Israel goes for “conquer” and “hold”

Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan for a sustained military occupation of Gaza. Government officials have told the press that the plan involves a renewed offensive aimed at “conquering” and “holding” territories.

On 24 April, around 10,000 people demonstrated against the war in Tel Aviv, at a protest called by the binational (Palestinian-Jewish) left-wing social movement Standing Together. Whilst general anti-government demonstrations, which have increasingly foregrounded demands for a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement, have been larger, this was the largest explicitly anti-war, anti-occupation demonstration since the war began. Protesters held up photos of Palestinian children killed in Gaza, in defiance of police threats to repress attempts to do so.

Standing Together wrote: “Thousands of us, Palestinians and Jews, stood side by side on Thursday at our protest in Tel Aviv. In the face of the police’s attempted censorship, we held up images of the victims of this horrific war with a simple message: We refuse to stand by as atrocities are committed in Gaza and as our government abandons the hostages. We know none of this has anything to do with safety and everything to do with the extremism of our leaders. We refuse this war of annihilation!”

At the University of Haifa, a campus where nearly 50% of students are Palestinian, university management has banned the local Standing Together chapter, after it held a protest also featuring images of dead children. The chapter has launched a campaign to overturn the ban.

On 29 April, a far-right mob stormed a Reform synagogue in Ra’anana, north of Tel Aviv, that was hosting a screening of the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony, an annual gathering of Jews and Palestinians who have lost family members.

Standing Together said: “Dozens of far-right extremists arrived in an organised group; they threw stones, shattered windows, climbed on cars, spat, cursed, beat people — and even pushed a woman in a wheelchair to the ground.

Deliberate

“This was not merely an attack on an event, but a deliberate assault on an idea: that Jews and Palestinians can mourn together, live together, and build a shared future. The ceremony is about dignity, about refusing to let grief fuel hatred, about acknowledging one another’s pain and daring to imagine a life without bloodshed. No one should face violence for lighting a candle in memory of the dead, and no one should be attacked for believing in peace.

“This attack was meant to silence us, to frighten us, to stop us — but what it revealed instead is the urgency and growing strength of what we are building together.”

More than 70% of Gaza is already either under direct Israeli military control, or subject to evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military.

Throughout its war, Israeli leaders have vacillated on whether they intend to maintain an ongoing military presence in Gaza once the nominal war aims, “destroying” Hamas and freeing hostages, have been achieved. The new plan shows conclusively that an ongoing occupation is intended, which will undoubtedly lead to renewed calls from the settler movement for Jewish resettlement of Gaza.

The new plan also includes the “possibility” of measures to resume distribution of humanitarian aid, through private companies under direct Israeli control and supervision. UN aid agencies have denounced the scheme as unworkable.

To facilitate the new troop movements in Gaza, thousands of reservists will need to be called up. This gives the wave of refusal currently taking place within Israel, with thousands of reservists signing statements saying they will refuse to fight in Gaza, an increased significance. Whilst its political impact is considerable, thus far the refusal movement has had little operational impact, as the IDF’s operations in Gaza did not require significant numbers of personnel. If the wave of refusal continues, it could play a role in obstructing implementation of the new plan.

In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Lammy held a visit with Mohammad Mustafa, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, the semi-state body with limited control over some areas of the occupied West Bank. A UK government statement announced a £101 million aid package, and Lammy reported that he is in talks with the French government towards possible joint recognition of the State of Palestine, a diplomatic entity covering the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.

Although such recognition would be symbolic, it would be an important symbol. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s political project is to block Palestinian self-determination, in any form, in any territory; any diplomatic pressure that can be brought to bear against this is worthwhile.

The UK government can do much more, including withdrawing the export licenses via which UK-based firms sell arms to Israel. Trade unions, especially those affiliated to Labour, must use their weight to press these demands, as well as increasing direct solidarity with movements such as Standing Together fighting for peace and equality on the ground.