May 14th 2024.
In the news this week, there has been a shocking development involving Israeli extremists. Video footage has emerged of them ransacking and dumping bags of food aid meant for Gaza. This act has been attributed to a group known as Tzav-9, which was formed in January by Israelis who were outraged over humanitarian convoys. The members of this group include Israeli settlers from the West Bank, reservists, and families of those who have been taken hostage in Gaza.
The name of the group, Tzav-9, is derived from the code used for the emergency call-up of reserves in case of conflict in Israel. Recently, on Monday, about 100 members of Tzav-9 blocked a convoy of trucks heading from Jordan to Gaza. They then proceeded to ransack the trucks and dump out the vital aid near Hebron in the West Bank. Despite the lack of security presence in the video footage, Israeli police have reported that four people were arrested for obstructing traffic and that authorities were called to clear the area.
The incident has sparked outrage worldwide, with the US national security adviser Jake Sullivan calling it "utterly unacceptable." Countless bags of sugar, intended to help feed the people of Gaza, were destroyed in the process. In a separate incident, Israeli security forces arrested Tzav-9 member Reut Ben Haim in early March, and there have been instances of trucks being burned and their sides ripped off by the group.
According to French Israeli Rachel Touitou, who spoke to the French-language Israeli channel Tandem TV in February, Tzav-9 is estimated to have over 400 members. Their first operation took place on January 18, when they camped for three days in front of the Kerem Shalom border terminal, preventing hundreds of humanitarian trucks from entering Gaza. Rachel stated, "Why would we let these convoys pass directly into the hands of our enemies?"
So, who exactly are the members of Tzav-9? The group mainly consists of Israeli settlers from the West Bank, reservists from the Israeli Defense Forces, and family members of hostages being held in Gaza. The initial idea for the group originated from an appeal on Facebook, which eventually grew and organized official actions against the humanitarian convoys they oppose. On their official account, the group's bio reads, "No aid gets through until the last of the kidnapped return!"
In an interview with the Times of Israel, Tzav-9 member Reut Ben Haim expressed their frustration, saying they are "sick and tired of sitting at home knowing what is going on." The group believes it is unfair for Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza while Israelis are still being held as hostages inside. They argue that the hostages are unlikely to receive any of the aid or basic medical treatment.
The group also fears that the humanitarian aid could end up in the hands of Hamas. The head of the Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, claims that 60-70% of aid going to Gaza is taken by Hamas. These actions by Tzav-9 have been condemned by the White House, and some of their members have been arrested by Israeli security forces.
In the most recent incident, six protestors were arrested for destroying humanitarian aid, as reported by Israeli media. However, as the situation in Gaza worsens and the people face famine, the actions of Tzav-9 are attracting more attention. The West Bank, which is currently occupied by Israel, has also seen a surge of violence since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7. Both Palestinians and Israelis have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.
Last year, a British-Israeli family was shot dead near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, and in January, eight people were killed during an Israeli military raid on the city of Tulkarm. Later that month, 21 Israeli soldiers were killed in the deadliest attack on the IDF since the war began. The killing of a young Palestinian boy named Adam, which was captured on video and showed him being shot by IDF forces, sparked outrage upon its release.
So, why are Israelis living in the West Bank referred to as settlers? The term "settlers" is used because they are living on settlements and outposts that are considered illegal under international law. These settlements are built on privately owned Palestinian land, and roughly 40% of the West Bank is controlled by these settlements. Checkpoints are also in place throughout the region, making it difficult for Palestinians living there to move freely.
The recent Israeli budget has allocated billions for settlements in the West Bank, which goes towards building roads, bypassing Palestinian towns, and expanding existing settlements while creating new ones. A large sum of money is also being used to monitor and restrict Palestinian construction and movement through the West Bank, which human rights organizations have compared to apartheid.
Israeli "nongovernmental organizations" are also working to evict Palestinians from their land by exploiting loopholes in land laws. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, all settlements and outposts are considered illegal as it prohibits an occupying power from transferring its population to the area it occupies. In 2016, the UN stated that Israeli settlements in the West Bank have no legal validity.
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