Israel-Iran tension overshadowing humanitarian crisis in Gaza

By Mustafa Deveci, Melike Pala and Tugba Altun

The latest tension that began on April 1 between Tel Aviv and Tehran is overshadowing the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Iran on Saturday launched an airborne attack on Israel in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital. It reportedly fired more than 300 drones and missiles, with almost all intercepted by the air defense systems of Israel and its allies – the US, France and the UK.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been under Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, has largely fallen off the international agenda due to the escalation in the region.

As tensions persist between Iran and Israel, the Israeli military continues its relentless attacks on Gaza.

Between April 1 and April 15, the Israeli military killed 952 Palestinians and injured 1,073 others in Gaza.

On April 1, the Israeli attack killed seven aid workers – three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, a US-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian.

It triggered strong condemnation around the globe and calls for accountability, with many, including World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres, disputing Israel’s claim that the attack was a “mistake” and it was a case of “misidentification.”

The attack of aid workers has also fallen off the agenda due to tensions with Iran.

- 'Embassy attack aimed to divert attention from Gaza'

“The bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus was indeed calculated to deflect attention from Gaza and to stop the decline of Western support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies,” Neve Gordon, a professor of International Law and Human Rights Law at Queen Mary University of London, told Anadolu.

“What we have witnessed in the past few days is how Western political elites who had been growing increasingly critical of Israel's massive killings of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructures in Gaza, and were anxious of the impact of the looming famine, have once again realigned themselves in support of Israel,” Gordon said.

Gordon warned that “the danger is immense and transcends Israel, Palestine and Iran since the fighting can easily spread to a regional and even world war.”

“Any responsible world leader would put their feet down and demand an immediate ceasefire not only between Israel and Iran, but even more importantly, in Gaza,” he said.

Mustafa Barghouti, the general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative party, also said that Israel's attack in Damascus was an attempt to divert attention from the “genocide” committed in Gaza.

Barghouti said that Israel is trying to portray itself as a "victim" because of the attack carried out by Iran.

"Netanyahu is trying to divert attention from the situation in Gaza and the horrific genocide committed by Israel,” Barghouti noted.

“They are trying to portray Israel as a victim. They are trying to maintain this image. The provocation (attack on the Iranian Consulate) was carried out to achieve this purpose," he added.

Israel has waged a military offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

Nearly 33,900 Palestinians have since been killed and 76,664 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the seaside enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while much of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz