By Nader Khamis Al-Turk, Researcher in International Relations and International Law
It appears that President Biden’s administration, which has never officially renounced the “Deal of the Century” crafted by President Trump’s administration, is attempting to push through and implement the deal as an accomplished fact, exploiting the humanitarian situation of Gaza’s residents. They are enduring daily brutal airstrikes that target children, women, and the elderly.
After the Trump administration’s failure to intimidate the Palestinian leadership through political and economic blockades and the drying up of financial resources for the Palestinian people, the Biden administration seems to be trying to push the Deal of the Century through, capitalizing on the Palestinian leadership’s concern for the lives of their people in Gaza. These lives are under threat from round-the-clock bombardments and the destruction of homes over the heads of innocent civilians. This is especially true after the arrival of the US aircraft carrier Ford in the region and Britain’s announcement of sending warships to support the Israelis. Additionally, most of the world’s countries blindly support Israel.
In this regard, it is noteworthy that while the United Nations has called for providing humanitarian assistance to the residents of Gaza and the World Health Organization has emphasized the necessity of opening a humanitarian corridor to provide medical supplies, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs has called for opening humanitarian corridors and facilitating the departure of civilians to Egypt. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also stated that he discussed the opening of a humanitarian corridor for exiting Gaza through Egypt.
The United Nations stated early on Friday that the Israeli army has informed them that approximately 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza must move to the southern part of the territory in the coming twenty-four hours. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated in a press release, “The United Nations believes that it is impossible to implement such an order without catastrophic humanitarian consequences.” He continued, “The United Nations strongly urges the cancellation of any such order if confirmed, to avoid what could turn an existing tragedy into a catastrophic situation.”
Dujarric further emphasized that the order issued by the Israeli army also applies to all UN staff and those residing in UN facilities, including schools, health centers, and clinics. If the United States, the European Union, and some international powers are unable to convince the Israelis to stop their aggression and targeting of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and to abide by international humanitarian law, it is necessary for our people to leave Gaza.
Most of Gaza’s residents are refugees, and there is UN Resolution 194, which states their right to return to their properties and homes from which they were displaced in 1948. Since the Israelis have evacuated settlements around Gaza Strip, it is preferable to open safe corridors to transport Gaza’s residents to the settlements in the Gaza envelope. This would fulfil part of the international legitimacy and implement Resolution 194, which has been waiting for implementation for decades.
Taking such a step by returning the refugees in Gaza to the 1948 borders will restore hope in the hearts of the Palestinian people that there is a fair political solution to the Palestinian issue and that a bright future awaits the younger generations in the region.
