News this week that a lack of funding could result in the UN's World Food Programme cutting aid to roughly half a million people in Gaza is a sobering reminder that a ceasefire is not the same as peace. Although Israel’s assault on the territory may have slowed somewhat since last year’s truce, the dire conditions that have made life unbearable for so many civilians remain largely intact.
The WFP has made clear that the cuts do not reflect declining need. About 1.4 million people in Gaza face acute food insecurity, and hundreds of thousands depend on assistance for even the most basic needs. For families who have lost their homes and any realistic prospect of earning an income, a food parcel or cash payment is an essential lifeline.
Beyond the sheer moral urgency of rectifying the situation, however, lie broader consequences. The international community should be under no illusion about what allowing this aid lifeline to fray could mean. As Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of Gaza's Board of Peace, n in The National earlier this month, leaving the territory in a state of permanent uncertainty is no alternative to a political settlement. His warning that despair is an excellent recruiting tool for extremism should be taken seriously by all those who claim to seek lasting regional security.
This is a warning that some Israeli voters will be considering ahead of next week’s general election. Polls suggest a closely contested race, with no clear path to a parliamentary majority. For Palestinians in Gaza, the result carries enormous significance, even though they have no say in determining it. Some have postponed marriages, rebuilding homes or restarting businesses while waiting to see whether a change of Israeli government might offer a different future.
Their hopes may prove misplaced. A new Israeli leadership would not automatically bring a significant change in policy, and the security concerns that shape Israeli politics will not disappear overnight. On the other hand, Israeli security cannot be achieved through indefinite military pressure while Gaza’s population remains trapped in poverty. To make matters worse, most Palestinian officials have largely failed their people. The elections that were due to take place next November have been postponed by at least a year, eliminating any hope for renewal at the leadership level.
In the short term, donors must urgently close the funding gap
In the short term, donors must urgently close the funding gap, while those controlling access to Gaza must ensure that essential supplies can get in. Humanitarian aid is not the same as political progress, but without it, the prospects for progress will deteriorate further.
Those responsible should be aware that allowing hunger and despair to deepen may defer the next crisis, but it will not prevent it. Israel’s next government, Palestinian political leaders, international donors and regional partners should recognise that the price of neglecting a two-state solution that is fair to both Palestinians and Israelis will be paid long after the immediate headlines have faded.