Who Is Supposed to Pick Up the Pieces Now?
Swayed by the ever-raw emotions of October 7, 2023, and reports that some militants have infiltrated the UN Relief and Work Agency, the Israeli Parliament on Monday banned UNRWA from operating in Israel and its occupied territories, deepening the humanitarian crises and international strife over Israeli policies.
Set aside the motivation for a moment. The real issue is who and how is food and medicine supposed to get to two million Palestinians left destitute in Gaza? Who is supposed to pick up the pieces? Is the idea that starving Palestinians will rise against Hamas?
There is no plan. Again.
The official Israeli strategy is to kill the Hamas leadership and destroy its military capability, collapsing tunnels and buildings in the way, and not worrying too much if the conflict spills into Lebanon, Syria or even Iran. But, as we have heard repeatedly, there is no Day After plan for governing or addressing the needs of the displaced. Instead, there are vague gestures from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that some other independent group will step up eventually, though perhaps too late to make a difference.
We understand reprisals. But, other than security through force, what values are these Israeli politicians enacting?
The twin bills that passed 92-10 target the humanitarian efforts needed daily in Gaza and all coordinating efforts inside Israel and the West Bank, as well as in Lebanon and Syria. It seems to take full effect in three months, but without guarantees for safe operations, the vote will undercut humanitarian efforts much sooner. One bill takes away UNRWA’s ability to operate in Israel, the other from operating in Israel’s “sovereign territory,”
Once again, are we witnessing a dominant government taking a major decision in the name of security that practically raises a host of unanswered value questions? Once again, have we adopted a draconian response to awful circumstance that simply leaves us with lots of new issues that require response?
Today, it’s Israel and feeding Gazans. But depending on the outcome of our own elections, the same kind of questions arise in Donald Trump’s promises of mass deportations that no one really understands in practical terms or the implications of unleashing our military forces on Trump’s perceived political opponents.
Explaining the Vote
Israeli politicians defended the move, repeating allegations that several of the agency’s staff were involved in Hamas’s 7 October attacks last year, which killed 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages. But Israeli opposition to UNWRA goes back decades for perceived help in offering shielding operations and facilities to militant opponents, the BBC tells us.
With 13,000 employees, UNRWA is the biggest UN agency operating in Gaza, funded primarily by donations by UN member states to distribute aid and runs shelters and key infrastructure like medical facilities, teacher training centers and almost 300 primary schools. The agency has distributed food parcels to almost 1.9 million people and arranged for six million medical treatments over the last year.
More than 200 UNRWA staff have been killed in attacks over the last two years, according to the agency.
The Israeli Defense Forces said that that more than 450 UNRWA staff were members of “terrorist organizations,” that some helped in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and others have worked with Hamas to disguise military weapons in hospitals and schools. Some 16 Western countries temporarily halted funds for the aid agency as a result. The UN investigated and fired nine employees and said it lacked evidence about more.
As Israel reluctantly allowed aid trucks to move to UNRWA distribution centers, they said Hamas repeatedly has been able to take food and medicine meant for civilians. Relief workers have had to dodge Israeli attacks that were continuing even this week on sites that included schools where militants were reported to be hiding.
In short, even at best, it is a humanitarian disaster and depending on cooperation between UNRWA and Israeli officials has been a mess.
The U.S. Role
Making all this yet more dicey comes the U.S. Government which threatens regularly to withhold some military and weapons support to Israel if humanitarian concerns are not address. It is the kind of practical question that never really gets asked in the middle of our own slogan-filled election generalizations.
Harris insists that there is no daylight between America and Israel on security, but that Israel ought to pursue ceasefire and humanitarian efforts. Trump simply says the U.S. should back anything Netanyahu does without even acknowledging a humanitarian issue, and in 2018 stopped U.S. funds for UNRWA. Three months from now for practical enforcement puts the practical question beyond the election, of course.
Meanwhile, the reality on the ground is that without a formal relationship with Israeli officials, UNRWA is out of the relief business in Gaza. And although there is no end to the needs, there is no practical plan to provide help. The U.S. built, then disassembled a floating pier to allow boatloads of supplies; various NGO organizations, including World Central Kitchens, have been forced to shut down without guarantees of personal safety for their volunteers.
“We won’t be able to move in Gaza without being subject to possible attack, international staff won’t be able to get visas any longer,” said William Deere, UNRWA director said.
From afar, it looks to be a vote to worsen the fate of Palestinian civilians and children, not a fix for whatever ails UNRWA.
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