Anat Peled
Appearances
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
So Ayman said that he did not deviate from the routes and that they didn't pose a danger. So that's what I know. Generally, I just, you know, it's just been very confusing.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
GHF in general has presented the whole endeavor, the whole kind of launch of the aid plan as a success. It's talked about how many boxes it's been able to deliver. They count by meals during the past week. And they have also said that no shooting has taken place at their distribution sites, which to our understanding is true. To our understanding, the shooting has actually taken place
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
near the distribution sites where GHF says that it's not responsible for securing that area. We know that from witnesses that the Americans who are kind of securing the actual compound itself have used at times riot prevention methods like, you know, smoke grenades, things like that, but no deaths or injuries.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
I think in general, a lot of people we spoke to have said that, you know, the system is unfair. So there's no, you know, people can take, you can take as many, like, it's kind of whoever can grab the box faster. So there's no checks on who's taking. Maybe you come every day for several boxes and maybe, you know, one person just isn't able to get any.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
I've talked to some people who are too scared to go because they think it's too dangerous. I mean, obviously, I think people are very happy to be getting food because, you know, it's a desperate situation.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
I don't think it's looking very good. People are trying to survive. It's just a really low moment right now. I think people are happy that aid is coming in, but it's just been such chaos this past week. And I'm sure they're hoping for better, but I think they really want to cease fire. And we're not, it's not clear that we're, that's going to happen immediately.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
The war is grinding on, and negotiations for a ceasefire for hostage exchange are officially ongoing, but we haven't seen any breakthrough yet.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
The situation is pretty bad. A lot of people are living in tents. There's very little food. So we're seeing kind of a state of chaos as Hamas kind of also loses some sort of grip on the strip or, you know, it's weakened. There's just kind of a breakdown.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
The aid and the food and all of this is at the center of the debate about this conflict. I mean, we had statements from Israeli officials at the start of this war, after October 7th, 2023, when, you know, Israel was in shock and, you know, it was a very bloody day. And basically people were making statements like no aid should enter Gaza and American officials have tried to push for more aid.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
What the UN would do is it has trucks of aid and it would basically get it in the Strip and then it would get it to around 400 distribution sites, so all across the Strip, and it would get to Gazans. The problem is that Israel has said that a lot of that aid was stolen by Hamas and that that's a big issue because it's trying to destroy Hamas.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
Basically, the UN was saying not enough trucks are going in. They would count it by trucks. The aim was like hundreds. But there was just a bit of back and forth also between the UN and Israel, kind of both sides kind of accusing each other of being responsible for not enough aid going in.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
During that time, aid was surging. We had hundreds of trucks a day. And that was a time when, you know, there wasn't fighting. And it was, Gazans started to feel like maybe things were gonna, you know, were looking up. And they started to get food that they hadn't seen in the past. You know, things like fruit, meat, you know, things like that are never, never really common.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
There's a lot of question marks about this new aid plan. So we know it's basically an Israeli American plan. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a private entity that's kind of overseeing this whole aid operation. So it's basically registered in the U.S. currently, and they are basically leading the whole effort. But they've also had some crises going into this.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
There was the resignation of Jake Wood, who was the chief of the foundation. And there's a lot of questions about the funding. We don't know where the funding comes from. That's the bottom line. We've had some Israeli politicians, lawmakers from the opposition, suggest that Israel is funding some of this. They have not provided proof of that.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
So there's a lot of question marks about who is funding this and why. There's also the question of how involved Israel is, which seems, you know, based on my conversations with people familiar and former officials, it seems that Israel did have a big role in this.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
Yeah, so this is radically different. So what we have is GHF has set up right now four, it has four planned centers. So you have three in Rafah in southern Gaza on an Israeli constructed corridor called Morag. And then you have another one on an Israeli constructed corridor called Nitzarim, which is more in the center of Gaza.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
— So you have Gazans who are very hungry and desperate, and all of them trying to make their way to these centers and get food, get boxes of food. — And what we've seen, you know, on the first day, the very first day of the launch, we saw large crowds break into one of the, you know, distribution sites. And there was looting, and there was chaos, and the American staff had to retreat.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
So first of all, we don't have sites in the north at the moment, which is an issue because before there were many possibilities to go get aid. But now it's trickier, especially if you can't move or something like that.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
And they are working with GHF and they are basically tasked with delivering the aid. So what we see is we've also seen this in videos and we know this from our reporting. It's a lot of former American vets, including from Afghanistan and Iraq. And they are also on the ground in Gaza helping secure the aid site itself.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
It is unusual. We're not quite sure why they were selected. They're pretty new in the game. They did one thing, which, you know, the Israeli government sees as kind of a proof of concept. But they were actually securing a corridor called Netsarim in the center of Gaza, which kind of bisects the strip, the north and the south. And they were securing it during the latest ceasefire.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
