I would prefer to write this story in the Gaza Strip instead of Jerusalem. I have been covering wars for many years, starting from El Salvador in 1989, and I believe that there is nothing better than reporting from the front lines.
I’m sorry, but in this awful war, reporters from other countries can’t do that. Israel and Egypt, who control Gaza’s borders, do not want us to report freely from there. Israel lets some people visit its army, but they have to be closely watched. I went on a trip in November, but it was only once.
Because we are unable to enter, we depend on Palestinian journalists who are unable to leave. I really look up to them for being brave and dedicated to telling the truth in their reporting.
Thankfully, in today’s world, it is not possible to completely stop a war. That’s because regular people can use their phone to take videos, and then easily put them on the internet with just a few clicks. We can also speak to them, if the communication is still working. Israel and Hamas post their own videos. We need to make sure and double check everything, especially since it’s now easier to use artificial intelligence.
Considering all the rules, this is what the war looks like in February from Jerusalem.
Humanitarian crisis
Right after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, Yoav Gallant, who is in charge of keeping Israel safe, said that they are going to block off Gaza completely. This means no electricity, no food, no water, and no gas – everything is shut down.
“We are battling people who act like animals,” he said, “and we are responding in a similar way. ”
Under pressure from Joe Biden, the US President, Israel is now letting a small amount of food, water, and medicine to go into Gaza. However, it still limits the amount of aid going into Gaza and the movement of aid convoys within the area.
Israel says that what comes in is enough. International groups that help people in other countries say that not only are innocent people in Gaza being killed and hurt, but they are also not getting enough food and medical care. The Geneva Convention says that it’s a war crime to punish innocent people for something that others did.
Since October 7th, the Americans have been asking Israel to follow the rules of war in Gaza. They want Israel to stop killing a lot of innocent Palestinian people. American officials, including President Biden, keep saying strong criticisms because they think Israel is not listening to them.
This week, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Israel’s actions in the war. He said that even though Hamas is attacking Israel in a violent way, this does not mean that Palestinians should be treated violently in return.
“He said that Israelis were treated very badly on October 7th,” he said at a press conference in Tel Aviv. The hostages have been treated very badly every day since. But we can’t treat others badly.
“Most people in Gaza didn’t have anything to do with the attacks on October 7,” Mr. The families in Gaza need aid from Israel to survive, just like our families. They are parents and children who want to make enough money to live well, send their kids to school, and have a regular life. That’s who they are. This is what they are like. “They want that. ”
However, the US has decided not to set any requirements for its large military and diplomatic aid to Israel. It keeps giving weapons to Israel, even though it doesn’t like how they are using them.
Philippe Lazzarini, who leads the UN’s work in Gaza, said the war will have bad effects on young people in Gaza when I talked to him this week.
“He said he is very worried. ” “They are all very hurt by this terrible war that has never happened before. ” They are living in really bad conditions. If the war stops tomorrow, our most important job is to make sure these children can go to school again. If we don’t, they might become angry and hateful in the future.
Israel does not care about Mr. Lazzarini’s comments It accused UNRWA of helping Hamas. Mr Lazzarini has been working hard to protect the agency after Israel gave the Americans some information saying that about 12 UNRWA workers were involved in the attacks on October 7th.
UNRWA fired the men who were accused and is trying to make the 16 main countries that give money feel better about giving money again. Mr Lazzarini is very concerned about the accusations and wants to find and remove any Hamas supporters. However, Israel has not given him the file they sent to the US. Israel thinks UNRWA is very bad. The problem with the agency is definitely making it harder to help people.
It’s really hard for the UN and other aid groups to reach Northern Gaza. Local people are saying that there is not enough food and many kids are not healthy. This could lead to long-term health problems for the kids who make it through.
We have got more news from southern Gaza, where almost two million people are trying to survive. About 14 million people live in Rafah, close to the border with Egypt. Many people live in tents made of plastic, near dirty water.
Unlike reporters, people who help in the relief effort can come and go from Gaza. I talked to many UN officials who have a lot of experience in areas affected by war. Everyone said it’s the worst they’ve ever seen. Someone said to me, “I have never seen anything like this before. It’s very big and impressive. ”
Someone else said that Gaza was the scariest and toughest place they had ever been to.
Israel is not going to be influenced by what Mr. It has accused UNRWA of helping Hamas. Mr Lazzarini has been working hard to keep the agency open after Israel gave a report to the Americans about some UNRWA staff being involved in the 7 October attacks.
