity is, in truth, the product of a questionable narrative manufactured by Hamas and amplified by a complicit media ecosystem. That narrative, relentlessly promoted, is one of famine and mass starvation, with Israel cast as the deliberate agent of human suffering. Images of skeletal children and desperate civilians, often of dubious provenance, have flooded western media Israel has long worked to prevent humanitarian collapse in Gaza, even while engaging in military operations. Hundreds of aid trucks pass into the Strip daily. Calorically and logistically, the supply is sufficient. The breakdown, crucially, is in distribution. Hamas seizes trucks, sells aid at inflated prices and uses hunger as both a coercive internal tool and an international PR weapon. This strategic use of civilian suffering has allowed Hamas to manufacture outrage that in turn translates into diplomatic pressure on Jerusalem. While the starvation narrative is falsely exaggerated, and the depiction of Israeli intent as cruel or indifferent is entirely fabricated, it is also true that some hunger and shortage now exist. These are not the result of Israeli policy but of deliberate Hamas engineering. Any relief Hamas permits will not be due to concern for its population, but because it is extracting a strategic benefit – time to regroup, concessions from Israel, or PR advantage. And it will not hesitate to throttle aid again if doing so serves those ends. The role of the UN and particularly UNRWA further complicates the picture. Israeli and independent sources have long documented the deep infiltration of these agencies by Hamas operatives. In recent weeks, Israel allowed international journalists into Gaza to witness the massive stockpiles of aid the UN had refused to distribute – aid cleared by Israeli checks and held up only by UN inaction. Only once exposed and embarrassed did UN agencies begin moving trucks. The resulting chaos, captured on video, showed the UN's operational dysfunction, contrasting sharply with the more disciplined efforts of the US-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. High-level sources confirm to me that GHF trucks have never been raided, while UN trucks have repeatedly been hijacked, mobbed, and violently taken over. Numerous videos have documented these episodes, underscoring the vulnerability and dysfunction of UN-led distribution. The political echelon in Israel is under pressure on multiple fronts. President Trump and the US administration have leaned heavily on Jerusalem to show a humanitarian face. Internally, Prime Minister Netanyahu must navigate criticism from both right-wing parties and security professionals. Some argue that the IDF should distribute aid directly, severing Hamas from its stranglehold on civilian life. Others, including sources close to Netanyahu, insist the tactical pause is essential to preserving operational freedom and denying Hamas the international sympathy it craves. These pauses, however, are not cost-free. Colonel (res.) Yaron Buskila, CEO of HaBithonistim, warned that the humanitarian corridors risk creating de facto ceasefires, granting Hamas time to regroup. The structure of the pause itself, daily ten-hour windows from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in designated areas where IDF operations are scaled back, provides predictable, exploitable gaps for Hamas. While Israel pauses, Hamas does not. It continues to exploit the calm to fortify its infrastructure, rebuild command centres, repair tunnel networks, and reposition fighters. On the propaganda front, Hamas uses the visibility of these humanitarian pauses to bolster its victim narrative, claim the international moral high ground, and deepen the sense of equivalence between itself and a sovereign state. In addition, Hamas will use the lull to study the movements of aid convoys and Israeli logistical patterns, gathering intelligence that allows it to more effectively sabotage humanitarian operations. This learning curve is not theoretical: recent weeks have seen an increase in the lethality and precision of Hamas attacks against Israeli troops, a direct outcome of its ability to study and adapt as operational patterns emerge. The cessation of hostilities for aid delivery becomes a two-pronged weapon: operationally beneficial for Hamas and psychologically corrosive for Israel. The current negotiation framework for a hostage deal further illustrates this asymmetry. Hamas offers a slow drip of some living hostages and bodies of those it has killed, in exchange for a lengthy 60-day ceasefire. This would be a strategic boon that would allow it to rehabilitate while Israel stalls. The demand to shift aid back to UN control and away from the GHF is part of the same plan: to reassert control, regain legitimacy, and cripple Israel's ability to bypass Hamas's influence in Gaza. This is the bitter paradox: to maintain moral and strategic legitimacy in the eyes of its allies, Israel must act against its own operational interests. It must enable aid it knows will be exploited, allow actors it knows to be compromised, and accept international narratives it knows to be false. These tactical pauses are not humanitarian victories. They are defensive moves in a war where images matter more than facts, and where the battlefield extends as much into living rooms and newsrooms as it does into Rafah and Khan Younis. In this arena, Hamas has one comparative advantage: it is not constrained by truth. And too often, neither are its media allies. That Israel continues to function under such constraints is not a sign of weakness but of ethical discipline. Yet discipline is not immunity. And in a war of attrition fought with lies, even the most moral actor can be coerced into a corner.