So that is their experience. But we don't know much else about them.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
Israeli troops are stationed nearby the actual aid distribution center. They don't go in. The Americans are there, but they're nearby. And that is a concern because that didn't happen under the UN system. There were no kind of, you know, Israeli troops nearby.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
Not very well. I would say that the system is characterized right now by violence and chaos and disorder.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
Yeah, so from what our understanding, the centers are actually open for very limited hours. And Gazans are claiming that the supplies runs out quite fast. So, you know, there are boxes, but there's no screening. So what happens is, you know, each person comes and it's not necessarily a situation where, you know, you get a full box or you even get a box.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
So what's been happening is that Gazans have been waking up really early. We spoke to someone who even went at midnight to try to go camp out there. People are desperate because sometimes people leave empty-handed. They wait and it's chaotic and they don't get anything.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
On Sunday, we had an incident where basically, you know, large, large crowds were making their way again to the one distribution center that's open in Rafah. And what happened is a lot of people, you know, made their way early.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
And about what the Israeli military says is a kilometer away from the distribution center, the Israeli military fired warning shots at the crowd who, you know, posed a threat to the troops, they say. And... You know, we don't know exactly what happened.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
We spoke to several witnesses, but we do know from Palestinian health officials and medics that, you know, there were injured people, there were killed people over 20.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
This time we had very large crowds again making their way to the one open distribution center, which was set to open at 5 a.m. So GHF on its social media said to Gazans, don't come before. It's not allowed. Come on the designated routes. But, you know, we spoke to Gazans who said that one person had camped out, you know, came starting at midnight.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
Other people came at 2.30 a.m., you know, just trying to get food. And around the same area, about half a kilometer away, From the distribution center, according to the military, the military said that it fired warning shots again at, you know, crowds that were getting too close. And then when they didn't listen, it continued to fire and they deviated, it said, from the designated routes.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
And we know that the Israeli military fired warning shots.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
So now we're just seeing a really dangerous situation where this has happened several days in a row. The Israeli military also says it's important to note that, you know, it claims that Palestinian gunmen have also been opening fire.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
So the first person we spoke to was Mohamed Nahal. He's 44, and he's from Khan Yunis. And he left his tent at 2.30 a.m. And he went with his cousin, Mahmoud. And basically, they started, you know, going early. And they were waiting for 5 a.m. when the center would open.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
But then about, you know, 100 meters from a roundabout called Al-Alam Roundabout, they said that they suddenly got fired upon from all directions. He saw dead people around him, including his cousin, who was shot, and he says was killed. The second person that we spoke to was Ayman al-Gharib from Rafah, and he's living in a tent with his three children, 42.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
He actually left at midnight. As early as midnight, he said he wanted to secure a spot in line early because, you know, once the site opens, the crowds rush, and, you know, there's no proper system. He said his kids are hungry and want aid.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
And then basically he said that they began to be fired at around 3 a.m. And, you know, it was coming from all directions.
The Journal.
The Struggle to Get Aid Into Gaza
Yeah. And he also saw a person next to him, we said, was killed. And yeah, that is what we have from Ayman.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
This deal has a lot of details, a lot of stumbling stones that the sides are going to reach pretty quickly. Not everything has been already worked out.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Yeah, so we have 94 hostages who were taken on October 7th who remain in Gaza, including over 30 that have been confirmed dead by Israel based on intelligence. We also have another four hostages from before October 7th included in Israel's count, and they're negotiating over them as well. So we have 98 total hostages.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Over 30 at least. We understand that that number is higher. Privately, Israeli and American officials believe that this number is much higher. But we're going to see a group of 33 hostages under the humanitarian category. So kind of the most vulnerable people. You know, we have injured elderly women and dead bodies. And so they're going to be coming out after 15 months of captivity.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Israel is going to release Palestinian prisoners. It has thousands of Palestinian prisoners in its prisons. It also detained thousands of prisoners from Gaza throughout the war and in the attack into Israel on October 7.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Yeah, stage two is going to be super tricky. So for many months, we've had a big problem. And that is that Israel has wanted to free its hostages, but has not wanted to end the war. And Hamas has said, we will not free the hostages unless you commit to ending the war. So An end to the fighting, a permanent ceasefire has been a huge barrier in these negotiations.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
And that's kind of phase one lets us kind of ease into that. And the negotiations only start on day 16 of that. Phase two is going to be really tricky. We already have far right politicians in Israel who oppose going to phase two from the beginning. And they have threatened to quit the ruling coalition over that.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Yeah, that's a really good question. That's one of the biggest questions that remain open. Israel set out to destroy Hamas as also a fighting and military power, but also as a ruling power. There is no alternative to it right now.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Basically, you have a few options on the table that we hear from Israeli officials, which could be either Israel takes over as a military occupier, it could be that Hamas continues ruling, or you have the Palestinian Authority coming in. The problem is that Israel has ruled out all three options.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
