Stop and Drop, NOW!
UPDATE: At last, thank God All Mighty, at last! (See below.) This piece was originally written in December.
Enough moaning and groaning as Palestinians starve and freeze; instead, mobilize all the humanitarian rescue supplies in Europe (and wherever) and airdrop them into Gaza, ASAP.
No one, no country, has the right to order a million people to evacuate their city without providing a safe haven for them. It is more than abundantly clear that Israel has no intention to do any such thing. We can get angry at Israel for this, but not out of self-righteousness; as far as I know, no army forcing its way into a city has ever assumed such a responsibility for the displaced. It is time to lead by example and establish a new standard for the future.
Would Israel allow it? One little-noticed flicker of light in the billowing smoke: Jordan requested clearance to airdrop supplies to the hospital it runs in Gaza; Israel granted it, twice. But Israel’s attitude should not determine whether or not Gazans receive humanitarian aid. The operation should be launched by those willing to face the inherent dangers.
My bet is that Israel will not interfere as long as a few ground rules are followed.
(1) No warfighting materiel is delivered, as verified by EU/US officials.
(2) Daily deliveries are completed within an hour or so. Israel to be notified exactly how many aircraft will be in each delivery, and they fly over one by one.
(3) Each palette should be clearly marked: “For noncombatants ONLY; pregnant women and children first.”
The airdrops should include: food, water purification pills, heating fuel, medical supplies, large tents, blankets, and warm clothes for children, etc. Just like for a remote town after an earthquake in winter.
This should be sustained until Israel ceases bombarding the Gaza Strip, not a day sooner.
So, STOP snivelling about the innocents; and airDROP humanitarian aid to them, NOW!
UPDATE: (from The Intercept)
“In the first bit of not-completely-awful news in a very long time, the flour massacre seems to have nudged the Biden administration into action. The White House on Saturday joined Jordan in air dropping food into Gaza, which gets around the Israeli blockade, just as the U.S. did when the Soviet Union blockaded Western Germany. It is too late for many, but that’s no reason to give up on the millions still struggling to survive.”
We want to know more! How many tons of aid are being delivered this way? Where are they being dropped? Has Israel given unconditional clearance, or has it placed limitations on it? And why the heck isn’t this receiving more media attention? (Has Israel insisted on downplaying it for domestic reasons?)
