Transcript:
The Inside Story: Expanding Tensions
Episode 127 – January 18, 2024
Show Open:
This week on The Inside Story
More than 100 days of fighting following the October 7 hamas terror attacks in Israel.
A humanitarian catastrophe for civilians living in Palestinian Territories.
The violence spills into the region and abroad as proxies join the fight.
Plus, allegations of war crimes and demands for a cease fire.
Now... on The Inside Story... Expanding Tensions.
The Inside Story:
Hi I’m VOA’s Jessica Jerreat. This week on The Inside Story, we look at the escalating tensions in the Middle East, as the Israel-Hamas war creates a humanitarian catastrophe and the UN calls for an immediate ceasefire. The far-reaching consequences of this conflict show no sign of easing, with a case against Israel at the Hague and strikes against Iran-backed Houthis as they attack key trade routes.
Up first we take a look at those Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the escalating counterstrikes by the U.S. and its allies. The US is re-designating the Houthis a terrorist organization. Here’s Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb on Iran's efforts to destabilize the Red Sea and beyond.
CARLA BABB, VOA Pentagon Correspondent:
The U.S. on Wednesday called Houthi militants a terror group, after about 30 attacks on international shipping lanes since mid-November.
John Kirby, National Security Council:
If the Houthis cease attacks, we can reconsider the decision.
CARLA BABB:
If not, the United States and Britain could launch more attacks against Houthi radar sites, launch sites and drone and missile facilities inside Yemen.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary:
The Houthis need to ask themselves how much of their capability do they want degraded and disrupted in light of these illegal reckless and dangerous attacks.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, Foundation for Defense of Democracies:
It is exceptionally long overdue. And it's still not even a complete restoration.
CARLA BABB:
Critics of the administration, like FDD’s Behnam Ben Taleblu, say more needs to be done against the Houthis, who serve as proxies for their military supplier, Iran.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, Foundation for Defense of Democracies:
This is a neo-colonial project the Islamic Republic is engaging in to establish proxies and poke holes across the Arab heartland of the Middle East, to be able to have them fight the ideal ideological adversary of the Islamic Republic, which is the Jewish state in the Middle East.
CARLA BABB:
Iran supplies illicit weapons to violent proxies across the Middle East: in Gaza, Lebanon Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
This month, U.S. forces boarded this small boat off the coast of Somalia and confiscated several advanced conventional weapons bound for Yemen and made by Iran.
Iran denies supplying the Houthis with missiles, despite repeated evidence to the contrary.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, Foundation for Defense of Democracies:
Iran has this proxy strategy which aims to put distance between it and threats, and to create deniability. But with this newfound missile power, the regime is actually quite content in showcasing this itself.
CARLA BABB:
Tehran carried out deadly missile strikes inside Iraq and Pakistan this week, angering its neighbors. Islamabad recalled its Iranian ambassador, as Iraqis in the northern Kurdish region launched massive protests.
Carla Babb, Voa News, The Pentagon.
January 14 marked 100 days since the terror attack in southern Israel, in which Hamas killed 1,200 people and seized 240 hostages.
The Israeli military response has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, with Gaza health authorities putting the figure at over twenty-four thousand.
The scale of casualties prompted rallies worldwide, including here in Washington where pro-Palestinian supporters called for a ceasefire. Veronica Balderas Iglesias examines the effect of the conflict on civilians.
VERONICA BALDERAS IGLESIAS, VOA Correspondent:
It has been 100 days since Hamas fighters launched a terrorist incursion into Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping about 240 others.
At least 105 of them have been released since the October 7 incursion, but many are still being held captive and missed by their loved ones.
Jimmy Miller, Hostage Relative:
(Im)prisoned without food, without light, without water, without any human conditions.
VERONICA BALDERAS IGLESIAS:
Israel's air and ground military operations in Gaza, which aim to destroy the militant group, have killed an estimated 24,000 Palestinians, a large percentage of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
More than 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have been displaced. Among them, Heba Bakr, who is six months pregnant.
