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📰 Israel weaponising aid to starve Gaza

📰 Israel weaponising aid to starve Gaza

and Von de Leyen faces EU confidence vote

Billy Robinson & Ross Crabtree
July 04, 2025

Hello and welcome to Geopolitics Daily,

Developments today include President Cirro’s high-stakes visit to Qatar, which has triggered a fresh diplomatic reckoning over Somaliland’s recognition. In Sudan, Hemedti and Abdelaziz al-Hilu have formalised a parallel governing alliance from RSF-held territory. Meanwhile, a new report implicates Eritrean forces in atrocities committed during and after the Tigray conflict.

Our top story turns to Gaza, where Israel's US-backed ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ continues as an explicit instrument of Israeli military strategy. Far from addressing famine, it serves as a tool to starve, control, and displace civilians under the guise of aid.

More details below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇪🇺 Von der Leyen to face EU commission confidence vote: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will face a no-confidence vote in the European Parliament next week, the first such challenge in over a decade. While the motion—filed by Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea—has little chance of passing, it reflects mounting dissatisfaction with von der Leyen’s leadership during her turbulent second term. Lawmakers will debate her record on Monday in Strasbourg, with criticism sparked by a series of controversies, including undisclosed text messages with Pfizer’s CEO during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations. Although some initial supporters of the motion have withdrawn under party pressure, the motion met the threshold of 72 signatures. Despite ongoing tensions over green reforms and alleged alliances with the far right, the centrist coalition backing von der Leyen is expected to block the motion.

2️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 🇺🇸 Ordinance experts identify use of US-made, 500-pound bomb on Gaza cafe: The Israeli military used a 230kg U.S.-made MK-82 bomb to strike a crowded beachfront cafe in Gaza City, killing at least 24 civilians, including artists, journalists, injuring dozens more. Children were also among the casualties. Ordnance experts identified bomb fragments at the scene, and a large crater further supported the use of a high-yield explosive. Legal analysts say the use of such a weapon in a densely populated area likely violates international law and very likely constitutes a war crime. Despite Israeli claims of precautionary aerial surveillance, human rights experts argue the strike appears indiscriminate. The al-Baqa cafe, a long-established civilian venue in a non-evacuation zone, was visibly full. Critics say only a militarily significant target could legally justify such civilian losses. The incident has intensified calls for investigation and accountability under the Geneva Conventions.

3️⃣ 🇲🇱 🇸🇳 🇲🇷 Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam overruns seven army posts in Western Mali: Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, has claimed responsibility for simultaneous attacks on military bases across seven towns in Mali, marking the third major assault on the army this month. While the Malian military said it repelled the attacks and killed over 80 fighters, JNIM claims it seized three army barracks. Clashes were reported near both the Senegalese and Mauritanian borders, including in Kayes, where residents described intense gunfire and smoke near government buildings. Mali has endured over a decade of jihadist violence and separatist unrest. Along with Burkina Faso, Mali has become the global epicentre for jihadist violence. U.S. Africa Command has recently warned of Islamist groups expanding southwards toward West Africa’s coast, raising alarms about increased smuggling and arms flows through the region.

4️⃣ 🇻🇪 🇺🇳 Venezuelan lawmakers declare UN human rights chief persona non grata: Venezuela’s government has declared UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk persona non grata following his latest report criticising worsening repression after the July elections. National Assembly head Jorge Rodríguez announced the country would exit Türk’s office, though it remains unclear if this refers to leaving the UN Human Rights Council or expelling staff, as it did last year. President Maduro accused Türk of politicising the UN body, while top officials labelled him a puppet of Western powers. Türk’s report highlighted forced disappearances, suppression of civil society, and discrimination against women. He also called for lifting sanctions and halting U.S. deportations of Venezuelans. Venezuela has since passed legislation to join a Chinese-led mediation body, signalling a shift away from Western legal frameworks toward alternative multilateral institutions.

5️⃣ 🇪🇷 🇪🇹 🇺🇳 New report details Eritrean forces implication in atrocities during and after Tigray conflict: After UN sanctions on Eritrea were lifted in 2018, the Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) rearmed and later played a central role in launching the Tigray War alongside Ethiopian forces. Rather than ushering in regional peace, the rapprochement between President Isaias Afwerki and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed led to devastating conflict. The EDF’s campaign in Tigray included massacres, mass gender-based violence, and systematic looting—on a scale unmatched by other actors. Despite the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, Eritrean troops remain in Ethiopia, profiting from illicit gold mining, trafficking, and regional instability. Eritrea, now bolstered by military ties with Russia, faces few constraints. Observers call for urgent international action, including sanctions on EDF commanders and a UN inquiry into unresolved Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions, warning that the fragile peace risks collapse without firm multilateral pressure.

