The Gaza Strip has often been described as a kind of open-air prison, due to the strict Israeli border controls and the restrictions of all kinds imposed on its citizens. The Israeli army's latest operation, which consists of ordering mass evacuations to further narrow the Strip by occupying the entire perimeter with a security zone, with the idea of dividing it later, makes the reality of Gaza increasingly resemble a prison. A prison, moreover, that is a death trap due to the Israeli attacks that, under the guise of neutralizing Hamas, end up causing an extremely high number of civilian casualties.
It is not difficult to imagine that the ultimate goal of Benjamin Netanyahu's government is to put such unbearable pressure on the population that they are finally forced to abandon their homes. Recall that Netanyahu already praised Donald Trump's idea of turning the area into a large Mediterranean resort, but, of course, to do so, they must first expel the Palestinians.
If the entire Gaza Strip is currently a living hell, the epicenter is in the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. The mayor explained to ARA that the situation is critical because the Israelis have ordered the evacuation of the city, endangering thousands of people who have nowhere to go and have been under military siege for ten days, without water, food, or medical care. Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft also bombed two areas in the south of Gaza City and a UNRWA clinic in Jabalia, in the north of the Strip, where displaced people were taking refuge. They have killed nineteen people, including eight children, and survivors are still being searched for in the rubble.
It's curious to see how Trump seems to have lost the interest he showed in the conflict in the early days, when he could have claimed credit for the ceasefire and the handover of hostages, and has now given Netanyahu carte blanche to act as he sees fit. And the Israeli prime minister is taking advantage of this to prolong a war that is the key to his political survival, as it is the only way to secure the support of the extremists in Parliament and avoid legal responsibility. However, if the war was intended to rescue the hostages, it has so far been a complete failure. On the contrary, the current operations are surely putting them in even greater danger.
With the United States looking the other way, the situation is frankly discouraging. Europe alone has no capacity to exert effective pressure on Israel, nor do the Arab countries. But they should at least take note of the situation and denounce both the massacres in Gaza and the authoritarian tendencies of the Israeli government, which are increasingly distant from the democratic ideal. An example of this is Netanyahu's confrontation with the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, whom he intends to replace in a pending court ruling. It is also no coincidence that Hungarian Viktor Orbán is receiving him today on a trip that serves as a way for Netanyahu to challenge the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court.
