Gaza’s endless Nakba: Israel's persistent displacement of Palestinians

No one and nothing halt the Israeli juggernaut that is crushing everyone and everything in its path as it rolls across Gaza. More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed, 105,000 wounded, and 11,000 are missing beneath the rubble of homes and shelters. Ninety-one per cent of 2.3 million Gazans have been displaced, the majority confined to unsafe "safe zones," while 89 per cent of the strip has been proclaimed an evacuation area by the Israeli military.

Last week during an address to the Security Council, the acting head of the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) Joyce Msuya condemned "daily cruelty" in Gaza where "acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes" were being committed. She said homeless civilians are "forced to witness their family members killed, burned and buried alive" and called Gaza "a wasteland of rubble” where 70 per cent of housing has been damaged or destroyed.

Her comments were reinforced by Pope Francis who has called for an investigation into whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the pope said in a book published last Tuesday. This was the first time he used the word “genocide” to apply to this war. He had previously deplored Israel’s campaign in Gaza. The pope’s remarks coincided with condemnation of Israel for war crimes by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

These comments from high profile figures followed the publication by Human Rights Watch (HRW) of a 154-page report entitled "Hopeless, Starving, and Besieged." HRW said, "There is no plausible military reason to justify Israel's mass displacement of nearly all of Gaza's population, often multiple times." This has been caused by Israeli "military evacuation orders [which] have caused grave harm" to over 90 per cent of the population of Gaza, stated HRW.

In addition, Israeli forces have carried out "deliberate, controlled demolitions of homes and civilian infrastructure” with the apparent aim of clearing "buffer zones" and security "corridors" from which Palestinians are "likely to be permanently displaced." HRW said that Israel's "actions do not comply with the rules of war."

HRW researcher Nadia hardman stated. "The Israeli government cannot claim to be keeping Palestinians safe when it kills them along escape routes, bombs so-called 'safe zones,' and cuts off food, water and sanitation." She said Israel has prevented Palestinians from returning home by "razing everything in large areas."

HRW dismissed Israel's claim that, "Palestinian armed groups are fighting from among civilians." This is used as justification for evacuations which, under the laws of war, are permitted exceptionally, for imperative military reasons and for the population's security."

As occupying power, Israel is obliged by international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide for Palestinians. Instead. HRW said, Israeli has "blocked all but a small fraction of the necessary humanitarian aid, water, electricity and fuel from reaching civilians in need."

In an unprecedented statement from a major international rights organisation, HRW declared that Israel has a 76-year history of refusing to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. "For almost eight decades Israeli authorities have denied the right to return of the 80 per cent of the population who are refugees and their descendants who were expelled or fled in 1948 from what is now Israel." HRW said this uprooting of Palestinians - which they call the "Nakba, or the catastrophe" - currently looms over Gazans who fear permanent displacement. HRW pointed out that during the current conflict, senior Israeli government officials and the war cabinet have “declared their intent to displace” Gaza Palestinians and said their "land will be handed over to [Israeii] settlers." HRW cited Israeli agriculture minister Avi Dichter who said, "We are now rolling out the Gaza Nakba."

HRW said Israeli is carrying out "violent displacement" of Gazans who “are members of another ethnic group," and evacuated areas are "likely to be permanent in the buffer zones and security corridors." HRW concluded, "Such actions of the Israeli authorities amount to ethnic cleansing."

Palestinians have lived under an "unlawful blockade for 17 years" and have endured "the continuous crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution" while Israel has been protected by a "wall of impunity," HRW stated.

Ever since Israel's war of establishment impunity has been provided by the US with President Joe Biden acting as current guarantor-in-chief. His administration has armed Israel to carry put a 13-plus offensive in Gaza but failed to challenge Israel over its refusal to deliver lifesaving supplies to Palestinians there. On October 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin sent a letter to their Israeli counterparts giving Israel 30 days to implement 19 measures to improve conditions in Gaza or risk a suspension of weapons deliveries which constitute 69 per cent of Israel’s arms imports. The Biden administration miserably failed to carry out this Threat.

Eight international relief agencies accused Israel of only partially implementing four of the 19 US demands. These were to allow some Palestinians to move inland to Khan Younes from al-Mawasi coastal "safe zone" for the winter, end bans on some essential items, waive customs on Jordanian supplies and permit Jordan's aid trucks to use northern crossings. These were not major US demands. Therefore, during the designated period, the agencies said, "Israel not only failed to meet the US criteria [but] took actions that dramatically worsened the situation."

The coalition of Care, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Save the Children, Anera, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Med Global and Refugees International reported 42 aid trucks had entered Gaza daily rather than the 350 the US required, and Israel barred all 100 trucks carrying commercial items. The Israeli regime did not deter the Knesset from cancelling the 1967 contract of the UN Palestinian refugee relief agency UNRWA to operate beyond January. While Israel was told to rescind evacuation orders where there was no military need, Reuters revealed 79 per cent of Gaza was under evacuation orders.

The agencies stated, "The effectiveness of international diplomatic efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza hinges on the United States and other countries to push Israel.” The agencies warned failure to meet Gaza's needs and respect international law "are already being repeated in Lebanon." No action has been taken by Washington: Impunity reigns.