As Israel continues its unrelenting air strikes against the Palestinians of Gaza, the images emerging from the enclave are horrifying. It has been nearly two months since Israel imposed a full spectrum blockage on Gaza and no food, medicine, or other supplies have entered. The World Food Program announced last weekend that it “has depleted all its food stocks for families in Gaza.”
While tens of thousands face starvation, Israel has rejected a proposal put forward by Hamas for a long term five-to-seven year truce. The movement has publicly stated that it will relinquish governance of Gaza, release all Israeli captives, and support the establishment of an independent Palestinian committee to take control of Gaza. Israel, however, has said it will only consider a short-term ceasefire and has demanded the demilitarization of the entire Gaza Strip. Hamas has said this is “a million red lines,” and that disarmament of Palestinians would equate abandoning the right to self defense and self determination.
Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill speaks with journalist Mohammad Alsaafin, an Executive Producer at Al Jazeera’s AJ+. Alsaafin, who is originally from Gaza, analyzes the current status of the ceasefire talks and the role of Egypt, Qatar and the Trump administration. They also discuss the lives and legacies of Yahya Sinwar, the late political leader of Hamas, and Mohammed Deif, the commander of its armed wing, Al Qassam Brigades.