The Israel-Hamas ceasefire is supposed to go to the netstage, but at the moment, Gaza’s inhabitants are faced with a problem, that of Israel continuing to prevent any aid from betting through. With the Strip being beaten by the usual torrential winter rains, Gazans are faced with the problem of being exposed to the elements, Their housing has been reduced to rubble by Israeli shelling and bombing, and there are not enough tents getting through. Then there are no food supplies, and no medicines. Not only do people exposed to the wrath of nature find poor diet makes them more susceptible to disease, but there is nothing to treat them once they fall ill. And all this is happening in the midst of Israel bombing and shelling indiscriminately, despite the ceasefire.
The world was told that the ceasefire would stop the killing, and allow the Gazans a path of return to normal life. In this way, Western countries were able to satisfy their publics that the slaughter would stop, and their pro- Palestine protests sould stop. Supporters of Israel have claimed that Hamas refusal to disarm was causing the violations, but it has become increasingly apparent that the ceasefire is not going to be allowed to come in the way of Israeli purposes, which seem to include the depopulation of the Gaza Strip and forcing Gazans to leave their land forever. It should cause concern to the USA that this has provoked a formal protest by eight Muslim-majority countries,five of them Arab, and including Pakistan. These are the countries which had met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and which include such countries as Turkiye, Indonesia and Pakistan, which are expected to provide the bulk of the peacekeeping forces. Also worrying for Israel would be the fact that the ministers signing the statement include all Arab countries recognizing Israel/
Both the USA and Israel must realize the support for the ceasefire among Muslim counties, which brought Hamas to the table, is collapsing. A joint statement from the eight foreign ministers is not just unusual, but also highly significant. It is not as if thestatement ignites a new controversy, it merely explains the signatories’ position on Israeli depredations which have been going on for a long time, and which have raised temperatures within the publics of the countries concerned.
