Basharat to Shehab: Peace Council Ties Saving Gaza from Humanitarian Catastrophe to Disarming Resistance

Political analyst Suleiman Basharat said the “Peace Council” statement on the recent floods and humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip reflects a disavowal of direct responsibility for following up on humanitarian conditions and implementing the ceasefire agreement, by distributing responsibility among the parties and linking humanitarian response to political and security files.

In remarks to Shehab Agency, Basharat explained that the Council, which was tasked with overseeing humanitarian conditions and following up on the implementation of the agreement, placed part of the responsibility on the occupation government for the delay in bringing in shelter supplies and aid, but at the same time linked addressing the humanitarian crisis to demanding that Hamas lay down its arms and relinquish power, which perpetuates the continued suffering of the population instead of ensuring their urgent needs are met.

He noted that linking the humanitarian protocol and basic needs in Gaza to political conditions turns the humanitarian file into a tool for bargaining and extortion, stressing that priority must be given to implementing the ceasefire agreement and the humanitarian protocol, opening the crossings and bringing in aid, shelter and winter supplies without delay.

Basharat criticized the delay in the Council’s position, stressing that action should have preceded the worsening of the humanitarian crisis with the onset of winter, especially since warnings about the repercussions of weather depressions and rain on displaced people were clear, in light of what civilians, including women and children, endured last winter.

He stressed that the Council’s responsibility requires taking practical and immediate steps to implement the humanitarian protocol and pressing the Israeli government and obliging it to bring in aid and the materials needed to protect civilians, instead of settling for statements and calls that do not put an end to their suffering.

In a statement issued on November 9, the “Peace Council” expressed concern over the floods that swept across the Gaza Strip over the past two days and submerged thousands of tents and temporary shelters, warning that the repercussions of the rain could turn into a humanitarian emergency requiring the urgent entry of shelter supplies, sanitation, water drainage and winter preparedness materials.

The Council called on the occupation government to allow the entry of humanitarian materials and winter supplies and to implement its commitments under the humanitarian protocol, and also demanded that Hamas lay down its arms, relinquish power and transfer it to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, considering that it is part of the problem.

It called on the United Nations, its agencies and international donors to mobilize the resources and supplies needed to respond to urgent needs, considering that the delay in implementing pledges has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and hindered progress on other files linked to the peace plan.