So Netanyahu and people close to him would say, you know, we can't propose any kind of alternative until Hamas is destroyed. And now, you know, would be that moment. Now we need to see what's going to happen.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
So I think from my conversations with hostage families, there's a lot of anxiety in the air. People are afraid that they've been let down before and they say that they will believe it when they see it. We also have opponents to the deal in Israel. So we have had some smaller protests, hundreds of people who oppose the deal and have taken to the streets, but it hasn't been very large numbers.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
But yeah, so I don't think you're seeing the same images of celebrations as you're seeing coming out of Gaza. It's a bit different here.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
So the Gaza enclave has been through just a devastating air campaign, a land invasion. Parts of the strip have been just decimated. There's just, you know, in Jabalia, we've seen photos where it's just rubble. So we've seen just celebrations, like people just so happy that this is coming through, waiting for this for so long.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
These two men have been tough negotiators, kind of going head to head, not agreeing. At certain points, it seemed close. You know, we thought that we were going to reach a deal. And, you know, sometimes it was, you know, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu just... insisting on certain things. And, you know, sometimes we would hear from mediators and Israeli negotiators that he was sabotaging a deal.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Other times, Hamas would make very difficult demands, or Sinoir would go quiet. We've had all kinds of barriers.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
So you have all these moments that kind of came together and weakened Hamas. And that made Hamas, I think, understand that it had to make some serious concessions in the negotiations. And then we had another factor that was very important, and I would say that's the Trump effect.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
The Trump effect is basically the fact that Trump was able to put more pressure on both sides, on Hamas, but also very importantly on Israel, on Netanyahu. And basically, we saw that Trump said very publicly, he gave a deadline. He said, I want this deal done by January 20th when I take office or all hell will break loose.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Now, people don't know exactly what the all hell will break loose means when you actually ask them. But the fact that he said this very publicly, I think, really put new energy into the negotiations and made them get through the finish line.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Yeah, so the Biden administration worked closely with Trump people in these negotiations. So a real estate mogul turned Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Netanyahu on Saturday. He made it very clear that he wanted to get this done. What I have heard from his meetings between him and hostage families is that they got the impression he was very serious, wanted to get this done.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
That's a really good question. We have a pathway to the end to the war. That's what I would say. We have some sort of kind of ladder to pull us out of all of the mud that we're in at the moment, but we need to see if the players will decide to go through with it.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
So he really brought new energy that kind of helped this get it through.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
It's a really tough question because I think the Biden administration has been in the thick of this for so many months. And it's been grueling negotiations that have seemed impossible many times. So I think the Biden administration does deserve a lot of credit.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
But Trump's pressure, his deadline, the fact that he was able to pressure Israel more effectively and also Hamas, I think helped get it done.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Yeah, the journey isn't quite over. So at this moment, we have the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas announcing that they have reached an agreement for a ceasefire. Israel has not yet announced that. So what is happening is that Netanyahu has not presented the public yet with a ceasefire, made an argument for it. And it still needs to pass two votes.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
So one in the security cabinet and then the government. And there needs to be another period of around 24 hours for people to petition against it to the Supreme Court. And then it can go into effect. But so far, we haven't had a vote yet. So this is causing a lot of anxiety, I would say.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
So we are hearing that there are some problems in the negotiating room about details. So, for example, from Hamas's side, bringing up names of high profile political prisoners that they want released from the Israeli side, saying that they want to maintain forces in certain areas in Gaza. We still do think it could be resolved.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
We're kind of just following all the political things that are happening right now around us.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
Yeah, I think this is a huge moment for the people of Gaza. They've dreamed of this. They've just been waiting for this moment. I think just joy, first reaction. And then I think it's going to be the start of a whole new journey, search for answers. So, you know, there's a lot of people missing in Gaza. So people are going to be looking through the rubble, finding loved ones.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
They're going to be going back to search for their homes, many of them which no longer exist. So I think, yeah, the reconstruction of the Strip is a huge question, only going to come at phase three of the deal. But... I think that there's just, it's the end to really a devastating military campaign.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
I think the biggest question is, will the ceasefire go past phase one? Phase one is already a huge achievement. The only kind of comparable thing we've seen is a ceasefire in November 2023, which lasted a week, fell apart when both sides accused each other of breaking the terms, saw a release of over 100 hostages and many Palestinian prisoners. And now we have a longer period.
The Journal.
A Fragile Cease-Fire Deal in Gaza
But there is concern that, you know, maybe Netanyahu or maybe Israel is not interested in going past the first stage. I know hostage families are worried about that. And yes, I think that that's a big question for me.