Biden Persuades Netanyahu to Allow Delivery of Aid Supplies to Gaza Strip

Professor Emeritus Lee Hee-su of Hanyang University SBS Radio Interview

Professor Hee-Soo Lee, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Hanyang University, evaluated U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Israel, stating, "It seems that the visit did not achieve its intended results and ultimately only succeeded in somewhat persuading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."

On the 20th, Professor Lee appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-Hyun's Political Show' and said, "First of all, it seems the only success was to restrain the immediate deployment of ground troops and partially allow humanitarian aid supplies to enter Gaza."

Regarding the difficulty of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza residents so far, he explained, "It is to conduct operations efficiently," adding, "(Israel) has declared that it will provide humanitarian support along with the release of 200 hostages, so since the hostage release is uncertain at the moment, the first reason is that they do not want to provide humanitarian aid first."

U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are holding talks on the 18th (local time) in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo by AP News Agency

He continued, "Secondly, despite global public criticism, Israel's basic stance is to give priority to the operation aimed at annihilating Hamas through a complete blockade of Gaza," and said, "In other words, by maximizing the suffering of the residents and fostering distrust and separation between Hamas, which acts as the autonomous government, and the residents, Israel aims to weaken Hamas. If humanitarian aid is allowed in, it would imply a prolonged conflict, which is a very difficult decision for Israel."

Professor Lee said, "It is accurate to say that Hamas controls the humanitarian supplies," adding, "Of course, on the surface, international organizations through the UN are responsible for distribution, but especially because it is a war situation, it is ultimately difficult to distribute aid efficiently to every corner without Hamas's help."

Regarding Egypt's hesitation to open the Rafah crossing, which is practically the only passage, he said, "Gaza has been completely blockaded by Israel, and the only lifeline is the Rafah crossing through Egypt. If Egypt opens the border, 2.3 million people would flood into Egypt, which is unmanageable," adding, "Egypt is already struggling economically due to refugees from Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, making it difficult to handle more."

Professor Lee also said, "Currently, the relationship between Hamas and the Egyptian government is very difficult and awkward, and if any terrorist groups or malicious elements from Hamas infiltrate Egypt in this situation, it would be problematic," adding, "Egypt is already a place where terrorism frequently occurs, and due to security issues, it is a situation where decisions cannot be made easily."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.