UNRWA fired the men who were accused and is trying to make the 16 big donor countries feel better because they stopped giving money. Lazzarini is very concerned about the allegations and wants to find any Hamas supporters. However, Israel has not given him the information it sent to the US. Israel thinks that UNRWA is very bad inside. The problems with the agency are definitely making it harder for the aid operation to happen.
It’s really hard for the UN and other aid groups to reach Northern Gaza. People living in the ruined area have said that many of them don’t have enough food and the children are very undernourished. This could cause long-term health problems for the children who manage to survive.
In southern Gaza, nearly two million people are struggling to stay alive and we are receiving more information from there. Around 14 million people live in Rafah, close to the border with Egypt. Many people live in tents made of plastic next to places where sewage collects.
Unlike reporters, people who work for charities involved in the aid effort can enter and leave Gaza. I talked to many experienced UN officials who have worked in areas where there was fighting for many years. Everyone has said that it is the worst they have ever seen. Someone said to me, “I have never seen something this big, extensive, and deep before. ”
Another person said that Gaza was the scariest and hardest place he had ever been. This wasn’t just because of the bombing from Israel, but also because there was no law and order. He said that there are a lot of guns and angry men with clubs in Gaza. The UN was moving aid convoys early in the morning to prevent them from being robbed.
The fighting in Gaza.
People in Rafah are getting really scared about Israeli soldiers coming into their town. A person from BBC Arabic talked to Jabr al-Burdini who was digging up dead kids from a destroyed house in Rafah. He is middle-aged.
“If Israel did attacks here, many people would die. ” The children are really scared and the grown-ups are too. Watch the kids. They are unable to sleep.
MrLazzarini said that if Israel attacks Rafah, it would make things even worse in Gaza.
He said that about 100,000 people, which is 5% of the population, had been killed, injured, or gone missing in the last four months, probably dead under the rubble.
“And now most of the people are living outside in Rafah. ” If you start a military operation in this area, it will only make the tragedy worse. And we must absolutely avoid this.
Air attacks are currently killing many people in Rafah. Even though America is asking for the attacks to stop, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the army to keep attacking the town, but only after they have a plan to move Palestinian civilians out of Rafah. Because people in Gaza feel unsafe everywhere, they are not comforted. Maybe Mr Netanyahu is trying to make Mr Biden feel less upset.
Another group of people who might be interested is the International Court of Justice in The Hague. They have said that there is a possibility that Israel is committing the serious crime of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has set a very difficult goal to achieve and it might be impossible to reach it, even after many months. It wants to get rid of Hamas, make Israel safe again, and release the people that Hamas captured on October 7th. A lot of Israeli families and their supporters don’t believe the prime minister’s argument that only using force will free the hostages held in Gaza. They want a peace agreement because they’re worried that if the war goes on for longer, they might never see their loved ones again.
Israel has caused a lot of harm to Hamas, but it has not completely stopped them from fighting. A high-rank intelligence official said that Israel has killed one-third of Hamas fighters and destroyed one-third of their secret tunnels.
MrNetanyahu wants to eliminate Hamas leaders, starting with Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to have organized and directed the attacks on October 7th. Until now, people think Mr. Sinwar and his closest followers are still alive. They might be living in tunnels protected by Israeli hostages.
The fighting in the Middle East.
In four months, the effects of the war in Gaza have traveled throughout the Middle East. Iran has a group of friends that it calls the “axis of resistance,” and they are involved in a big fight.
After three American soldiers were killed in Jordan by a group supported by Iran, the US began a series of air attacks in Syria and Iraq. The UK has also bombed the Houthis in Yemen who are attacking ships in the Red Sea. Some people in the US and Israel want the US military to attack Iran with bombs.
The Houthis and Iran’s friends say they are supporting the Palestinians in Gaza. Iran’s strongest friend is Hezbollah in Lebanon. The fighting at the border between Israel and the country is getting worse every day. Israel is feeling more and more pressure to send soldiers into southern Lebanon.
The people from America are working to make a way for peace in the Middle East. Secretary of State Blinken thinks Saudi Arabia and Israel should be friends if Israel lets the Palestinians have their own country. Prime Minister Netanyahu says that the Palestinians will not become an independent nation. He says Israel will keep fighting until they win completely.
This fighting is continuing and there’s no sign of it stopping soon. The more time goes by, the more difficult it will be to manage the results of what is happening in Gaza.