Recent briefings have painted a harrowing picture of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. In less than six months, cases of child malnutrition have already tripled. The United Nations has reported that almost one in three children in Gaza City are malnourished. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN’s agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), painted a catastrophic picture. He termed it “a man-made, preventable starvation.” More than two million people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, suffering from disease and displacement. Israel’s extended military siege has exacerbated even those dismal conditions.
Israel’s large scale military operation in Gaza has been almost 22 months. This dramatic escalation started after Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. PM Netanyahu claims that the latest military campaign is the fastest way to end Israel’s longest war. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have already mobilized over 400,000 reservists. They are preparing for a coming ground invasion of Gaza City that, according to Netanyahu, is one of Hamas’s final redoubts.
Military authorities claim that the conquest of Gaza City will necessitate the mobilization of an additional 60,000 reserve troops. In addition, they are going to lengthen the service time of 20,000 more troops. Even for the military support that has been urgently called for, worries about attrition and burnout are growing within the IDF. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Chief of Staff, briefed the security cabinet on the tasks in front of them. At the same time, former IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, warned that reservists wouldn’t answer the call of duty.
The Israeli military is hyper-leveraged on a very small all-volunteer active-duty force, largely consisting of conscripts. This reality has already raised talks of conscripting ultra-Orthodox men to bolster troop numbers. Military leaders are sounding the alarm on an increasing lack of manpower. They are not prepared to punish reservists who do not wish to serve in Gaza.
As time goes on, critics have raised alarm over what this all means for those held by Hamas. Avshalom Zohar Sal, spokesperson for families of hostages, spoke out in serious fear over the military campaign.
“I think this decision is a death sentence for the hostages,” – Avshalom Zohar Sal.
Zohar Sal further remarked on the shifting objectives of the conflict, stating:
“The government talked and said all the time that we’re talking about two missions for this war: to return the hostages and to defeat Hamas. Now it’s like telling us there’s only one goal, which I believe is not achievable: to destroy Hamas. And even this won’t destroy Hamas.”
With over a million residents already displaced from other areas of Gaza, the Israeli security cabinet has approved an operation targeting a densely populated city. The humanitarian implications are huge, with four in five families reporting worsening living conditions as violence continues to intensify.
Soldiers for Hostages have expressed concerns regarding the exploitation of children in these circumstances:
“Your children do not know how to refuse on their own because it is difficult. It is almost impossible.” – Soldiers for Hostages.
With all this taking place, military operations are still underway and humanitarian groups are pleading for immediate action to help respond to a quickly worsening crisis. The circumstances are still dire, as both military and civilian lives are still at stake.
