Gaza update: Netanyahu knocks back Hamas peace plan while the prospect of mass famine looms ever larger

Unfortunately for many of the 1.7 million people reportedly displaced by Israel’s four-month onslaught in Gaza, this is where more than a million of them have taken refuge, according to the latest estimates.

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https://theconversation.com/gaza-update-netanyahu-knocks-back-hamas-peace-plan-while-the-prospect-of-mass-famine-looms-ever-larger-223139https://theconversation.com/gaza-update-netanyahu-knocks-back-hamas-peace-plan-while-the-prospect-of-mass-famine-looms-ever-larger-223139
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Thursday, February 8, 2024
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UCL, University, White, University College London, Pressure, Thought, International court, Starvation, History, Government, Genocide, Deakin University, Islamic republic, Life, University of East London, International, United Nations, UNRWA, Politics, Benjamin Netanyahu, Face, Morale, PLO, Food, ICJ, UN, International law, Hamas, Jews, American University, War, Democracy, NEVER, University of London, OCHA
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OSLO, WHITE HOUSE, IRAN, UK, ISRAEL, MIDDLE EAST, US, JORDAN, AUSTRALIA
Summary
Key Points: 
  • Unfortunately for many of the 1.7 million people reportedly displaced by Israel’s four-month onslaught in Gaza, this is where more than a million of them have taken refuge, according to the latest estimates.
  • Insisting that “the day after [the war] is the day after Hamas – all of Hamas”, Netanyahu said he intended to press on until Israel had achieved “total victory”.
  • His personal approval ratings are abysmal – only 15% of Israelis in a recent survey said they thought he should keep his job after the war ends.
  • Despite Netanyahu’s wholesale rejection of the notion of Palestinian statehood, both the US and UK have said they are considering the possibility of recognising Palestine after the conflict ends.
  • The UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, said such a move would be “absolutely vital for the long-term peace and security of the region”.
  • Read more:
    UK and US may recognise state of Palestine after Gaza war – what this important step would mean

    So what is the two-state solution?

  • Read more:
    Explainer: what is the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

War crime and punishment

  • The ICJ ordered Israel to take steps to prevent genocidal actions in Gaza, to punish incitement to genocide, to allow Gaza’s people access to humanitarian aid, and to preserve and collect any evidence of war crimes committed during the conflict.
  • He writes that it has been a tactic of war for centuries, and that sieges and blockades remain part of the arsenal of armed conflict.
  • It is also a collective punishment – something explicitly banned under international humanitarian law.
  • Read more:
    Gaza: weaponisation of food has been used in conflicts for centuries – but it hasn't always resulted in victory

There goes the neighbourhood

  • In Iran, the Islamic Republic presides over a parlous economy and considerable public unrest as the “woman, life, freedom” mass protests continue.
  • In the White House, meanwhile, Joe Biden wants a telegenic show of US force without embroiling his country in a major land war.
  • Read more:
    How Iran controls a network of armed groups to pursue its regional strategy

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