BICOM

Key Points

• Whilst Israel’s military operation clearly went very wrong, ending up in tragic loss of life and considerable diplomatic damage for Israel, the events do not change the underlying strategic considerations that are the reason for the blockade. The US and EU share an interest with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to maintain the peace process, contain Hamas and avoid steps that will improve their position in Gaza.
• Israel’s restrictions on access to Gaza reflect acute policy dilemmas faced not only by Israel, but the entire international community, on how to isolate Hamas and prevent it from rearming, whilst minimising harm to ordinary civilians in Gaza. Israel has a maritime blockade in position to stop the smuggling of arms to Hamas and to avoid a return to the situation that led to Operation Cast Lead. If Hamas renounced violence, there would be no need for the blockade.
• Steps that lead to the strengthening of Hamas risk damaging the position of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian camp committed to the peace process.
• Israel approached this operation expecting to face a largely non-violent demonstration, hence soldiers were equipped with paintball guns and hand guns in the majority of cases. On five of the six boats there was no violent resistance and the IDF gained control of the vessel by non-lethal force. The Israeli force was not expecting the violent resistance it was met with on the sixth and largest boat.
• The soldiers only used live fire when they believed their lives were in danger. Israeli ministers have expressed “sorrow” at the deaths but stressed that IDF forces acted in self defence.
• IHH, the Turkish Islamist group involved in some of the flotilla, has been accused of having a history of support for terrorism.

What happened?

• Early on Monday 31 May, a flotilla of six activist’s boats was met by the Israeli Navy about 60km from the Gaza coast. The Israeli navy warned them that that Gaza is under naval blockade and invited the boats to enter Israel’s Ashdod port, from where the humanitarian aid would be transferred to Gaza. The flotilla continued to try and reach the Gaza coast.
• 679 people from 40 countries were aboard the boats, most of them Turkish and Greek. The flotilla was organised by Western activists alongside the Turkish Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH) movement. IHH has been labelled a militant Islamist movement with a record of supporting terrorism. There are rising questions in Turkey about Ankara’s support for the flotilla given the involvement of this group. The primary mission of the flotilla, according to its organisers, was not to deliver the aid but to “break the siege”.
• A team of Israeli commandos from an elite naval unit boarded the boats at around 4am from helicopters. Five of the boats were captured without violence, but on the largest, the Turkish flagged Marmara, Israeli soldiers were met with violent resistance.
• According to eye witness accounts and video footage, the Israeli forces initially landed on the ship with only a handful of men armed with riot control weapons that fire paintballs. The soldiers reported that they did not even have weapons in their hands when they landed, expecting only light resistance. The activists on the ship tied the rope from the helicopter to a mast in an attempt to bring it down, delaying the arrival of more forces. Video footage of the incident shows the first soldiers landing on the ship being overwhelmed with men carrying sticks, bars, chairs and knives. The activists also fought with slingshots firing glass marbles. The first soldier to land on the ship was beaten before being thrown off the top deck. One soldier was stabbed and two were shot with firearms taken from the soldiers.
• Believing their lives to be in danger, the soldiers requested permission to use live fire. The ship was eventually brought under control with the deaths of around nine of the activists. The ships were taken to the Ashdod port. The aid they were carrying is being transferred to Gaza and the passengers are in the process of being deported.
• Another boat of the ‘Free Gaza Movement’ is heading towards the Gaza Strip and activists have expressed determination to continue their efforts to break the blockade.

What is the purpose of the Israeli blockade?

• Israel’s policy on access to Gaza is determined by both security and political considerations. Hamas is committed to Israel’s destruction and is still holding kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Hamas is attempting to extend its weapons arsenal with the help of Iran, including longer range rockets.
• The purpose of the naval blockade is to prevent arms reaching Gaza. The international community pledged in 2009, following UNSC Resolution 1860, to increase efforts to prevent arms reaching Gaza.
• Israel also restricts the passage of goods and people through its Gaza border. Israel fears Hamas may use imported goods, including construction materials, for military purposes. Israel also does not want to normalise its border with an entity that has declared war on it. It does not want Hamas to reap political reward from its control of Gaza or, to undermine the moderate Palestinian leadership in the West Bank.
• Nonetheless, acknowledging its humanitarian responsibility to Gaza, Israel facilitates the flow of goods including food, medical supplies, educational material and agricultural materials into Gaza. There is no limit on the quantities allowed and around one hundred trucks a day enter Gaza from Israel.
• Egypt, which considers Hamas a major threat to its own security, as until now allowed almost nothing to pass through its border with Gaza, but large quantities of goods are smuggled under the Gaza-Egypt border.
• Israel’s policies form part of a broader strategic goal, shared by the Quartet, of bolstering the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, led by Mahmoud Abbas, and isolating Hamas, which rejects the peace process.

What is the status of the Hamas regime in Gaza?

• Whilst Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006, the Quartet refused to engage with them because they refused to recognise Israel, renounce violence, or accept previous peace agreements.
• In March 2007 Hamas formed a national unity government with Fatah, but the joint platform did not meet the three Quartet conditions. However, by June 2007 Hamas militants in Gaza expelled forces loyal to Fatah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a violent coup. Since then they have ruled Gaza alone. Subsequently Israel declared Gaza to be a hostile entity.
• Since 2007 there have been many attempts by third parties, principally Egypt, to bring about a new unity agreement that would include a timetable for new elections. Hamas refused to sign the last Egyptian proposal, which would have brought new Palestinian elections for July 2010. Since then, all unity talks have stalled, and Abbas has entered indirect peace talks with Israel.
• Recent polls indicate that Hamas’s popularity lags behind that of Fatah.

 What are the implications for the peace process?

• These events put strain on the peace process at a delicate moment. They inevitably put pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stop indirect talks with Israel, and on Egypt to ease its own border restrictions with Gaza.
• However, the US is responding cautiously in attempt to prevent peace talks being derailed. The same strategic issues remain in place as before. The US and EU share an interest with Israel, the PA, and Egypt, to contain Hamas and avoid steps that will improve their position in Gaza.

Further Reading

• BICOM Briefing: Israeli policy on access to Gaza update.
• BICOM Focus: Hamas’s Weapons Smuggling.