U.S. warns Israel: Cannot repeat displacement in next phase of Gaza campaign

President Biden has apparently told Israeli government officials that when the IDF ground campaign moves into the southern part of Gaza, maximum efforts must be made not to produce further significant displacement of civilians.

In a briefing by senior administration officials with reporters, the U.S. leader has repeatedly said the IDF should not "replicate” what took place in northern Gaza during the first part of the ground incursion, during which hundreds of thousands of civilians were moved to a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. Citing the limited capacities of the humanitarian relief network, Biden has urged Netanyahu and Israeli officials that the next phase of the operation must be “carefully thought through.” 

The officials described the Israeli response as “receptive,” and that there is an understanding that the ground campaign in southern Gaza will be conducted differently than it was in the north.

The Biden administration has been working consistently to advance its humanitarian response in Gaza, with senior officials detailing the three key areas of focus.

They defined their response on three lines, the first of which is expanding humanitarian access. The second is pushing for the restoration of essential services, key among them is water and sanitation. Third is securing deconfliction measures for civilian movement inside Gaza and the civilian populated areas.

On Tuesday, the first of three relief flights facilitated by the U.S. military will arrive in northern Sinai in Egypt, which will deliver medical supplies, food aid, as well as winter necessities for civilians to prepare for the upcoming season. The items will be delivered to the United Nations for distribution to Gaza’s civilians. Two more plane loads will arrive in the coming days, and come in addition to five previous commercial flights that delivered aid in northern Egypt.

The administration officials emphasized that the aid is not enough to restore Gaza to its pre-war standard of living. The White House says it would like to see a continuous flow of aid into Gaza, without senior administration officials having to constantly coordinate with their Israeli counterparts. 

The officials emphasized that the aid, including fuel, which is being delivered at this time is separate from the hostage deal that is in place, and the current level of aid is expected to be sustained even after the truce ends. While emphasizing there is no link between the hostage releases and the provision of goods like propane, the officials acknowledged that the U.S. is taking advantage of the temporary pause in fighting to channel the goods into Gaza.

The officials said that while the current phase has focused on “basic subsistence,” it is vital for commercial goods to enter for the two million people now residing in south and central Gaza, and their efforts are now focused on moving into “phase two.” The White House wants to see 300 to 400 aid trucks entering Gaza on a daily basis, and said inspection procedures would need to be “increased and enhanced” to let that volume of aid through. They said that the hope is for phase two of the humanitarian program to be implemented following the ceasefire’s expiration. 

While the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, which prior to the war was used for the transfer of commercial goods, is not expected to be reopened, officials hope that it can be used as one of the sites for inspecting these aid deliveries. Officials highlighted the “significant” increase in the volume of aid, which has created a backlog in northern Egypt.

The officials also detailed some of the medical equipment and medicines that are being transferred into Gaza, including vaccines. The administration has pressured Israel to restore service to the water pipelines to increase the supply of potable water, and the officials emphasized that fuel is critical for powering the sewage pumps and ensuring sanitation to prevent the outbreak of diseases like cholera.

Regarding the future of civilian population centers in Gaza when the next stage of the IDF ground campaign is expected to begin after the ceasefire, the officials said no one should be forced to flee without the hope of being able to return. The Israeli government, which proposed the humanitarian zone in southern Gaza at the start of the war, is expected to respect the “deconfliction areas” which are mainly UN facilities and shelters.