How We Deal with Corrections
— Cassandra Vinograd
The amount of aid reaching Gaza has dropped sharply since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, leading to what aid officials say is a disaster for the territory’s population of more than two million. Gaza was under blockade before the October 7 attack on Israel, some 500 trucks with food and other materials a day still passed through the territory. Since then, that number has declined by about 75 percent, according to United Nations data.
Here’s a look at how aid is reaching Gaza:
Roads are by far the most vital delivery route: more than 15,000 aid trucks have entered the territory since October 7 through two access points south of the enclave. Most entered through Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border. The other point is at Kerem Shalom, an Israeli crossing. Since January, protesters have at times blocked the Kerem Shalom crossing, arguing that Gaza is receiving no aid while armed teams are still holding prisoners captured on October 7. Aid teams have called for more crossings to be opened.
Israel subjects all aid to Gaza to strict controls, saying it is trying to block pieces that could potentially be used through Hamas. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said this week that too many goods were being rejected for those reasons, echoing the stance of humanitarian companies and United Nations officials.
Col. Elad Goren, an official with the Israeli company tasked with overseeing policy for the Palestinian territories, known as COGAT, told reporters Thursday that nearly all trucks subject to inspection are approved and only a small fraction are rejected due to the presence of “dual-use” items. or those for civil and military purposes.
Israeli officials say there is no limit to the amount of aid that can reach Gaza by road and that responsibility for the bottlenecks lies with humanitarian agencies. They say they can make more aid deliveries than aid organizations can process and distribute.
Even after the materials arrived in Gaza, aid teams struggled to make deliveries due to security considerations and, in particular, to send goods into northern Gaza from southern access points. The north of the territory is on the brink of famine, according to the United Nations. This week, Israel allowed the company to send a humanitarian convoy containing food for another 25,000 people directly to northern Gaza through a crossing that had not been used in the past to help in the war. The company said it was the first time since Feb. 20 that it had delivered food to the north.
The United States, Britain, the European Union and other governments announced last week that they would identify a shipping direction for aid to Gaza from Cyprus, and the U. S. military announced plans to build a floating jetty to facilitate deliveries, as Gaza has a working port. port.
A shipment of 200 tonnes of aid from the charity World Central Kitchen left Cyprus on Tuesday for Gaza as part of what European officials called a pilot mission for the new route. The organization is building a makeshift dock in Gaza to unload the aid, which has not yet arrived on Thursday.
A second shipment loaded in Cyprus on Thursday with 300 tons of aid, World Central Kitchen said, but it’s unclear exactly when it will set sail.
U. S. officials said the structure of the floating jetty could take 30 to 60 days. Aid teams and officials in Gaza have said that sea shipments and airdrops are slow and fail to deliver as much as trucks.
This week, Germany is the latest country to announce plans to drop aid to Gaza, after the United States, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and France. The Israeli military said on Thursday that 1,000 aid packages had been airdropped into the Gaza Strip over the past ten years. These airdrops could simply facilitate delivery to areas of Gaza beyond the reach of humanitarian trucks. But aid officials say this method is costly and ineffective for delivering large quantities of supplies.
It is also dangerous for civilians on the ground. The local government said last week that at least Palestinians had died after aid packages fell on them in Gaza City.
Adam Sella contributed reporting from Kerem Shalom, Israel.
—Matthew Mpoke Bigg
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y. , and the leader of the primary, delivered a scathing speech on the Senate floor Thursday, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the main impediment to peace in the Middle East and calling for new leadership in Israel in months of war. .
Many Democratic lawmakers have condemned Davis’ leadership. Netanyahu and his right-wing ruling coalition, and President Biden, have even criticized the Israeli army’s offensive in Gaza as “exaggerated. “elected official, well, urging Israelis to update Mr. Schumer. Netanyahu.
