Israeli Warplanes Strike Refugee Camps in Gaza as Biden Administration Approves Emergency Weapons Sale
Israeli warplanes targeted two urban refugee camps in central Gaza on Saturday, as the Biden administration approved a new emergency weapons sale to Israel. Despite persistent international calls for a cease-fire due to mounting civilian deaths, hunger, and mass displacement in the enclave, the United States has continued to support Israel diplomatically and supply weapons.
Israel argues that ending the war now would mean victory for Hamas, a stance shared by the Biden administration. However, the administration has also urged Israel to do more to avoid harm to Palestinian civilians. The war, triggered by a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel, has displaced around 85 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, leaving Palestinians with a harrowing sense that nowhere is safe in the tiny enclave.
Residents in the urban refugee camps of Nuseirat and Bureij reported Israeli airstrikes overnight and into Saturday. Mustafa Abu Wawee, a resident of Nuseirat, stated that a strike hit the home of one of his relatives, killing two people. He also mentioned that the Israeli occupation is doing everything to force people to leave, but they are determined to stay.
In addition to the airstrikes, Israeli forces have been pushing deeper into Khan Younis and the camps of central Gaza, causing tens of thousands of Palestinians to seek shelter in the already crowded city of Rafah. Drone footage showed a vast camp of thousands of tents and makeshift shacks set up on what had been empty land on Rafah’s western outskirts. People arrived in Rafah in trucks, carts, and on foot, with some setting up tents on roadsides due to the overwhelmed shelters.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration approved a $147.5 million emergency weapons sale to Israel. This marks the second time this month that the administration has bypassed Congress to approve such a sale. The State Department cited the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs and the importance of ensuring Israel’s ability to defend itself against threats.
However, some Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza and have suggested making US assistance to Israel contingent on concrete steps to reduce these casualties. The aid situation in Gaza has worsened, with long delays at border crossings, ongoing fighting, Israeli airstrikes, and a breakdown of law and order hindering the distribution of goods. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees reported that nearly the entire population is fully dependent on outside humanitarian aid, with a quarter of the population starving due to insufficient supplies.
Conditions in Gaza have also led to the spread of diseases, particularly in southern Gaza where hundreds of thousands have sought refuge. The World Health Organization has reported an increase in cases of respiratory infections, diarrhea, lice, scabies, chickenpox, skin rashes, and meningitis.
The war has already claimed the lives of over 21,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Israel holds Hamas responsible for civilian deaths, stating that the militants embed themselves within civilian infrastructure. Israeli officials have vowed to bring back more than 100 hostages still held by the militants after their attack on southern Israel.
As the conflict continues, international pressure for a cease-fire and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza remains crucial. The Biden administration’s approval of an emergency weapons sale to Israel raises concerns about the ongoing violence and its impact on civilians. Efforts must be made to protect innocent lives and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.