BEERSHEVA (Israel) - The scale of the Israeli army's aid to Palestinian civilians is enormous, and the vast majority of it is not even known. Czech President Petr Pavel told journalists in Israel today. For example, he said, the Israelis are supplying drinking water to Gaza. The repaired pipelines are often destroyed by Hamas because it does not want Israel to be portrayed as the one providing humanitarian aid, the head of state believes.
Israel launched the Gaza offensive in response to the Hamas attack of 7 October. The movement, which is considered a terrorist organisation by both the EU and the US, attacked the Israeli border area, killing 1 200 people and kidnapping around 240.
"The paradox is that often the repaired pipelines that are supposed to deliver water to Palestinian civilians are destroyed by Hamas because it simply doesn't want Israel to be the one delivering humanitarian aid. This makes it clear what Hamas' approach and interest is probably," Paul said. "I think it's fair to judge what kind of care is being provided to Palestinian civilians and how their interests are being served, or rather not served, by Hamas," he added.
Israel has slightly increased humanitarian aid to Gaza this month, but the UN says it is still insufficient. On Sunday, 237 truckloads of humanitarian aid reached Gaza, the most in a day since the current war began, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry's Office of Civil Affairs for Palestine (COGAT). However, according to UN agencies, this is still a 'drop in the ocean': before the war, about 500 trucks a day brought humanitarian aid to Gaza. On Monday, Israel inspected and allowed 227 trucks into the Gaza Strip, He told COGAT on the X network.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Palestine (UNRWA), over the weekend reiterated his fears of an outbreak of famine in the Gaza Strip. Back in December, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that over half a million people, about a quarter of the population, were starving there and warned that famine was imminent within six months.
According to the Czech President, a solution to the war, which is now in its 102nd day, is not possible without neutralising the structure and scope of Hamas. In his view, the movement has long manifested itself as a terrorist organisation and has systematically led the Palestinians to hatred and to a single goal, namely the destruction of the State of Israel.
"If young children are taught from kindergarten on that they should hate Israelis and then, when they grow up, kill them if possible, that is not something that is conducive to peaceful coexistence," Pavel said. Hamas must be eliminated so that Palestinians can live in peace and harmony with the Israeli population, he said.
"Cooperation before 7 October and between Gaza and Israel was very intense. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of programs operating in Gaza. It is a great pity that the October 7 attack set the Palestinians back years and years, because not only all that was built, but also the relationships that were built are destroyed for a long time," the president added.
Paul began today's program at the Erez border crossing between Gaza and Israel, where there is also an Israeli garrison whose task was to ensure military-civilian cooperation between the Israeli authorities and Gaza, but also with the West Bank territory. "The unit's job was not only to cooperate with the Palestinian authorities, but also to ensure the passage of Palestinians who came to Israel for work, development programs for the Palestinian population, including the provision of drinking water, agricultural development, construction of new projects, schools. It was not so much a military unit as an administrative unit," the president stated.
It was this base, among others, that Hamas attacked on 7 October. It killed several soldiers and took some prisoners. Two of them were found dead in Gaza some time later. "Soldiers defending themselves there witnessed attacks on civilians in the area. There are several kibbutzim that were also targeted by the gunmen and were the first to be hit by the brutal attack," he added.
After a briefing with the soldiers, Pavel inspected the aftermath of the attack. Offices, quarters and other places are left in the state they were in after the Hamas attack. While the concrete exterior structures mostly held up to the onslaught, the heavy shaking and fighting left an impact, especially inside the buildings.
Paul said he didn't make false promises to hostage families, wants to reach out to statesmen
President Paul told reporters in Beersheva that he did not make false promises to the families of the Israeli hostages he met with in Jerusalem on Monday evening. From his position, he believes, he can especially reach out to statesmen who have tools in their hands.
Relatives of the hostages seized by the Palestinian radical movement Hamas in its October terror attack on southern Israel have asked Paul to seek an agreement with other allies for the release of the remaining 130 or so detainees. Paul noted at the start of his trip to the Middle East on Monday that this would be one of the topics of his talks in Qatar on Wednesday with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Saniya and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Khalid bin Muhammad Attiya. Qatar is trying to mediate negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
"It's awfully hard to tell people who are going through what the relatives of hostages are going through that you're going to do something for them. Expressing pity certainly doesn't help them," Paul said. "They have been living this story for 102 days. They are living in great uncertainty about whether their loved ones are still alive and if they are, what they are going through," he noted.
According to the Czech Head of State, the families are therefore turning to any option that could bring them closer to the goal of having their loved ones back. "Yesterday (Monday) I did not give them any empty promises. I told them point blank that what I can do for them is to reach out from my position to statesmen who have tools in their hands," he noted.
One of them, according to Pavel, is the Emir of Qatar. "Qatar is perhaps the only country that really has the strongest leverage over the leadership of Hamas. If the Qatari leadership decides to exert some more pressure on Hamas to release the hostages or to leave the Gaza Strip, it would greatly help to improve the situation," he believes. It could, he says, stop armed activities, bring the reconstruction of Palestine closer while protecting the interests of the Palestinian population.
However, Pavel also wants to connect his visit to Qatar on Wednesday with economic issues. The President pointed out that Qatar is one of the world's three largest gas exporters and one of the largest oil exporters. Europe is trying to diversify its sources of raw materials and Qatar is one of the possibilities, the Czech President said.
"In addition, Qatar is also a country that has long been trying to moderate problems in the world. They were there for the evacuation of hostages from Afghanistan, children kidnapped from Ukraine to Russia, they were there for the release of the first 100 hostages from Israel. This activity is undoubtedly positive," Pavel said.
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