As Gaza starves, Israel fights on

IN A LONG-TERM planning session on July 21st Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir, the head of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), told his fellow generals that 2026 would be a year of “preparedness, realising achievements, returning to competency and fundamentals”. In the meeting, the largest since the war in Gaza began nearly 22 months ago, he said the army should be preparing for another war with Iran. General Zamir’s message was not intended just for the officers in the room. He was telling the government and the Israeli public that the IDF’s top brass did not think the Gaza war should continue.

And yet it continues. The night before the generals’ meeting, the IDF began a new offensive aimed at encircling Deir al-Balah, a town on the coast of the strip that had previously remained relatively unscathed (see map). That illustrates a growing difference between the IDF and the government of Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister. The generals think that, militarily, there is no point continuing the war against Hamas, the Islamist group that still controls parts of Gaza. The government wants them to fight on.

For Gazans, that means a catastrophic situation is getting worse by the day. Deir al-Balah houses the offices of many aid organisations. Many refugees have taken shelter there. Since the IDF began its offensive on July 20th, dozens of people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the town. On July 21st the IDF struck the staff quarters and the main warehouse of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and detained one WHO employee. The organisation said the destruction of the warehouse, which was subsequently looted, had crippled its efforts to sustain Gaza’s collapsing health-care system.

At the same time, Israel continues to wage what it calls an “economic war”. The point is to replace the existing humanitarian supply networks of international organisations, which it claims were being controlled by Hamas, with its own system. The bulk of the aid that still gets into the strip is distributed at four hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in areas controlled by the IDF (see map). Food distribution at the hubs, which are run by American contractors, is chaotic and often deadly. In recent days, dozens of Gazans have been crushed to death while queueing at the centres; since the hubs opened in May hundreds more have been killed by IDF fire on the approach routes.

Some aid groups are still allowed to bring limited supplies into Gaza City. Gangs that Israel says are fighting Hamas are also allowed to bring in their own food. Yet there is not enough aid to keep Gazans from starving. On July 21st countries including Britain and many member states of the European Union condemned the “drip feeding” of aid and called on Israel to abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law. On July 23rd a group of more than 100 international organisations said Israel’s distribution system was creating “chaos, starvation and death”. Supplies had been “totally depleted”, they said, with their own colleagues wasting away before their eyes. The same day health authorities in Gaza reported that 46 people had starved to death in July, ten of them over the previous 24 hours.

Israel denies that it is responsible for hunger in Gaza. It called the countries’ statement “disconnected from reality” and blamed Hamas for undermining aid distribution and failing to agree to a ceasefire.

The latest indirect talks in Qatar between Israeli and Hamas negotiators about a ceasefire have yet to yield a breakthrough after nearly three weeks of negotiations. The basic framework envisages a 60-day truce. During that time, Hamas would release some of the Israeli hostages it has held since October 2023 in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and further talks towards a full ceasefire would be held.

But the extent of the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza continues to hold up a deal. Hamas wants Israel to withdraw as a prelude to a full retreat from Gaza. Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition partners want perpetual Israeli occupation of Gaza and the removal of its people, most of whom have already been crammed into a small area in the centre of the strip. Agreeing on a ceasefire would probably push Mr Netanyahu’s partners to bring down his government. Yet without a ceasefire, it will be hard to avert full-blown famine in Gaza. ■