The Israeli defence forces confirmed last Friday that they have concluded operations in the eastern part of Jabaliya, situated in the northern region of the Gaza Strip. The mission involved more than 200 aerial assaults, demolition of approximately 10km worth of tunnels, and the dismantling of multiple weapons-manufacturing hubs. In the course of the action in this densely populated zone, soldiers discovered the remains of seven hostages.
In addition to this, the Israeli forces reported two more soldier fatalities in the Gaza Strip on Friday. This brings the total to almost 300 personnel deaths since the start of the ground assault in Gaza.
Meanwhile, in the United States, an ex-high ranking official, who tendered her resignation this past week, alleged that the US state department intentionally misreported an earlier study this month to exonerate Israel from accusations of restricting humanitarian aid to Gaza. This action was against the counsel of its internal specialists.
Stacy Gilbert, the former principal civil military advisor in the state department’s bureau responsible for population, migration and refugees, stepped down from her role on Tuesday. She had contributed to drafting a report released on May 10th.
The document concluded that it was a logical deduction that Israel had inappropriately used American armaments, violating international humanitarian regulations. However, no specific American provided weaponry could be directly connected with these breaches.
Controversially, the document further stated that, for the time being, there is no assessment that the Israeli government is actively obstructing or otherwise limiting the distribution or delivery of humanitarian aid provided by the US in Gaza.
According to a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act, the United States is obligated to cease the sale of arms and security support to any nation guilty of obstructing the delivery of US aid.
Ms Gilbert, a seasoned state department employee of 20 years, who has also served in various war-affected areas, opined that the report’s conclusion conflicted with the majority opinion of state department experts consulted about the report.