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PARIS — In another international context, this kind of event would have sparked an outcry — and might even have been enough to halt a war. But in today’s chaotic world, with Donald Trump in the White House giving carte blanche to Israel, it’s just one more incident in the long, grim list of the war in Gaza.
On March 23, the Israeli army killed 15 Palestinian aid workers and rescuers, whose bodies were later found buried in the sand in Rafah, in southern Gaza. Initially, the Israeli army claimed it had targeted “terrorists” and “suspicious vehicles” during the night.
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But on Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent released a six-minute video filmed from inside one of the vehicles, found on the mobile phone of one of the victims. The footage clearly shows the convoy moving forward with flashing lights on — leaving no room for doubt that it was an ambulance — until gunfire is heard. The Israeli army has since mentioned possible “mistakes” in its initial communication.
However, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, the incident could constitute a “war crime.”
War crimes, no consequences
Since October 7, 2023, war crimes have been widespread on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has targeted Hamas leaders, responsible for the massacre on October 7 and the hostage-taking, as well as Israeli leaders whose response far exceeds the right of an attacked state to defend itself.
Again overnight early Monday, at least 32 people were killed, including women, children, and journalists, in Israeli air strikes in Gaza that the Israeli military says were targeting Hamas militants.
However, the effects have been null, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an arrest warrant from the ICC, recently visited Budapest and is now in Washington, without facing any consequences.
This double tragedy is unfolding amid the indifference of the rest of the world.
The war that has resumed for a month now is being fought with no regard for international law, starting with Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid since March 5. The two million Palestinians in Gaza are enduring deprivation, bombings, and displacement across the entire territory.
The fate of the hostages still held by Hamas has taken a backseat, much to the dismay of part of the Israeli population. This double tragedy is unfolding without witnesses – the international press remains prohibited from entering Gaza by Israel – and amid the indifference of the rest of the world.
French attempt
In this context, French President Emmanuel Macron is in Egypt on Monday, one of the few diplomatic initiatives in a world dominated by power dynamics. A three-way summit is taking place between France, Egypt, and Jordan; but no immediate impact should be expected. Nothing today can influence Israeli strategy, especially when it is partly dictated by domestic political considerations in the Jewish state and is supported by Trump.
But France is offering its support to the Arab plan for Gaza, which was adopted in response to Trump’s plan to evacuate Gaza of its Palestinian inhabitants and turn it into a “French Riviera.” The Arab countries reject this plan and need Europe’s support to block the American plan, which has been adopted by Israel.
France is also behind a meeting on Palestine, co-organized with Saudi Arabia, which will take place in June at the United Nations headquarters in New York. However, in the global chaos exacerbated by Donald Trump’s recent decisions, the fate of the Palestinians holds little weight. The 15 humanitarian workers killed in Rafah are a sad symbol of this reality.
