The global spotlight has once again been cast on the Middle East, specifically the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, following the recent historic strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been operating in Gaza for over 20 months, in response to the unexpected and brutal attacks launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The IDF's conduct of the war has been a subject of intense scrutiny, particularly concerning the damage inflicted on civilian areas and the distribution of humanitarian aid. However, Ret. British Col. Richard Kemp, in a conversation with Fox News Digital, defended Israel's efforts to minimize civilian casualties. Kemp, who recently returned from a visit to Israel and Gaza, described the war as "very tough," given Hamas' strategy of embedding itself within the civilian population and in tunnels.
Kemp praised the IDF's effectiveness, stating, "They've killed huge numbers of Hamas terrorists. They've destroyed a lot of Hamas' infrastructure, including some of the tunnels, but they've got a long way to go yet. The fights not over yet." He believes the conflict will persist until Israel successfully defeats Hamas, a challenging task for an army striving to avoid civilian casualties.
According to Fox News Digital, Kemp argued that civilian deaths in Gaza are "unavoidable" due to Hamas' operational tactics. He suggested that the terror group's "primary objective" is to provoke the IDF into causing civilian casualties, thereby leading to Israel's vilification and isolation on the global stage. Kemp commended the IDF's efforts, stating that they have "done a quite extraordinary job that no other army probably could do of maximizing the destruction of Hamas while minimizing the deaths of civilians."
During his time in Gaza, Kemp interacted with civilians and visited aid distribution sites managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by the U.S. and Israel. He reported that the civilians he spoke with expressed gratitude for the aid and acknowledged the role played by the U.S., under President Donald Trump, in their relief. They also held Hamas accountable for their current dire circumstances.
In response to the criticism GHF has received from international entities, particularly the United Nations, Kemp defended the organization's approach as "uniquely suitable" for the situation in Gaza. He criticized the U.N.'s attempt to apply a "standard template solution," which he believes is ineffective given the amount of aid stolen by Hamas.
Kemp shared with Fox News Digital that some civilians told him, "it was the first time since the war began, 20 months ago, that they have actually received any free aid at all." He revealed that Hamas often steals aid and sells it at exorbitant prices, which many civilians cannot afford.
Kemp urged other nations and major humanitarian organizations to support the GHF, highlighting the recent $30 million funding the organization received from the U.S. He stated, "No other country that I know of has directly contributed funding to the GHF, and they should do so because the GHF, not the U.N., is the future of aid deliveries into Gaza."
He acknowledged the U.N.'s role but insisted that it must serve "in the interest of the people of Gaza, not bureaucracy."
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