STV News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- STV News
'Is it really justified?' Contractor linked to aid group details chaos in Gaza
A contractor involved with the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation told Global Security Editor Rohit Kachroo about the aid group's operation in Gaza A contractor involved with a US-Israeli-backed aid group in Gaza has spoken out about what he claims is a chaotic operation marked by 'bad practices'. The contractor worked with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and documented his time on the ground over a number of weeks. Speaking to ITV News on condition of anonymity, he alleges a culture of 'just winging it' and said he was left 'traumatised' by some of what he witnessed. The GHF was established in February 2025 and took over food distribution operations in Gaza in late May, prompting outcry from UN agencies and other private groups. More than 1,000 people have died while trying to get food in recent weeks. Of those, over 670 people have been killed in the vicinity of the group's sites, according to the latest UN figures, often attributed to Israeli fire – including gunshots and tear gas – while the GHF has also been criticised for crowd control incidents, including stampedes. The contractor, who has worked at all four of the GHF's distribution sites, had conflicting emotions. 'If it wasn't for the amount of meals that we've given out, a lot more people would have died from starvation than the hundreds of people that might have died as a result of them being killed on the way or back from one of these sites, so obviously it is the lesser of two evils,' he said. 'But I'm thinking, is it really justified? Is there actually such a thing as the lesser of two evils? Logically, yes, because if you've got a choice in terms of 10,000 people dying or 1,000 people dying, I'd obviously take 1,000. 'But who's really allowed to make that decision? Who has given somebody the authority?' The contractor explained the aid delivery trucks are driven in a convoy guarded by the IDF, and when they reach distribution points, the IDF is there, alongside armed guards working for the GHF, to protect the sites while the aid is being unloaded. / Credit: Associated Press But according to him, the overrunning of aid sites has become commonplace, creating dangerous situations for everyone on the ground. 'I saw in one instance during an evacuation, Israeli soldiers running and shouting at two people that were dressed in regular clothing. 'I saw a couple of IDF soldiers going prone and then about two seconds afterwards, I saw both of the heads of the Palestinians snap back and then drop and that was during one of the very frequent evacuations because of [the site] being overrun.' In a video shared with ITV News, an IDF tank on the perimeter of a GHF site can be seen firing, while retaliatory shots appear to come back towards where the aid is being delivered. In another video, the contractor claimed that unidentified Palestinians entered a road which was outside of the 'safe zone' and gunfire subsequently rings out. At one point, a man at the site can be heard laughing and saying: 'Here comes the tanks…run the f***ers over.' The GHF, he claimed, needs 'restructuring because there's a lot of bad practice.' 'There's a whole culture of just winging it,' he added. Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution center. / Credit: Associated Press In a statement to ITV News, the GHF rejected the claims made by the contractor, adding: 'It is an active war zone in Gaza. It's also one of the most complex operating environments in the world. The legacy models of aid delivery have failed to adequately meet the overwhelming needs of the population. 'That's why GHF exists and why we are committed to constant innovation to meet President Trump's call for new, effective ways to get aid into Gaza while the UN's trucks get looted and overrun and their aid is not making it into the strip.' Today, a spokesperson for the GHF told reporters it was 'routinely pressing' the IDF to 'facilitate the safe movement of civilians accessing aid at all points. 'They have made some improvements to their procedures, but we will continue to press them.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