Heba Bakr, Displaced Palestinian:
I will have a child. I am worried about my due date; where am I going to give birth? How they will treat me when I give birth.
VERONICA BALDERAS IGLESIAS:
From the Vatican, Pope Francis renewed his calls for peace.
Pope Francis:
War itself is a crime against humanity. People need peace; the world needs peace.
VERONICA BALDERAS IGLESIAS:
Demonstrations in Rome, London and Washington over the weekend, also demanded an end to the war, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not bowing to public pressure.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister:
At this moment, what comes first is to cover the expenses of the war, and to allow us to conduct the war in the coming year and complete it, including the elimination of Hamas, including the return of our hostages.
VERONICA BALDERAS IGLESIAS:
On Saturday, Osama Hamdan, a senior official with Hamas, which is a U.S.-designated terror group, said the captives are being taken care of. He also referred to a deal that Israel said it had brokered with Qatar to deliver medicines for the hostages.
Osama Hamdan, Senior Hamas Official:
We are keen to treat them, but we will treat them with whatever medicine is available that reaches our people, and here we thank our brothers in Qatar who took the initiative to send medicines.
VERONICA BALDERAS IGLESIAS:
With no end to the conflict in sight, rallygoers in Tel Aviv stood in silence for 100 seconds Sunday, representing the number of days hostages have been held captive. Pauses in civil and commercial activities were also announced by Israel’s labor union federation, marking the solemn benchmark in the war.
Veronica Balderas Iglesias, VOA News.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Citing grave concern over tensions, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Here he is, in his own words:
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres:
More than 100 days have passed since the horrific seven October attacks by Hamas that claimed the lives of more than 1000 Israelis and others and resulted in the brutal seizing of hostages.
Nothing can justify the deliberate killing or injuring and kidnapping of civilians, or the launching of rockets towards civilian targets. At the same time, the onslaught on Gaza by Israeli forces over these when other days as unleashed wholesale destruction and levels of civilian killings at the rate that is unprecedented during my years as Secretary General. And the vast majority of those kills are women and children.
The Long Shadow of starvation is stoking the people of Gaza along with disease, malnutrition, and other health threats.
Meanwhile, the cauldron of tensions in the occupied West Bank is boiling. over with heightened violence.
Tensions are also sky high in the Red Sea and beyond and may soon be impossible to contain.
I am profoundly worried by what is unfolding.
There is one solution to help address all these issues. We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure sufficient aid gets to where it's needed to facilitate the release of the hostages to tamp down the flames of wider war because the longer the conflict in Gaza continues, the greater the risk of escalation and miscalculation.
JESSICA JERREAT:
With the fighting in Gaza ongoing, VOA continues to provide coverage from the region.
Earlier I spoke with VOA correspondent Celia Mendoza in Jerusalem.
Celia, you just arrived back in Jerusalem this week. How do things look on the ground?
Celia Mendoza, VOA Correspondent:
Right now we can sense the tension that keeps building up between the people in the area of the border towns. that were attacked during the October 7 attack by hamas, but also within the areas like Jerusalem that are close to the West Bank. Over the past few days, the members of the government has been very clear about the necessity to implement a plan for Gaza. But tensions keep rising within the ground and the sense of security for the Israeli people is everyday more uncertain.
Just over the past few days, we saw an attack within one of the islands close to Tel Aviv where two Palestinians that were able to hire cars and ran into other cars, killing a lady and wounding at least 15 people. So that is evidence of the tensions that keep growing up. And of course, we have information about what it will be the next phase of the war according to the military here in Israel. They're trying to wind up their operations on the northern part of Gaza, and eventually that will happen on the south.
JESSICA JERREAT:
When you talk about those tensions when we’re just just pass the 100 day mark of the war and Israel is coming under international pressure over the humanitarian crisis. What can you tell us about that aid situation?