Major Story

🇮🇱 🇵🇸 🇺🇳 ISRAEL WEAPONISES AID TO STARVE, CONTROL, AND DISPLACE GAZA’S CIVILIANS

The daily slaughter of civilians at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) food hubs—where over 550 have been killed and thousands more maimed—is no accident. A recent exposé by Haaretz confirmed what Palestinians and international observers have long raised an alarm about: Israeli soldiers have been given explicit orders to fire on unarmed civilians congregating at aid sites in southern Gaza. The GHF, meanwhile, is part of a system designed to manage public perception, not feed the hungry. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made this clear, describing GHF’s purpose as supplying “the least of the least”—just enough to buy time for war, not to relieve suffering. Aid is weaponised to deter hope, fragment resistance, and project a false sense of humanitarian concern.

A Mousetrap Disguised as Humanitarian Relief

GHF’s logistics further underscore its performative nature. With only 20 trucks entering Gaza daily—each providing around 125 grams of food per person—the supply is nowhere near what’s needed for 2.2 million people. Distribution points open arbitrarily for an hour, often closing minutes after opening, turning desperate crowds into targets. Soldiers with thermal scopes shoot civilians at night, reportedly referring to killings as “Red Light, Green Light”—a morbid reference to television show, Squid Game. UNRWA’s chief and Norway’s Foreign Minister have labelled the sites “death traps,” not aid centres.

A Policy of Starvation and Displacement

This is not merely military cruelty—it is state policy. Brigadier General Yehuda Vach, now overseeing aid zones, is a known fundamentalist who has openly called for Gaza’s eradication and the starvation of its population. His appointment reflects not indifference, but commitment to a vision of Gaza without Gazans. Deaths from starvation aren’t counted in official war casualty figures. Malnutrition-related fatalities are masked as other medical causes, obscuring a far greater death toll than reported.

Starvation as Structural Violence

The damage isn’t just immediate. Chronic hunger causes organ failure, sepsis, cardiovascular disease, and long-term developmental issues in children. Studies show such harm lingers for generations.

In Gaza, the act of searching for food now evokes fear, grief, and death. This psychological devastation is no accident—it is part of a broader strategy to break a people’s will, hollow their resilience, and pave the way for displacement through hunger and despair.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇸🇩 Hemedti and al-Hilu launch parallel governing alliance from RSF-held Sudan: The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied factions have formally established a new political bloc, naming RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti) as its head and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) commander Abdelaziz al-Hilu as deputy. Unveiled in Nyala, South Darfur, the alliance—called Tasis (“Founding”)—aims to form a parallel government in RSF-controlled areas. Originally announced in Nairobi in February, its formalisation was delayed by internal rifts. Spokesman Alaa al-Din Nuqd confirmed a 31-member leadership has now been appointed, including Makin Hamid Tirab as rapporteur. Nuqd condemned Sudan’s existing institutions as corrupt and urged supporters to help construct a new state order under Tasis’ leadership.

2️⃣ 🇶🇦 🇸🇴 🇦🇪 President Cirro’s Qatar visit sparks diplomatic reckoning over Somaliland recognition: Somaliland President Cirro’s visit to Qatar—long seen as a key patron of Somalia—signals a seismic shift in Horn of Africa diplomacy. While some interpret Doha’s invitation as a breakthrough acknowledging Somaliland’s strategic value, others fear it’s a ploy to revive unity talks under Qatari mediation. Qatar’s dual-track strategy—backing Mogadishu while now courting Hargeisa—may aim to control both ends of the “Somali question.” The visit comes as U.S. interest in Somaliland intensifies amid great-power rivalry with China. Meanwhile, UAE-Qatar tensions loom large: Abu Dhabi has invested heavily in Berbera but withheld political recognition, potentially opening space for Qatar to act. Somaliland, riding growing international momentum for recognition, must tread carefully to avoid being pulled back into Somalia’s orbit. Whether this is opportunity or entrapment hinges on what concrete outcomes emerge.