“I believe at his core that his top priority is Israel’s security,” said Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States. However, I also believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu has erred in allowing his political survival to take precedence over Israel’s most productive interests. “
Schumer added: “He has been all too willing to tolerate the number of civilian casualties in Gaza, which is pushing aid to Israel around the world to historic lows. Israel can’t do that if it becomes a pariah. “
transcription
I take the floor today to communicate what I believe can and deserves to be the way forward to ensure mutual peace and lasting prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians. The fourth major impediment to peace is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I have known Prime Minister Netanyahu for a long time. Although we disagreed vehemently on many occasions, I will at all times respect his habitual courage for Israel on the battlefield when he was young. I think that deep down his top priority is Israel’s security. However, I also believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over Israel’s more productive interests. He entered into coalition with far-right extremists such as Minister Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. And as a result, he has been very willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is driving global aid to Israel to historic lows. Israel cannot do this if it becomes a pariah. As a lifelong supporter of Israel, this has become transparent to me. Netanyahu’s coalition no longer fulfills Israel’s wishes after October 7. The world has changed dramatically since then, and the Israeli people are lately being suffocated by a vision of government stuck in the past.
The speech is the latest reflection of growing discontent among Democrats, especially progressives, with Israel’s conduct of the war and the adverse consequences for Palestinian civilians, which has created a strategic and political dilemma for the lord. Republicans have tried to build on this momentum to gain an electoral advantage, putting more pressure on Biden. Netanyahu while the Democrats repudiated him. And on Thursday, they criticized Mr. Schumer for his comments.
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, told the Senate that it was “grotesque and hypocritical” for Americans to “hyperventilate about foreign interference in our own democracy to call for the removal of Israel’s democratically elected leader. “He called Schumer’s ruling “unprecedented. “
“The Democratic Party doesn’t have an anti-Bibi problem,” McConnell said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “There’s an anti-Israel problem. “
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S. C. , called Mr. Schumer “terribly evil” and accused him of “calling on the rest of the people of Israel to overthrow their government. “And House Republicans, meeting in West Virginia for a party retreat, called a news conference to attack Schumer for his comments and for positioning himself as Israel’s true friends in Congress.
Schumer’s comments came a day after Senate Republicans invited Schumer to join the U. S. Netanyahu to speak as a special guest at a party retreat in Washington. Wyoming’s John Barrasso, the third-largest Republican, called for Netanyahu to be allowed to deal virtually with Republicans, but was unable to run because of a last-minute scheduling conflict. Ambassador Michael Herzog, Israel’s envoy to the United States, spoke on his position and will also tackle the G. O. P. Rally. on Thursday.
In his speech on Capitol Hill, Schumer, who represents a state with more than 20% of the country’s Jewish population, insisted that he does not intend to dictate the final results of Israel’s elections. He preceded his harsh complaint against Netanyahu with a lengthy defense of the country, which American Jews “love to the bone. “
Schumer said there had been an “inaccurate perception” of the war, which blamed Israel too much for civilian deaths in Gaza, without focusing enough on how Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields. And he affirmed how complicated it is for traumatized Israelis to contemplate the option of a two-state solution at this time.
But he did not skimp on his complaint against Netanyahu, who called him one of the main obstacles to peace in the Middle East, along with Hamas, the “radical right-wing Israelis” and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. He thinks he’s replaced.
“The Netanyahu coalition no longer meets Israel’s wishes after October 7,” Netanyahu said. Schumer, referring to the day of the Hamas terror attack on Israel. “The global has replaced – drastically – since then, and the other Israelis are lately being stifled by a vision of governance stuck in the past. “
Schumer said the only solution to the decades-long conflict is a two-state solution: “a demilitarized Palestinian state living face to face with Israel in equal measures of peace, security, prosperity and dignity. “Netanyahu said he has rejected the concepto. de a Palestinian state, jeopardizing Israel’s future.
