An unexpected development in Gaza showed up this morning. Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized the restoration of water service to Gaza, but only the southern portion where people were told to evacuate if they wanted to survive the anticipated Israeli ground assault in the northern part of the Strip. Axios is describing the decision as a result of “strong pressure from the Biden administration,” but I’m dubious about that being the case. We’ll discuss the reasons for that in a moment, but this may prove to generate some skepticism about Israel’s true intentions and long-term strategy. Netanyahu’s administration had originally said that “no water spigot” would be opened until Hamas released all of the hostages. That hasn’t happened yet, so some of Israel’s enemies may interpret this as a sign of weakness or a wavering commitment.Read More
The water is back on in Southern Gaza
