Ian Linden - Gaza: The fate of the Palestinians and of humanitarianism

Photo by Mohammed Ibrahim on Unsplash

You need to fall back on words such as evil and wicked, not much used these days, to describe the Israeli Government's banning from Gaza of some 37 humanitarian NGOs after a re-registration process. That ban ends, and sums up, a year in which not even clever propaganda and disinformation could disguise the true purpose of IDF brutality.

But Palestinian national self determination was not the only human aspiration - perhaps - irreparably - damaged: humanitarianism itself is threatened. The great ethical tradition of humanitarianism, arising from the Calvinism of Swiss businessman Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross in 1863, had by the 21st century become a leading aspect of humanist ethics. The work of humanitarian agencies to relieve suffering and the protection given them by warring parties in exchange for a studied neutrality became in some sense a moral contract in the midst of conflict. That contract comes under particular strain during a genocide and/or in 'asymmetric' warfare where one combatant is totally dominant.

The humanitarian contract cannot be imposed. It depends on the consent of the combatants. The Israeli government, like Putin's, does not seem to recognise that, over the years, agreed operational principles and international legal obligations have been established and ought to be respected. One such principle is that humanitarian agencies are not obliged to divulge the names and other personal details of their employees to gain access to victims, and not obliged to divulge them to the warring parties. The assumption is that civilized combatants do allow access for humanitarian aid to victims of war. This, as the European Union would call it, is the acquis of humanitarianism. Not under Netanyahu, it isn't.

The 37 banned NGOs have refused on principle to disclose information about their staff. Perhaps this appears somewhat abstract in a desperate situation. And isn't it understandable that the Israeli Intelligence agencies want to find out names of those working for the humanitarian NGOs if they suspect there are clandestine combatants amongst them? Yes, but their Government does not need to compromise humanitarian aid workers to find out, nor question the bona fides of their organisations. Internationally known organisations are internationally respected by governments mostly because of their bona fides.

Internationally respected and trusted Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) (Doctors without Borders ) is amongst those banned. It has some 1,000 staff in Gaza, runs two field hospitals and supports six major hospitals. Suddenly the Israeli government, without presenting any evidence, asserted that two of its staff were active Hamas combatants. Even supposing this were true, it does not justify shutting down the entire organization. And if MSF doctors had evidence available of staff being combatants they would dismiss them.

CARITAS JERUSALEM with its programme of mobile child clinics and some 130 staff working in Gaza is also banned. But, according to the Latin Patriarch, "Caritas Jerusalem is an Ecclesiastical Legal Person, whose status and mission have been recognized by the State of Israel through the 1993 Fundamental Agreement and the subsequent 1997 Legal Personality Agreement signed between the Holy See and the State of Israel", so re-registration does not apply. So banning makes no sense and the Patriarch intends CARITAS' work to continue. Meanwhile, the popemobile left in Bethlehem by Pope Francis in 2014 and converted by CARITAS into a flagship mobile clinic is prevented from even entering Gaza by reason of "dual use". Dual use covers a wide spectrum of goods including the widest range of medical equipment Some 'dual use' goods at exorbitant prices - enriching Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs- are available in markets, and allowed through.

Some 1,500 health workers have already been killed by the IDF as well as hundreds of other humanitarian workers, some targeted as alleged Hamas supporters. 260 Palestinian media workers who, in the absence of foreign journalists, have been getting news out have died because of their commitment to their profession. Thousands of NGO workers have been excluded and the bans will eliminate more as the Israeli Government attempts to cow the Palestinians into total passivity and despair and force them out of Gaza.

On 30th December in response to the banning, the Governments of Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan and Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, signed a joint letter. It had only passing references to internationally recognized humanitarian principles while describing the current appalling conditions facing Palestinians in Gaza and what needs to be done. They did mention "unreasonable restrictions on imports considered dual use". "Any attempt to stem their ability to operate is unacceptable", was their limit to criticism of the Israeli Government's ban on 37 major humanitarian organisations.

Presumably Trump's possible reaction to protest weighed heavily in framing the ten Governments' response. They made no reference to any penalties the Israeli government might incur. There was no defense of the Geneva Conventions - beginning in 1864 - which enshrine hard-won humanitarian tradition and practice. So far our own hierarchy has not issued a statement. It is as if the rules based international order which offered some protection to weaker nations and peoples is being quietly abandoned.

Professor Ian Linden is Visiting Professor at St Mary's University, Strawberry Hill, London. A past director of the Catholic Institute for International Relations, he was awarded a CMG for his work for human rights in 2000. He has also been an adviser on Europe and Justice and Peace issues to the Department of International Affairs of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. Ian chairs a new charity for After-school schooling in Beirut for Syrian refugees and Lebanese kids in danger of dropping out partnering with CARITAS Lebanon and work on board of Las Casas Institute in Oxford with Richard Finn OP. His latest book was Global Catholicism published by Hurst in 2009.

LINKS

Gaza: The fate of the Palestinians and of humanitarianism: www.ianlinden.com/latest-blogs/gaza-the-fate-of-the-palestinians-of-humanitarianism

Read Professor Ian Linden's latest blogs: www.ianlinden.com/latest-blogs/