ITV News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
'Is it really justified?' Contractor linked to US-backed aid group details chaos in Gaza
A contractor involved with the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation told Global Security Editor Rohit Kachroo about the aid group's operation in Gaza Words by Sophia Ankel and Nathan Lee A contractor involved with a US-Israeli-backed aid group in Gaza has spoken out about what he claims is a chaotic operation marked by "bad practices". The contractor worked with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and documented his time on the ground over a number of weeks. Speaking to ITV News on condition of anonymity, he alleges a culture of 'just winging it' and said he was left 'traumatised' by some of what he witnessed. The GHF was established in February 2025 and took over food distribution operations in Gaza in late May, prompting outcry from UN agencies and other private groups. More than 1,000 people have died while trying to get food in recent weeks. Of those, over 670 people have been killed in the vicinity of the group's sites, according to the latest UN figures, often attributed to Israeli fire - including gunshots and tear gas - while the GHF has also been criticised for crowd control incidents, including stampedes. The contractor, who has worked at all four of the GHF's distribution sites, had conflicting emotions. "If it wasn't for the amount of meals that we've given out, a lot more people would have died from starvation than the hundreds of people that might have died as a result of them being killed on the way or back from one of these sites, so obviously it is the lesser of two evils," he said. "But I'm thinking, is it really justified? Is there actually such a thing as the lesser of two evils? Logically, yes, because if you've got a choice in terms of 10,000 people dying or 1,000 people dying, I'd obviously take 1,000. "But who's really allowed to make that decision? Who has given somebody the authority?" The contractor explained the aid delivery trucks are driven in a convoy guarded by the IDF, and when they reach distribution points, the IDF is there, alongside armed guards working for the GHF, to protect the sites while the aid is being unloaded. But according to him, the overrunning of aid sites has become commonplace, creating dangerous situations for everyone on the ground. "I saw in one instance during an evacuation, Israeli soldiers running and shouting at two people that were dressed in regular clothing. "I saw a couple of IDF soldiers going prone and then about two seconds afterwards, I saw both of the heads of the Palestinians snap back and then drop and that was during one of the very frequent evacuations because of [the site] being overrun." In a video shared with ITV News, an IDF tank on the perimeter of a GHF site can be seen firing, while retaliatory shots appear to come back towards where the aid is being delivered. In another video, the contractor claimed that unidentified Palestinians entered a road which was outside of the "safe zone" and gunfire subsequently rings out. At one point, a man at the site can be heard laughing and saying: "Here comes the the f***ers over." The GHF, he claimed, needs "restructuring because there's a lot of bad practice." "There's a whole culture of just winging it," he added. In a statement to ITV News, the GHF rejected the claims made by the contractor, adding: "It is an active war zone in Gaza. It's also one of the most complex operating environments in the world. The legacy models of aid delivery have failed to adequately meet the overwhelming needs of the population. "That's why GHF exists and why we are committed to constant innovation to meet President Trump's call for new, effective ways to get aid into Gaza while the UN's trucks get looted and overrun and their aid is not making it into the strip." Today, a spokesperson for the GHF told reporters it was "routinely pressing" the IDF to "facilitate the safe movement of civilians accessing aid at all points. "They have made some improvements to their procedures, but we will continue to press them."
