Witkoff, Starvation and Gaza

By Ali Saada

The visit of US envoy Steve Witkoff to the Gaza Strip is nothing more than a certificate of good conduct to war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and his gang, and an endorsement for them to continue their war of starvation and to implementing their plan, which aligns with the desires, wishes, and dreams of Donald Trump and his “Gaza Riviera.”

It is an attempt to abort, calm, and cool the growing international outcry and anger over the massacres perpetrated against those awaiting aid, and an attempt to whitewash the ugly face of the US administration.

This is a propaganda and media appearance, drenched in blood, at the expense of the suffering and lives of Gaza’s children and women, by officials who lack even the most basic sense of humanity. This is intended to present a “false” image of the humanitarian situation, to downplay the impact of the images of famine and starvation spreading globally, and to suggest that the situation is under control.

What the occupation wants is an agreement that preserves its interests and ensures the removal of Hamas from power. This agreement may include arrangements for the “transfer of the population of the Gaza Strip,” without committing to reconstruction or substantially alleviating the humanitarian situation.

The agreement should be limited to the entry of aid, a partial withdrawal, a prisoner exchange, and a permanent ceasefire.

In any case, the US administration bears full responsibility for the worsening famine in the Gaza Strip. According to dozens of UN organizations and civil society institutions, including Israeli “human rights” organizations, as well as press and human rights reports, the occupation is committing genocide and, along with American snipers and mercenaries, has transformed aid distribution centers into death traps.

The US aid company has become a lethal criminal tool contributing to the engineering of hunger and the killing of civilians, in a scheme that goes beyond starvation and killing to the destruction of the foundations of Palestinian life and existence, as a starting point for the forced displacement project. The US administration is an essential part of the war of starvation against the Palestinian people, working directly to support the occupation and cover up its crimes.

Wittkoff’s visit to the US aid company is an official American cover for continuing its crimes against the starving and an attempt to point to a blatant moral collapse. It is an attempt to beautify the image of the occupation and fabricate lies about the reality of aid. The truth is that famine is spreading and expanding in the Strip, amid the blocking of aid, the closure of crossings, and the creation of chaos in Gaza by aid-stealing gangs operating under Israeli protection.

Witkoff’s visit is clear evidence of the need to include the United States in the cases before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, as a de facto partner and complicit in the genocide and war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

This article was originally published in Arabic in Al Sabeel electronic newspaper in Amman.

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16 Countries Support Two-State Solution

The “New York Declaration,” launched Tuesday at a United Nations conference, reaffirmed support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict amid the rising famine and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza following Israeli assaults.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s offensive on Gaza has killed over 60,000 Palestinians. Relentless bombing has devastated the enclave, causing severe food shortages. At least 154 people, including 89 children, have died from starvation.

The declaration was issued at the conclusion of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held under the joint chairmanship of Saudi Arabia and France according to Anadolu.

“We agreed to take collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful, and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution, and to build a better future for Palestinians, Israelis, and all peoples of the region,” the statement said.

According to the declaration, recent developments have “highlighted, once again, and more than ever, the terrifying human toll and the grave implications for regional and international peace and security” caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

It added that without “decisive measures towards the two-state solution and robust international guarantees, the conflict will deepen and regional peace will remain elusive.”

In comments made by Turkish officials at the meeting, the following statements were used: “Based on the decades-long Israeli record, handover of weapons by Palestinian armed groups should be closely conditioned to the realization of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital or in accordance with an agreement reached among Palestinian groups as part of the reconciliation process.”

Türkiye, France, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Norway, Qatar, Senegal, Spain, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the Arab League endorsed the declaration.    

‘Gaza must be unified with West Bank’

The statement called for an immediate end to Israel’s war in Gaza, expressing support for efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to bring all parties back to the ceasefire agreement.

It emphasized the importance of implementing all phases of the agreement, including a permanent end to hostilities, the release of all hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of all remains, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Following the ceasefire, the declaration also suggested the establishment of a transitional administrative committee to operate in Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority.

The statement reaffirmed that Gaza is “an integral part of a Palestinian state” and “must be unified” with the occupied West Bank. It emphasized that governance, law enforcement, and security across all Palestinian territories should fall solely under the authority of the Palestinian Authority, with appropriate international support.

The document also welcomed the Palestinian Authority’s “One State, One Government, One Law, One Gun” policy and pledged support for its implementation.

According to the declaration, this includes advancing a disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) process, to be carried out within a framework agreed upon with international partners and under a set timeframe.

The declaration reaffirmed support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. It backed the Palestinian right to self-determination and said full UN membership for Palestine is essential to any lasting political solution.   

International legal action highlighted

The annex to the New York Declaration, summarizing proposals from participating states, calls for full cooperation with international legal bodies.

It urges ICC member states to support the court’s investigation into the situation in Palestine and encourages countries to join the genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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