Celia Mendoza, VOA Correspondent:
That keeps being something very challenging on the ground, according to the United Nations, especially Mr. Martin Griffin, who is in charge of the emergency assistance for that agency of the UN. It could be a diversion of the famine and the possibility of having health phrases that goes into a terrible situation within the next days.
According to the United Nations. They have not been able to provide as much help as they need to provide living Gaza and also children as well as pregnant women and other vulnerable individuals are not able to get assistance due to the security measures and also the conflict that continues on the ground. One of the biggest concerns, of course for the United Nations and other organizations is aware those displaced more than 300,000 to 400,000 Palestinians in Gaza that will be leaving and how is going to be the process of trying to get back to normal, if that happens, and when.
JESSICA JERREAT:
With that that being the case, what's your sense of public opinion at the moment in terms of support for the war, both on the Israeli and the Palestinian side is the what we're seeing happen to the civilians and sort of innocent parties to this swaying public opinion one way or the other?
Celia Mendoza, VOA Correspondent:
Inside Israel is the sense of patriotism and anger against the attacks of October 7 within the news is not a lot that you can see from what is happening in Gaza beyond the daily reports of the IDF, the advancements, the tags, as well as the tunnels and everything they found in Gaza.
What is happening in what we have seen on international media, in terms of the over 24,000 people killed at least 10,000 of them children according to the Ministry of Health of Palestine, and some of that data backed by the United Nations is not well heard or known distributed within Israel, but what we have seen is a focus on the kidnap victims over the past few days that video was released by him as a legend that one of the big things was heard in two word kill. And the government has claimed this is the form of mental terrorism, psychological terrorism.
And that also is something that over the past three months has penetrated within the feelings and emotions of the Israeli people that have lost their sense of security and that also allow them to record a lot of the actions by the government, some of them the military action, but their questions come in specifically on when all the kidnap in the hostages will be released and how the government is trying to get them back.
JESSICA JERREAT:
You mentioned about media access and what people on the ground are getting in terms of access to information. Among the civilian casualties. We've seen more than 80 journalists killed so far since October 7. Nearly all Palestinian. More than a dozen are detained as a journalist how easy and safe is it to move around to get these stories?
Celia Mendoza, VOA Correspondent:
Moving within Israel is easy and safe. The government has established a process for journalists to be able to enter the country. You have to have a credential they have you know you're here. You're able to get access through the IDF and that's something that allows for them to present their side of the story and access to that part.
However, getting access to Gaza, so far has been impossible independently. Only one or two journalists have been able to do it through their governments access through humanitarian aid processes. However, for independent journalism or media to be able to get there.
The only way is with the IDF in one of their tours and most of the cases they checked everything else. But it is a difficult situation to report especially the Palestinian side.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Celia, Thank you so much for joining us today. We'll look out for your coverage in the coming days.
The Israel Hamas conflict is having ripple effects across the region's with the US and Western allies striking the Iranian backed Houthi in Yemen.
Today, I'm joined by Siamak Dehghanpour, a senior correspondent with VOA’s Persian service, who has traveled to the region and been reporting on the conflict since the beginning. Siamak welcome to the inside story. Thank you for being with us today.
Siamak Dehghanpour, Senior Correspondent, VOA Persian service:
Thanks for having me.
JESSICA JERREAT:
So to start with, I just want to get an idea of the significance of the maritime regions that seem to be at the heart of the strikes that we're seeing in against the Houthis at the moment.
Siamak Dehghanpour, Senior Correspondent, VOA Persian service:
You know that about 12% of world global trade passes through Suez Canal via Red Sea that's shows the significance of this waterway.
But historically speaking, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait which is the choke point, lead to Red Sea, where the Houthis are controlling means in Arabic gate of grief, shows that historically that place been the place of accidents, piracy and so many others things that makes that spot very significant.
A few years ago was 2022. We were flying over from Israel to Jeddah where President Biden was meeting GCC leaders then from October you get the full scope of how tight is that waterway to add that some many people probably but 40% of it is very shallow. It's about maybe 100 meters.