Gulf Today
20-07-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Over 30 Palestinians killed trying to reach US group's food aid centres
Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday toward crowds of Palestinians seeking food from distribution hubs run by a US-Israeli-backed group in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials. The two incidents occurred near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The organisation launched operations in late May with backing from the US and Israel. The two governments are seeking to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, saying that Hamas siphons off supplies. The UN denies the allegation. While the GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians, local health officials and witnesses say that hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli army fire as they try to reach the distribution hubs. The army, which is not at the sites but secures them from a distance, says it only fires warning shots if crowds get too close to its forces. The GHF, which employs private armed guards, says there have been no deadly shootings at its sites, though this week, 20 people were killed at one of its locations, most of them in a stampede. The group accused Hamas agitators of causing a panic, but gave no evidence to back the claim. Relatives of Palestinians killed at an aid distribution centre run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation mourn over their bodies during their funeral at Nasser Hospital. Associated Press The army and GHF did not immediately comment on Saturday's violence. Most of Saturday's deaths occurred as Palestinians massed in the Teina area, around three kilometres (2 miles) away from a GHF aid distribution centre east of the city of Khan Younis. 'It was a massacre' Mahmoud Mokeimar, an eyewitness, said he was walking with masses of people – mostly young men – toward the food hub. Troops fired warning shots as the crowds advanced, before opening fire toward the marching people. "It was a massacre ... the occupation opened fire at us indiscriminately," he said. He said he managed to flee but saw at least three motionless bodies lying on the ground, and many other wounded fleeing. Akram Aker, another witness, said troops fired machine guns mounted on tanks and drones. He said the shooting happened between 5am and 6am. "They encircled us and started firing directly at us," he said. He said he saw many casualties lying on the ground. Sanaa al-Jaberi, a 55-year-old woman, said she saw many dead and wounded as she fled the area. "We shouted: 'food, food,' but they didn't talk to us. They just opened fire," she said. Monzer Fesifes, a Palestinian-Jordanian, said his 19-year-old son Hisham was among those killed in the Teina area. "He went to bring food from the failed US, Zionist aid to feed us," the father of six said, pleading for the Jordanian government to help evacuate them from the Palestinian enclave. The Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said it received 25 bodies, along with dozens wounded. Seven other people, including one woman, were killed in the Shakoush area, hundreds of metres north of another GHF hub in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, the hospital said. The toll was also confirmed by the health ministry. Most 'shot in the head, chest' Dr. Mohamed Saker, the head of Nasser's nursing department, said it received 70 wounded people. He told The Associated Press that most of the casualties were shot in their heads and chests, and that some were placed in the already overwhelmed intensive care unit. "The situation is difficult and tragic," he said, adding that the facility lacks badly needed medical supplies to treat the daily flow of casualties. Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians are living through a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, and the territory is teetering on the edge of famine, according to food security experts. Distribution at the GHF sites has often been chaotic. Boxes of food are left stacked on the ground inside the centres and, once opened, crowds charge in to grab whatever they can, according to witnesses and videos released by GHF itself. In videos obtained recently by the AP from an American contractor working with GHF, contractors are seen using tear gas and stun grenades to keep crowds behind metal fences or to force them to disperse. Gunshots can also be heard. Associated Press
Mint
19-07-2025
- Health
- Mint
Israeli troops open fire at Palestinians seeking food from distribution hubs in Gaza, over 30 killed
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli troops on Saturday opened fire toward crowds of Palestinians seeking food from distribution hubs run by a US-Israeli-backed group and 16 people were killed, PTI quoted witnesses and hospital officials as saying. The incidents took place near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, added health officials. In May 2024, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched operations with backing from the US and Israel. The United States and Israel governments are seeking to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, saying that Hamas militants siphon off supplies, which the UN denies. While the GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians, local health officials and witnesses say that hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli army fire as they try to reach the distribution hubs. The Israeli Army -- not at the sites but secures them from a distance -- has said that it only fires warning shots if crowds get too close to its forces. On the other hand, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said there have been no deadly shootings at its sites, though this week. But 20 people were killed at one of its locations, most of them in a stampede. The GHF accused Hamas agitators of causing a panic, but gave no evidence to back the claim. The army and GHF did not immediately comment on Saturday's violence.
