Sky News and
the WHO (both of whom I wish knew better) say in this article that “Gaza
faces 'man-made' mass starvation due to Israeli aid blockade, where the Israeli
government is creating "chaos, starvation, and death". It’s
deeply regrettable how the mainstream media peddles this kind of toxic, narrow, anti-Israel reporting. So many people are getting sucked in by this
squalid mainstream media attempt to disproportionately frame the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict through an ideological lens that attempts to
flatten the true complexity of the situation. We really should do better as a
nation than churning out this perverse narrative that sacrifices nuance and
fact for click-driven outrage.
I have friends and family based in the region who regularly share with us what’s going on there – and these are deeply kind and humanitarian Christians whose testimony is far more powerful and reliable than the media ideologues who push this kind of unbalanced reporting. No one disputes that the situation in the region is grim, desperate and tragic. But this is also a deeply complex and politically charged crisis with layers that stretch right into to the heart of the evil and corruption of Hamas, and the concomitant logistical difficulties in aid distribution. As is usually the case, the innocent victims in all this are citizens under this influence of this brutal Hamas regime.
For a more balanced view, just consider for a moment how tough and complex it is trying to administer aid in a region under the heavy influence of a brutal terrorist group like Hamas, governed by a State that knows this terrorist group wants to obliterate their very existence. The primary reasons why so many Palestinians are desperate and suffering is because of Hamas. Because of Hamas’s murderous influence in the region, there are inevitable aid restrictions and delays at border crossings; there have been grotesque destructions of infrastructure, water systems, and hospitals; and access barriers inside Gaza that make it hard for UN and NGOs to operate, even when aid gets in. In an environment where Hamas controls citizens with its despicable ideology, loots aid, uses human shields for combat, uses fuel or metal pipes to build rockets or tunnels to attack Israel, all embedding in civilian zones, it’s sadly inevitable that aid distribution will be problematic.
When Israel allows aid in, it too frequently doesn't reach the people who need it because of the Hamas-led breakdown of governance in Gaza and minimal coordination. Many aid trucks have been looted en route, and safe distribution is almost impossible in certain areas. There are limited operational NGOs – and many NGOs have had to leave or suspend operations due to airstrikes, lack of security, or destroyed facilities. The influence of Hamas in the region means aid workers lack the fuel, staff, or security guarantees to distribute the aid effectively. The problems also mean there is frequently no supply of electricity, making food storage impossible, destroyed infrastructure, minimal clean water and medical care – for some, the entire system of survival has been collapsing beneath their feet.
There is, clearly, the need to consider the confluence of overlapping difficulties in targeting and restricting Hamas and the collective punishment that Palestinians endure as a result, but imagine what it’s like trying to operate in conditions where Islamic thugs continually wish to eradicate you and your people. It’s not possible to interpret this situation in good conscience and still conclude that the Israeli government is creating "chaos, starvation, and death".
I’m afraid the devastating truth is, Hamas’ presence and tactics create conditions where mass starvation becomes almost inevitable, especially when combined with the destruction of infrastructure and the collapse of aid systems. Wicked terrorist organisations like Hamas do not make very good agents for governance, and the Palestinian people are sorry victims in this mess.