Washington DC – As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders to call for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, Israel intensified its bombing of the Palestinian territory, hitting hospitals, ambulances and civilians fleeing for safety .
Rights advocates say “humanitarian pauses” are insufficient to end the carnage in Gaza, where the United Nations has expressed concern about possible war crimes.
“This is obviously totally insufficient and it is probably not sustainable over time. It’s a pretty absurd approach,” said Adam Shapiro, advocacy director for Israel-Palestine at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN).
“I don’t know who advises the American administration on the legal level, but if they think that this is a way of compensating for international humanitarian law, they are seriously mistaken. It’s just not legitimate.
Shapiro added that calling for pauses also paves the way for an “open-ended” conflict without accountability or political cost to Israel.
While in Israel on Friday, Blinken said the temporary cessation of fighting would allow more aid to Gaza, protect Palestinian civilians and enable diplomacy to free captives held by Hamas.
“We believe that each of these efforts would be facilitated by humanitarian pauses and by arrangements on the ground that strengthen the security of civilians and enable more effective and sustainable delivery of humanitarian assistance,” he told the journalists.
The White House had said earlier that any pause would be “localized,” a far less ambitious goal than achieving a full ceasefire.
This position nevertheless marks a change in the American position. Two weeks ago, Washington vetoed a United Nations Security Council proposal calling for a humanitarian pause.
“Not adequate”
Sandra Tamari, executive director of the Adalah Justice Project, an advocacy group, said the call for a humanitarian pause shows the Biden administration is responding to growing domestic pressure over the rising death toll in Gaza. More than 9,000 Palestinians were killed on Friday.
“The Biden administration sees the American public’s outrage over this genocide and killings, and it is increasingly difficult for them to justify continuing Israel,” Tamari told Al Jazeera.
Blinken’s visit comes amid growing discontent among Arab and Muslim communities over the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis. A survey earlier this week showed Biden polling hit a record high of 17% support among Arab Americans, down 42 percentage points.
Growing dissension has also been reported within the administration itself. A State Department official, Josh Paul, said he resigned from his post because of the United States’ “continued murderous assistance to Israel.”
Tamari stressed that a humanitarian pause would not quell anger within communities that support Palestinian rights.
“The Palestinians don’t want a pause in the bombing for food to arrive and be bombed again,” she said. “This is absolutely unacceptable.”
But even Blinken’s modest push for a temporary suspension of hostilities appears to have been rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I made it clear that we maintain all our forces and that Israel refuses a temporary ceasefire that does not include the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Shapiro said the rebuff echoes a long-standing approach among Israeli leaders. They can ignore Washington’s demands, he explained, because they know the United States will not impose real consequences on Israel.
For example, American opposition to Illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank have done little to stop Israel’s expansion in that region or worsening state-sponsored settler violence, Shapiro said.
“The Israelis are now simply saying to the Americans: We’re not even listening to what you have to say because you’re not supporting it with anything. »
Israel receives $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid each year, and Biden has requested more than $14 billion in additional funding from the Israeli government since the war began.
Additionally, the Pentagon said earlier this week that it “places no limits on how Israel uses weapons” supplied by the United States. Likewise, the White House said it “does not draw red lines” for Israel.
The US Department of Defense also confirmed on Friday that US surveillance drones were flying over Gaza to support “Israeli partners in their hostage recovery efforts”, suggesting direct involvement in the Israeli military campaign.
Palestinian groups are holding more than 200 prisoners, following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,400 Israelis.
Since then, Israel has declared war on Hamas and relentlessly bombed Gaza, in the name of eradicating the Palestinian group.
“Blood on your hands”
Given U.S. support for Israel’s war effort, Palestinian rights advocates say they are unconvinced by the Biden administration’s growing emphasis on protecting civilians in Gaza.
In fact, Israel’s bombing campaign appears to have worsened over the past two weeks, as U.S. officials have increased their calls for the Israeli military to respect the “rules of war.”
On Friday, Blinken said he saw his “own children” in images of dead and injured Palestinian children in Gaza. However, he continued to emphasize U.S. support for Israel.
But Tamari, of the Adalah Justice Project, said Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans do not fall “for these niceties.”
“All Palestinians look at Blinken, look at Biden, look at this entire administration and say, ‘You have blood on your hands,’” Tamari said.
Tariq Kenney-Shawa, an American researcher at the Palestinian think tank Al-Shabaka, also rejected the Biden administration’s softening tone and its call for humanitarian pauses.
“Any party funding Israel to the tune of $14 billion and restocking the munitions Israel uses to commit genocide in Gaza is an active accomplice,” Kenney-Shawa said.
“The flowery rhetoric on human rights that the Biden administration is known for is just hot air. If Washington wanted to influence Israel’s decision-making, it could easily take advantage of the unprecedented financial and military support it provides.”
There must be no confusion between Hamas and the Palestinians.
Palestinians deserve equal measures of safety and security, self-determination and dignity.
We have been very clear that the rules of war must be respected and that humanitarian aid must flow.
–Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 3, 2023
For now, as international pressure mounts and demands for a ceasefire grow louder, Kenney-Shawa said Israel is trying to inflict more suffering on the Palestinians.
“The minuscule pressure the Biden administration is putting on them is proof that unconditional support cannot last forever,” he told Al Jazeera in an email.
“I think they are trying to kill as many Palestinians as possible in this window of opportunity that they have where they are convinced that the United States is going to fight for them no matter what they do.”