'Israel's' carousel strategy in north Gaza aggravating suffering: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: New York Times
13 Nov 2024 01:33

As "Israel" renews its wide-scale aggression in north Gaza, a year after its first invasion, civilians are caught in a new round of suffering.

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A Palestinian woman reacts over the body of a child as she sits by bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp, at the Indonesian hospital, northern Gaza Strip, Nov. 18, 2023. (AP)

When "Israel" declared it was going to invade the Gaza Strip last year, its first target was the densely populated north, characterized by packed urban centers and strawberry fields stretched across the border with occupied territories.

Israeli occupation forces, claiming Hamas was operating in civilian areas, bombarded residential buildings, homes, makeshift shelters that were once schools, and hospitals. Currently, a year later, north Gaza is still trapped in the same cycle of violence.

For the past five weeks, the Israeli occupation, claiming once again that Hamas regrouped and revived its capabilities, centered its onslaught on the northern district of the Strip, executing its deadliest and most destructive attacks yet. At least 100,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced and over 1,000 others massacred.

According to the authors of a New York Times op-ed, "Israel" intensifying its attacks on the north showcases the deadly loop it has enforced as it runs around in circles, trying to chase down Hamas.

Two Israeli security officials likened the strategy to "cutting grass," a phrase that has been used by Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for years. They explained that whenever Hamas cells reemerge, Israeli forces will return to allegedly eliminate them.

The report indicated that the Israeli military's carousel fight reflects a more questionable strategy embodied by "Israel's" avoidance of holding ground and Netanyahu's abstention when it comes to a clear postwar plot for Gaza, enabling the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas to fill out the power void.

According to an anonymous senior Israeli security official, the Israeli strategy, this time round, aims at isolating Hamas in north Gaza and Gaza City, as the Israeli military plans to remain in the area for another month.

The authors cited Gadi Shamni, a retired general who previously commanded the IOF in Gaza, as saying that the complete occupation of the north would entail massive resources, noting that instead, "Israel" was looking for a "temporary fix", forcing civilians to pay the heavy price.

Civilians bear the brunt of 'Israel's' strategy

A group of international food security specialists cautioned on Friday that famine is likely to occur soon in parts of the northern Gaza Strip as the Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip and its people, including women and children.

In a rare alert, the independent Famine Review Committee (FRC) said, "Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict, or have influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation."

The alert comes shortly before a US deadline for "Israel" to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Almost a year ago, the UN described the region as "uninhabitable" due to Israeli airstrikes, warning that failure to make progress could lead to potential cuts in US military aid.

The US claimed that it is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that Israeli actions in northern Gaza do not reflect a “policy of starvation.”

However, Palestinians, Israeli human rights groups, and even some members of the Israeli military claim that "Israel" is carrying out a strategy known as the “generals’ plan,”which they describe as a "surrender or starve" approach aimed at forcing the depopulation of northern Gaza.