So it's a very tight what are the many ships going through and I'm sure you know that because of what happened in the past few days. Many of these shipping companies have stopped going through this so the now that the trip that they have to go through is maybe nine to 10 days longer to go to the other way around Africa, which makes it more costly for the economy. And some of the companies some of the factories in Europe and other places they stop producing the whatever they had, because of the issues that the Houthis created.
JESSICA JERREAT:
What’s Iran’s connection to their support of the Houthis and they're sort of support for what is happening with these attacks on this sort of maritime trade?
Siamak Dehghanpour, Senior Correspondent, VOA Persian service:
It’s interesting the Supreme Leader, how many rounds leader just today he praised Houthis for what they have done in terms of these attacks that they are conducting. He started talking about is what is movement more than two decades ago, he, for the first time publicly raised this issue of the connection between Iran historically helping to establish what they call the Zedi Government in Yemen, which is some kind of offshoot of the Shia theology and so there is a connection and Iran always wanted to use some proxies in the region to push its revolutionary ideas and messages.
So most people think that the relation is about like the last two decades, but it's longer. In even 60s There were some relations between mostly in in the south, but after the Civil War 2014 The when the Saudis and UAE started getting involved into civil war in Yemen, that's where the Iran and RGC showed up there and start giving more material support to who says and who it is. and Iran have a couple of things in common one is both are anti American, both anti Israeli, and if you look at the messages that quoted are propagating is mostly death to America, death to Israel, and curse upon the Jews. So that's the connection.
JESSICA JERREAT:
And how does Iran sort of play on those sort of was its proxies that have those sort of shared like anti Israel anti West agenda? How is it using the conflict in Israel and Gaza to sort of lean in and sort of have its proxies almost amplify that message? Is that what you're seeing happen?
Siamak Dehghanpour, Senior Correspondent, VOA Persian service:
Yeah, there are two domestic aspects of this story. One is that Iran has been because of the recent protests, national concerns that population have raised have been drastically weakened in terms of the legitimacy in Iran. At the eyes of many people in Iran.
So Iran is taking advantage of this opportunity to push his message again in the region, and at the same time, who says are also not the only force in Yemen so who is also taking advantage of this opportunity to show that they are somehow in the equal footing of the Hezbollah as a major proxy in the region.
So the Houthis are pushing this message inside Yemen, because not all Yemen is are supporting the Houthis but for the pro Palestinian sentiment in the country. So which is are trying to get more legitimacy inside Yemen because of the civil war that's going on. And we have to note that the southern Council, the STC southern Transitional Council, have been kind of quiet in terms of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
So that's how countries are trying to take advantage of this opportunity to same that goes with Iran domestically. In terms of proxies as I mentioned that both they have common goals of creating chaos and you know, bogging down the US forces and now this they have to see this opportunity because of this international support for Gaza that they think they would help them to come up with this shortcomings they had.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Like how does Iran’s support of Hamas sort of play into Iran's wider sort of ambitions in the region?
Siamak Dehghanpour, Senior Correspondent, VOA Persian service:
Iran, as I mentioned, in terms of the ideas that had behind the proxy war is that mostly it's been very low costs in terms of the financial aspects of it. There's support for proxies, at the same time as the deniability option has always been there. So you learn most of time don't take responsibility for what Hamas or Hezbollah and puchased are doing. So these are the independent groups, they do their own business. We support them, we help them but there are many signs in terms of the missiles have been found the technology been supportive given to Hamas and also to his own husband, obviously, that these are coming from Iran, some even anti ship missiles that have been shot by who says recently there see 802 Chinese designed but it's produced in Iran.
So they kind of have been originated from Iran and transferred by IRGC to Hamas to Allah, Islamic Jihad. And who says one quick note that recently that I was in West back, I talked to some Palestinian officials. They were very concerned about the money laundering centers that government Iran is conducting in West Bank. They were concerned that they are pushing Islamic Jihad sentiment in genuine in some of the cities because the youth are very vulnerable in terms of the message and support they may receive.
