Political Memes

Trucks filled with humanitarian aid supplies sit in Egypt at the Rafah crossing into Gaza. Many human rights organizations accuse Israel of intentionally blocking aid. Later reports show the Biden administration was aware of the blockage of aid, which is a violation of international law, and continued to send military aid anyway.

On March 22, Congress approves $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel.

On March 25, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire for the month of Ramadan. The U.S. abstains from the vote, but its representative says that the U.S. supports “some of the critical objectives in this nonbinding resolution.”

“Nothing, nothing has changed about our policy. Nothing,” said Kirby about U.S. policy and support of Israel after the U.N. vote.

On May 6, Hamas accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar. Israel began bombing Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had sought refuge, with plans for a major ground operation.

On May 8, the U.S. halts a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs to Israel. Israel goes ahead with a more limited operation in Rafah for the rest of the month. The U.S. begins facilitating aid shipments into Gaza via a “humanitarian pier” constructed by the U.S. military on the beach in Gaza.

Prosecutors with the International Criminal Court, which oversees war crimes committed by nations, requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas leaders. The court alleges Israel targeted civilians with bombings and starvation.

On May 26, Israel strikes a refugee camp in Rafah — within a designated safe zone — killing 46 people, mostly civilians, including 23 women, children, and elderly Palestinians. Two days later, Israeli tanks bombard another refugee camp in an apparent safe zone, Al-Mawasi, just outside Rafah, killing 21 others. Among the dead are 12 women. It would be the first of three attacks at the refugee camp in the ensuing month.

The Biden administration rejects calls for further change in policy toward Israel

Over the course of the following week, Netanyahu says that Israel would not cease fighting until “the destruction” of Hamas’ military.

On June 8, Israeli forces use an area near the U.S. military’s “humanitarian pier” to launch an attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli soldiers kill at least 276 Palestinian people and retrieve four Israeli hostages.

Netanyahu repeatedly makes clear that Israel will not accept a proposal that involved a permanent ceasefire. Hamas asks for changes to the deal that would ensure that Israel observed a permanent ceasefire.

On June 21, Israel drops a series of bombs on Al-Mawasi refugee camp in southern Gaza, the second attack in as many months at the shelter in the humanitarian zone. The bombs drop around midnight as many lay asleep inside tents and makeshift shelters. At least 25 people, all civilians, are killed in the attack.