Gaza in Flames
Gaza in Flames, Netanyahu Reckless
In Gaza, hospitals and schools have been targeted by Israeli airstrikes while the death toll since October 7 has exceeded 50,000, and Netanyahu continues to counter any form of opposition. The relentless bombings on the Gaza Strip continue, where Israel broke a two-month ceasefire last Tuesday, targeting refugee camps, schools, and hospitals.
According to an updated report published by Al Jazeera, at least 21 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes conducted last night and in the early hours of the day.
Al Jazeera reports that the Khan Younis area suffered the most damage, where the Al-Nasser Hospital was severely damaged by Israeli bombing.
In the hospital, Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, the highest advisory body of Hamas, who was recovering from injuries from a previous attack, was killed at this health center on Tuesday night.
Several other injuries were also reported in other attacks on the refugee camp near the Tiba Towers in western Khan Younis.
The Gaza Health Ministry has not yet released an updated report, but as of yesterday, at least 670 Palestinians have been killed since March 18, with more than 40% of them being children and teenagers, while about 1,200 others have been injured.
In total, these conflicts since October 2023 have resulted in over 50,000 deaths, when Hamas’s attack in southern Israel began the longest and bloodiest war in the modern history of the Middle East.
Israel Without Pause
Given the Israeli violence in resuming attacks on the Gaza Strip, the calm that had been established during the weeks of ceasefire and the faint hopes it had created for peace now seem like the calm before the storm.
On Wednesday, simultaneously with the bombings, the Israeli army launched a new ground operation aimed at creating a partial buffer zone between the north and south of the area.
For this purpose, military forces are regaining control of the Netzarim corridor, which divides the land into two parts.
The Israeli army had previously occupied the corridor for months but then withdrew on February 9 under a ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, in a direct appeal to the people of the Gaza Strip, urged Palestinians to expel Hamas and warned Hamas that if the remaining 59 hostages were not handed over, the Israeli armed forces would use all military and civil pressures, including U.S. President Trump’s voluntary migration plan for Gaza residents.
Netanyahu’s Attack on Internal Enemies
Katz’s threats are word-for-word similar to the statements of his ally in the White House.
Similarities that increasingly manifest in the tone and decisions of the Israeli government regarding its internal enemies.
Thus, after attacking the so-called deep state that he claims is blocking his policies, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first attempted to dismiss Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and then gave a vote of no confidence to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
The Cabinet yesterday approved a no-confidence motion against her, which is effectively the first step to removing her from her position.
Against her, the Council of Ministers yesterday approved a no-confidence motion, which is practically the first step to removing her from her position.
This is the first time in Israeli history that the highest judicial authority, responsible for overseeing the activities of the public prosecution and providing legal advice to the government, is being ousted by the executive branch.
In protest against this action, which was widely interpreted as another attempt by the Prime Minister to silence any opposition against him, thousands of Israelis took to the streets.
According to many observers in Israel, the Prime Minister is implementing an autocratic shift related to his conflicts with the judiciary over various corruption cases in which he is accused.
To escape these cases, Netanyahu pushed forward a controversial reform in the judicial system, which sparked widespread protests in Israel.
The approval of these reforms in 2023 was halted with the start of the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The European Union is Present but Unseen
In these conditions of indiscriminate attacks on the Strip and institutional tensions in Israel, Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, arrived in the region today to try to revive the EU’s role in the conflict.
However, today, the EU diplomatic representative, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar emphasized in a joint press conference that Israel respects international law and therefore deserves EU support, only nodded in agreement.
Kallas, who has never publicly criticized her Israeli ally in these months, is in a difficult position because she must represent a bloc of divided countries, while some member states continue to send weapons and ammunition to Israel, which contradicts international commitments and the Geneva Conventions.
As a result, it is no coincidence that a few days ago the Council of Europe issued a weak condemnation of the ceasefire violations and refrained from mentioning the responsibilities of the Israeli government in its text because some European leaders refused to sign it.
Nevertheless, since March 2, Israel has imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, effectively blocking the entry of all humanitarian aid, medicines, and commercial supplies, including fuel and food, which is clearly a blatant violation of international law.
And it has also cut off electricity to the main desalination facilities active in the Gaza Strip.
But today, those who expected strong words from the European representative were disappointed as she moved towards Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority officials.
Kallas called for the resumption of the ceasefire because, according to her, violence begets more violence.
To restore her and the European Union’s credibility, much more action is needed.
Thus, the no-confidence motion against Attorney General Baharav-Miara is a clear and fresh signal of the government’s priorities. The cabinet convenes twice in four days, not to discuss Gaza, Lebanon, or Qatargate, but to deliver another blow to the leaders of state institutions.
The controversial judicial reform project has never been sidelined, and the coming days will be decisive in determining whether the separation of powers will still be implemented in Israel by the end of the week or whether the judicial system will become politicized. All eyes are on the Knesset, which is set to discuss the most important aspect of the reform, namely the political appointments of judges, between Wednesday and Thursday, an issue that will push Israel towards a constitutional crisis.