John Spencer reminds us that Israel’s supply of humanitarian aid to an enemy population has no precedent in the history of warfare. More on this can be found here: “Israel’s wartime Gaza aid is historically unprecedented – opinion,” by John Spencer, Jerusalem Post, July 28, 2025:
Many things can be true at the same time.
Flooding Gaza with humanitarian aid is the right, moral thing to do. A military must balance its operational objectives with humanitarian imperatives, including the prevention of starvation and the protection of civilian life. A military can restrict the flow of humanitarian supplies if the enemy is diverting them for its own purposes. And it is also true that civilian populations are routinely moved out of combat zones to reduce harm and ensure more effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
These are all basic truths of war, well established in both military practice and international law.
But there is another truth that must be acknowledged. One that is rarely said out loud, despite being plain and provable: There is no historical precedent for a military providing the level of direct aid to an enemy population that Israel has provided to Gaza.
This aid has taken place:
While the war is ongoing
While the enemy, Hamas, continues to control territory
And while that enemy is still fighting, launching attacks, and holding hostages
Israel is delivering fuel, food, medicine, and water into territory still under the command of the very group that murdered its civilians on October 7, that continues to fire rockets into Israeli towns, and that openly declares it will repeat those atrocities again and again.
There is no precedent for how this should be done
There is no precedent for this. None….
It is easy to criticize Israel for the humanitarian costs of its war. It is much harder to hold Hamas accountable for embedding its fighters in schools, hospitals, and civilian neighborhoods. And harder still to acknowledge when a military is doing something not just legal, but extraordinary.
The truth matters. And the truth is that no military in modern history has delivered more aid to an enemy population during active war than the Israel Defense Forces have to Gaza. That fact stands, regardless of whether anyone wants to say it out loud.
Let’s repeat that, over and over again, to those who keep maligning Israel for not providing enough humanitarian aid: no military in modern history has delivered more aid to an enemy population during active war than the Israel Defense Forces.
K says
It still surprises me that people actually have anything negative to say about Israel . Why would any person think that the victims needs to help the terrorists ? Israel is held to standards that no other country has been .
Stive says
The Gaza war would have ended by end of 2023 had there been no food, no electric, no water. Most would have lived despite the gazans attacking hamas to get hamas food stocks.at great carnage but by end 2023, Israel could have easily rolled in taking full control and then generously giving out food. What foolish insanity feeding the enemy.
James Lincoln says
No other country’s military has ever been held to the standards of Israel’s IDF in protecting civilians.
Why?
gravenimage says
Good point, James.
tgusa says
A nation or peoples military is not created in a lab on some other planet. The military personnel come from the civilian population. The obligation to civilian populations depends on the conduct of their military.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Israel needs to stop all the aid completely, since it’s “damned if they do, damned if they don’t”. All it is doing is dragging on this hostage saga. Instead, start an operation to recover the hostages – dead or alive – and wipe out all resistance along the way. Point to Russia’s treatment of Ukraine if anyone dares shout “genocide”
PpR says
Of course, there is no precedent. Why didn`t the Allies, especially America, supply food, water, gas, and, electricity, to Germany, in WW2? Instead, we carpet bombed major German cities, from 1943 to 1945, which, along with our military successes, resulted in an unconditional surrender. Had the Israelis done the same to gaza, this conflict would have ended very soon, after 10/7/23. But, the world doesn`t want to ever see Israel win, and, appears to want to allow all of Israel`s enemies to survive. My question is: why?
abu taleb says
What Israel does is like what Jesus tells people to do “love your enemies”. It is very unIslamic as Muhammad sieged some Jews tribe without allowing any food and water to pass through up ao that the Jews had to surrender completely, ended up with Muhammad masacred all male adults and enslave the women.
Of course Israel can not do the Islamic thing because they are not muslims.
Billy says
Islam and its Muslims are genocidal animals against Jews and Christians, the lowest of creatures, as taught in the Islam’s Quran(Quran 98:6-7; 9:5, 29, 111, etc.).
Allah teaches and promotes terrorism, hatred, and violence by Muslims against Jews and Christians because Infidelity, Unbelief, and Blasphemy are a CRIME AGAINST ALLAH(Quran 5:82; 9:29; 60:4; 98:6-7; 49:14-15; etc.).
EVERY Muslim prayer begins with Quran 1:1-, cursing Jews and Christians 15+ times a day. Demonic Allah in Quran 5:51 says, “O you who have believed[Muslims], DO NOT TAKE the Jews and the Nasara(Christians) as friends. They are friends to one another. And whoever among you takes them as friends, so surely he is of them. Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.” See also Quran 2:63-65; 3:115; 4:144; 5:59-60, 82; 7:166.
In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see also Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 3:22,151; 69:30-32; 98:6-7. Moreover, Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…”. Allah desires to fill hell with Non-Muslims because they DO NOT ACCEPT Islam and become Muslims(Quran 7:18; 11:119; 32:13, 35:8 etc.).
Troybeam says
Israel, do not be two faced. Stop sending supplies to Gaza, they attacked your nation, your home and continuing to support only aids them to continue to attack you.
There are no innocents, teach the children to hate and kill, teach everyone to do the jihad duty.
Israel should stop aiding the enemy & do some serious damage to stop them from the continued attacks.
OLD GUY says
Makes no sense for anyone to aid an enemy who wants to slaughter you. Why isn’t Hamas and the Palestinian people being held accountable for their attacks and murder of Israeli citizens?
gravenimage says
Israel’s Aid to Gaza Has No Precedent
……………………………………..
Spot on, Mr. Fitzgerald–no other nation has ever been asked to do this.
And then, many are enraged at Israel because Hamas has stolen the aid and not allowed it to go through to Gazans. Just insane.