Israel’s policies deny Gaza’s Palestinians normal lives

Gaza continues to headline regional print and broadcast news. For people following the news, it is nearly impossible to evade the catastrophe that has overtaken Gaza. The strip’s 2.3 million Palestinians are starving due to Israel's blockade of food, water and fuel which began on March 2nd. Although limited aid deliveries resumed at the end of May, the majority of families continue to struggle to obtain enough food to avoid starvation.

- Michael Jansen, Political Correspondent

This has increased pressure on Israel to agree to end the blockade and ceasefire in the war which it resumed on March 18th, after a three-month truce. However, Israel and the US have pulled out of indirect negotiations with Hamas brokered by Qatar, arguing that Hamas has refused to do a deal. This is not true: Hamas has simply not agreed to the deal Israel and the US have tabled at a time they appear to have believed starvation in Gaza would compel Hamas to agree to Israeli-US terms.

Hamas has accepted a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. As it distrusts the US and Israel, Hamas is asking for more Palestinian prisoners than proposed. Hamas also demands the reopening of Gaza’s Egyptian border with Israel and the redeployment of the Israeli army away from civilian centres within Gaza. Hamas calls for the exclusion of the US-Israel Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) since 1,000 Palestinians have been killed during distributions of aid since late May. Hamas calls for a return to previous UN aid mechanisms. At the end of the ceasefire Hamas seeks a total withdrawal from Gaza of Israeli forces, an end to the war and reconstruction of Gaza with its population in situ.