So most of the stuff that's been happening with bank was mostly national nationally, Palestinian not to be a sectarian terms of Hamas Islamic Jihad, but now Palestinian official Palestinian authority are very concerned about Iran's influence in the West Bank. We have to be mindful of the fact that Iran historically had relations with PLO post Iranian revolution that makes it more complex because when the Iranian officials go into the region, they don't meet with Palestinian Authority officials. They meet with Hamas with Islamic Jihad and Hezbolla.
JESSICA JERREAT:
Thank you so much for your insight today. I really appreciate you joining us on the inside story.
Siamak Dehghanpour, Senior Correspondent, VOA Persian service:
Thanks for having me.
JESSICA JERREAT:
The U.N.'s highest court is hearing South Africa’s case against Israel for genocide. The aim: to force a ceasefire and to present evidence of what South Africa--a longstanding supporter of the Palestinians-- perceives as "genocidal behavior" by the Israeli military. But Israel’s main ally, the U.S., sees the case as meritless. From Washington, Anita Powell:
ANITA POWELL, VOA Correspondent:
Israel’s war in Gaza has a new legal front, as the International Court of Justice on Thursday heard South Africa’s case against Israel on charges of genocide as it attempts to eradicate the militant group Hamas after its stunning October 7 attack on Israeli civilians.
The hearing prompted protests outside the United Nations-backed court, at the Hague.
South Africa launched its argument that Israel has violated the 1948 Genocide Convention and compared the situation to one closer to home.
Ronald Lamola, South African Justice Minister:
Our government has approached the International Court of Justice to prevent the unfolding genocide in Gaza. We have also asked for provisional measures, which include an immediate suspension of Israel's military operations in and against Gaza. The commitment to justice and bring an end to the humanitarian atrocities in Palestine resonate deeply with the collective consciousness of the global community. The scale of these actions is reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide 30 years ago.
ANITA POWELL:
Officially, Israel’s top ally disagrees.
John Kirby, National Security Council Spokesman:
We have said repeatedly that we believe these allegations, this case, is unfounded and that there's no basis for accusations of genocide against Israel. That's not a word that ought to be thrown around lightly.
ANITA POWELL:
But there is no consensus in Washington, with some politicians and labor leaders supporting South Africa’s call for a cease-fire and accusing Israeli forces of being overzealous. A State Department official who resigned in protest filed a document with the court in support of South Africa.
Josh Paul, Former State Department Official:
I'm not arguing that there should be a special standard for Israel, a higher one or a lower one. I'm simply arguing that there is a global standard and we need to hold all of our partners to it. And we need to hold ourselves to it. And in the case of Israel, there are laws that are simply being set aside, overlooked, interpreted differently, or acted upon differently, and that does not seem to be in accordance with the U.S. approach to the international rule of law.
ANITA POWELL:
South Africa has long supported the Palestinian cause, with former President Nelson Mandela famously saying “our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Analysts say this is about much more than just Israel’s conduct. With a growing list of countries and entities supporting Pretoria’s view over Washington’s, this could have major diplomatic fallout — especially if the U.N.-backed court renders a judgment against Israel.
Michael Walsh, Foreign Policy Research Institute:
It also brings into question the countries that are continuing to support Israel and provide weapons to Israel and provide intelligence to Israel, and doing all these other things. So that has huge implications for U.S. relations with other countries around the world, not just in the short term, but also in the long term. And it also undermines the U.S.’ leadership on human rights in the world moving forward, if there's any grounds that are found.
ANITA POWELL:
While arguments are expected to conclude this week, the court could take years to render a judgment.
Meanwhile, the war continues, the death toll climbs, and families suffer.
Anita Powell, VOA News, Washington.
JESSICA JERREAT:
That’s all for this week. Thanks for watching.
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We’ll see you next week for The Inside Story.
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