“At this critical juncture, I believe that new elections are the only way to allow for a healthy decision-making process that is open to Israel’s future, at a time when so many Israelis have lost religion in the vision and direction of their country. “The government will be on a “governmental” program, Schumer said, adding that he hoped the majority of the Israeli public would “recognize the need for change. “
“As a democracy, Israel has the right to decide on its own leaders, and we leave the stakes when they can,” he said. “But the vital thing is that Israelis have a choice. There will have to be a new debate about Israel’s long-term after October 7. “
Schumer gave White House officials advance notice that he would deliver the speech.
“We completely respect his right to make those statements and to say for himself what he’s going to say in the Senate,” John F. said. Kirby, White House spokesman. Obviously, this is close to his heart. We perceive it and respect it. It wasn’t approval or disapproval or anything like that, but he warned us that he was going to do it.
Schumer’s speech was the second time since Oct. 7 that he had spoken on the Senate floor to address the war between Israel and Hamas. The shock led him to think more deeply and speak more brazenly about his Jewish religion and heritage, as well as his ethical principles. and the political dilemmas that the war presented to Jews in Israel and the United States.
In November, Schumer delivered a deeply private speech condemning the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States, which has erupted since Israel began retaliating against Hamas for its attack. These comments will be directed primarily at members of his own party; He warned that some liberals and other young people were unknowingly “aiding and abetting” anti-Semitism in the name of social justice. Schumer has since talked to publishers about the option of writing an e-book about anti-Semitism.
On Thursday, his speech took direct aim at Netanyahu and far-right members of his governing coalition, that Schumer did not respect Jewish values.
Herzog had a stern response. ” Israel is a sovereign democracy,” he wrote on social media. “It makes no sense, since Israel is at war with the genocidal terrorist organization Hamas, to comment on the internal political scene of a democratic ally. . »
In his remarks, Schumer said Netanyahu refused to “disavow Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir and their calls for the Israelis to expel the Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. “
“He will not participate in a military operation in Rafah that prioritizes civilian life,” Schumer said. It will not responsibly participate in discussions about a “tomorrow” plan for Gaza and a path to longer-term peace.
Schumer said that if Netanyahu and his current coalition remain in power, “then the United States will still have no choice to play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy through its influence to replace the current course. “
Underscoring how moot the Israel factor is in U. S. politics, Schumer criticized both the right and the left.
Layla Elabed, crusade director for Listen to Michigan, an organization of anti-war activists who voted “noncommittingly” in the state’s Democratic presidential primary, said that “Sen. Schumer is starting to change, albeit too slowly and with little substance as to what moves Biden can take. ” Take it now to end the shocking number of civilian deaths in Gaza.
CNN’s Nicholas Fandos and Peter Baker contributed reporting.
— Annie Karni, Washington report
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies would criticize Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y. and the majority leader, calling the Israeli leader an impediment to peace, with Israel’s ambassador to the United States calling the claims “counterproductive. “
Schumer’s comments, which included a call for new leadership, were among the most powerful ever made by a U. S. elected official. They demonstrated the developing tensions between the U. S. government and Israel, as many Democrats grow angry over the humanitarian crisis sparked by Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog called the comments “unnecessary” in a social media post, saying they were “counterproductive to our usual goals. “
Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party said: “Israel is not a banana republic, but a proud independent democracy that elected Prime Minister Netanyahu” and that it “hoped Senator Schumer would respect the Israeli government and not undermine it. “
The Israeli leader struck a defiant tone in the face of complaints about his country’s handling of its war to topple Hamas.
President Biden and Netanyahu clashed this month, with Biden saying the Israeli leader “hurts Israel” more than he helps it. This week, an organization of Democratic senators suggested that Biden prevent the supply of offensive weapons to Israel for the war he opposes. Hamas until it lifts restrictions on the entry of U. S. -backed humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Biden has been more blunt in recent days about the plight of civilians in Gaza, where the United Nations and humanitarian agencies have warned of imminent famine, and have suggested Biden do so. Netanyahu has not gone ahead with his stated plan to unleash a first ground offensive on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, without any plan to protect the masses of people sheltering there.
