Causes.com
| 11.10.23
Israel Agrees To Four-Hour Daily Humanitarian Pause
Do you support the calls for a humanitarian pause? Let your reps know.
What’s the story?
- Israel agreed to a daily four-hour humanitarian pause in its attack on Gaza.
- The White House said on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the daily pauses as President Biden pushed for a multiple-day break in the assault to negotiate the release of Hamas hostages. Biden said that the agreement to a humanitarian pause had “taken a little longer” than he had hoped and that there was “no possibility” of a formal ceasefire at the moment.
Why the four-hour pause?
- The daily pause will allow more civilians in Gaza to flee south through what Israel dubbed a “humanitarian corridor.” Tens of thousands have already evacuated. While similar short-term pauses have occurred over the last few days, these four-hour windows will introduce a more formalized and expansive process to safely get civilians off the battlefield.
- Netanyahu said during an interview with Fox News:
“[T]he fighting continues against the Hamas enemy, the Hamas terrorist, but in specific locations for a given period, a few hours here, a few hours there, we want to facilitate a safe passage of civilians away from the zone of fighting. And we’re doing that.”
- National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby added that this window would allow aid to reach injured and in-need Palestinians in Gaza.
- An announcement will be made three hours before each pause to allow people to prepare for evacuation. Kirby said:
“Israel has an obligation to fully comply with international law, and we believe these pauses are a step in the right direction, particularly to help ensure that civilians have an opportunity to reach safer areas away from the act of fighting.”
Calls for a pause
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “far too many Palestinians have been killed, far too many have suffered these past weeks." Blinken has continuously urged Israel to protect civilian life in Gaza, but said a ceasefire would enable Hamas to regroup and gain an advantage.
- U.N. chief António Guterres has called for a ceasefire to relieve the “epic human suffering” in the Gaza Strip. Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, has also called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”
- Protests have erupted worldwide, urging leaders to call for a ceasefire.
Do you support the calls for a humanitarian pause? Let your reps know.
-Jamie Epstein
(Photo credit: Twitter/@Timesofgaza)
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This is progress, but it's not enough.
And what happens to people who don't make it out in time each day...do they have to camp in the desert until the next day?
What about the hospitals?
4hr/day is inadequate when humanitarian aid is inadequate. Prior to 10-7 approximately 500 trucks/day supplied Gaza. Since 10-21 when aid resume there has been 650 trucks in total over 23 days which is ~21 trucks/day which is just 4% of what it use to be. Surgery is done with anesthesia with multiple operations in one operating room, vinegar being used to disinfect, and incubators turned off on premature babies.
And then there is the bombing and invasion of a densely populated civilian population and destruction of 40% of civilian infrastructure including areas in southern Gaza which is suppose to be a safe evacuation area. 100+ UN personnel killed as well as 40 journalists.
"Before 7 October, an average of 500 trucks a day crossed into Gaza with essential supplies, but since 21 October, only 650 trucks have entered. He called for unfettered access to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, for Hamas to release hostages and for Israel to restore electricity, water and fuel supplies."
"Three U.N. agencies expressed horror at the situation in the hospitals, saying it had in 36 days registered at least 137 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in 521 deaths and 686 injuries - including 16 dead and 38 wounded medics."
"Two more major hospitals [Gaza's largest and second largest hospitals, Al Shifa and Al-Quds] in Gaza closed to new patients on Sunday, with staff saying that Israeli bombardment plus lack of fuel and medicine meant more babies and others could die....Hospitals in the north of the Palestinian enclave are blockaded by Israeli forces and barely able to care for those inside, medical staff said. Israel says it is homing in on Hamas militants in the area and the hospitals should be evacuated."
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/fighting-rages-israel-says-ready-evacuate-babies-gazas-main-hospital-2023-11-11/
https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15487.doc.html
It's a very tepid start. The US and Israel's other allies must push harder for more time, more humanitarian support, etc.
According to an embedded journalist speaking freely, the Israeli administration openly states unapologetically (in Hebrew) such horrendous things as a successful attack is killing 500 Palestinians to get 3 Hamas operatives.
While I could not validate such a statement, this kind of dehumanization is quite evident and the sentiment extends beyond Israel.
Will Israel be pressured to rebuild the Palestinians' housing, shops, hospitals, and government facilities it has blown up to attempt to rout Hamas?
People need to spend some time looking at the treatment of Jews, and the history of Palestine and the Palestinian peoples from the late nineteenth century until today then re-evaluate support for Israel, and the Palestinian people, as well as look for a truly just solution.
In Gideon Levy's own words
you watch you verify you decide
https://youtu.be/EnaacT4eBrA?si=h0NlZjtAQRhEOkxw
This is just barely better than nothing. And it proves that President Biden and Secretary of State Blinkin are working hard to stop the Israelis from committing more war crimes.
I still worry that with both sides committing war crimes this war with expand to include neighboring Arab nations.