L“The hope for a new six-week ceasefire announced by Washington on Saturday comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented deterioration of the survival situation of 2 million civilians in the Gaza enclave, after a disaster during the delivery of humanitarian aid.
1. The ongoing humanitarian disaster
Palestinian families search for items in the rubble of a building destroyed by an Israeli strike on March 2 in the central Gaza Strip.
Photo AFP
A thousand trucks are waiting at the Egyptian border but aid still reaches Gaza after five months of war. and…
L“The hope for a new six-week ceasefire announced by Washington on Saturday comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented deterioration of the survival situation of 2 million civilians in the Gaza enclave, after a disaster during the delivery of humanitarian aid.
1. The ongoing humanitarian disaster
Palestinian families search for items in the rubble of a building destroyed by an Israeli strike on March 2 in the central Gaza Strip.
Photo AFP
A thousand trucks are waiting at the Egyptian border but even after five months of war, aid is still arriving in Gaza in dribs and drabs. And if famine is not yet widespread, we are not far from it: “90% of the population does not have enough to eat,” the president said. In an interview with “Figaro”, the resident of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) France: “In the north of the region, one in six children is severely malnourished and, if the war continues, the balance sheet will continue to deteriorate,” clarified Isabelle Defourny.
On Thursday, the death of 115 Palestinians (and hundreds injured) under Israeli fire or crushed by trucks in disputed circumstances during aid distribution was a new shock: the bite of hunger in the panic of bombing makes these situations increasingly dangerous. and unacceptable. Inadequate and poorly protected, these convoys are attacked by refugees as soon as they enter Rafah (the Egyptian border), leaving only fragments for Gazan in the center and north of the enclave.
2. Airdrops, wrong solution
On Saturday, the United States conducted the first airdrops of humanitarian aid promised by Joe Biden. Stopgap because the needs are enormous and the principle of this help from heaven has been contested. Countries such as Egypt or Jordan have already carried out airdrops, but apart from the fact that the distribution is random and three times more expensive than transport by road, it is also dangerous and inaccurate, as it happens that the pallets land directly in the sea.
These airdrops are “just a drop in the bucket” compared to the needs of civilians
The Americans know it: these airdrops are “just a drop in the bucket” compared to the needs of civilians in Gaza. MSF France recalls that the technique has been used “very rarely” in hard-to-access regions like South Sudan. And it can only be a “last resort,” recalls the United Nations’ special agency, which accuses Israel of “systematically” blocking aid to Gaza. And even if it denies being responsible, pressure is mounting on the Hebrew state.
3. Increased pressure on Israel
The catastrophic humanitarian situation “creates unsafe and unjustified conditions for which the Israelis are responsible,” the French foreign minister said on Saturday. Stéphane Sejourne recalls that France is trying to open new crossing points for aid convoys and defends more than ever the need for a “permanent cease-fire”. Paris’s position, widely shared by its European partners, has not caused Israel to waver.
The United States, despite its means of pressure and its less restrictive demands for an “agreement for a temporary cease-fire,” has failed for even a moment to deter its ally © Israel from continuing the military elimination of Hamas and preparing for a new ground offensive. In Rafah (south of the enclave), where more than a million displaced people congregate ©s. And Joe Biden has just noticed during the primary in Michigan that his overly vocal support for Israel is alienating part of the Democratic left, which could thwart his comeback. © Election in November.
4. Hoping for a six-week truce
The November 2023 ceasefire, which allowed for the release of 105 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners, remains a long way off. As the Muslim fast approaches (which begins on March 10), 130 hostages are still being held in the Gaza tunnels, 30 of whom are believed to be dead, according to Hamas and the Ministry of Health. ©, which counts Palestinian deaths. , confirms that more than 30,200 people have died since Israeli bombing began on October 27.
On Saturday, hope for a new ceasefire finally arose. According to Washington, Israel has “more or less accepted” the terms of a six-week pause in fighting to allow for fresh exchanges of hostages and prisoners, as well as increased humanitarian aid. “The ball is now in Hamas’ court,” declared a senior American official, whose country is negotiating with Egypt and Qatar to seek a settlement between the warring parties. Between now and the start of Ramadan, every detail will be negotiated. With no guarantee of a favorable outcome.