More than a million Gazans have sought safe haven in the city, many of whom have been displaced by the fighting or orders from the Israeli army to move to the so-called zones.
During his visit to northern Israel on Thursday, Netanyahu pledged to press ahead with his plans to move toward Rafah, which Israel says is Hamas’ last major stronghold.
“There is a foreign tension to save us from going into Rafah and completing the job,” he said. “As prime minister of Israel, I reject this tension. “
Netanyahu is also grappling with political turmoil at home. A new assessment this week by U. S. intelligence agencies raised questions about his ability to remain in power, with growing distrust among the Israeli public and likely Israel in its fight to eliminate Hamas. And Israel’s wartime emergence government is showing signs of tension: On Tuesday, the hardline New Hope party announced it would leave the fragile two-party alliance led by war cabinet member Benny Gantz, frustrated that Rafah had already been invaded.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Thursday that Schumer’s speech showed that Netanyahu was “losing Israel’s biggest supporters in the United States. “Lapid said he would join a right-wing Israeli government on the condition that it excluded Netanyahu and some of his top radical associates.
“Netanyahu is provoking serious national efforts to win the war and safeguard Israel’s security,” Netanyahu told Lapid.
– The New York Times
The State Department on Thursday imposed new sanctions on three Israeli settlers in the West Bank, accusing them of “extremist violence” against Palestinians and that their moves “undermine peace, security and stability” in the region.
In a statement, the branch said it was freezing all assets the three Israelis could possibly have in the U. S. banned them from entering the U. S. It’s unclear if any of them have such assets.
This is the second time Biden’s leadership has imposed sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank, whose competitive moves have been classified by Biden officials as a risk to short-term stability and long-term peace.
Some 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli army controls some 2. 7 million Palestinians. Much of the Israeli right believes Israel deserves the West Bank in perpetuity, while Palestinians see the region as an integral component of their aspirations for an independent state.
Tensions have soared since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel sparked an all-out war in Gaza. More than 400 Palestinians, in addition to more than 100 children, have been killed in “conflict-related incidents” in the West Bank and the East. Jerusalem since the war began, according to the United Nations.
U. S. officials worry that a recent increase in attacks by Israeli settlers could lead to even broader violence, worsening an already volatile situation.
-Michael Crowley
The Canadian government pledged this week to make matching contributions to teams that support Israeli or Palestinian women who have been sexually assaulted during the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, said Tuesday on social media that Canada would donate 1 million Canadian dollars (about $743,000) to teams helping Palestinian women suffering sexual violence.
“The allegations of sexual and gender-based violence against you will have to be investigated and Palestinian women will have to be supported,” Joly wrote on Tuesday, a day after she said the same amount of cash would be donated to teams helping Israeli women. who have been sexually abused.
Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s special envoy to fight anti-Semitism, lashed out at Joly in a social media backlash, warning that Canada is creating a “false ethical equivalence” that would “fuel the rise of anti-Semitism” in the country.
A 23-page U. N. report, released earlier this month, uncovered evidence of sexual violence against Israeli women that Hamas launched against Israel on Oct. 7 and against hostages held captive in Gaza.
At an emergency UN Security Council consultation on March 4, diplomats unanimously condemned sexual violence against Israeli women, but many also expressed fear over UN reports that Palestinian women and men had been subjected to sexual violence and threats of rape by Israeli forces. in spatial stoppages and searches.
Joly, who is visiting the Middle East this week as part of a diplomatic tour of the region, also said Monday that the Canadian government has set its sights on commissioning the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate allegations of sexual assault in the region.
Farnaz Fassihi contributed reporting.
Due to a drafting error, a previous edition of this article incorrectly indexed the U. S. dollar at one million Canadian dollars. It’s about $743,000, not $743 million.
How We Deal with Corrections
-Ian Austen
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