Israel appears to believe its war goals are getting closer as Gaza teeters on brink of starvation

Despite enormous criticism from abroad, Israel appears to believe its war strategy in Gaza is slowly working thanks in part to the efforts of the mysterious new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

Now two weeks into its operations, the GHF has taken over delivering humanitarian supplies to the besieged enclave, but increasingly at a terrible cost.

More than 110 people have been killed at, or near, aid distribution sites in Gaza. Some, it appears, were shot by Israeli soldiers; others by unknown gunmen. Still others were killed in the chaos that predictably accompanies starving people rushing to get limited supplies. 

A new analysis by the Crisis Group, an NGO that studies global conflicts, concludes that Israel's military has turned Gaza into a giant "experiment in starvation" and is creating conditions for the forced displacement of its population by keeping people fed just enough to stay alive, but hungry enough to rebel against Hamas.

"Israel is using food as a weapon of war," report author Robert Blecher told CBC News. 

"One hundred per cent of Gaza is facing life-threatening food insecurity," he said. "There are best practices that [Israel] could be choosing to follow, but they've chosen not to follow those."

In recent statements, Israel's military has indicated it believes its tactics have weakened the militant group's grip on the territory, as evidenced by the willingness of Palestinians to ignore Hamas directives not to take food boxes from the GHF, and also to hold street demonstrations against the militant group.

At the same time, Israeli politicians such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — who on Tuesday was sanctioned by Canada's government — say the country is moving ahead with a new department to facilitate the "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from Gaza.

A collection of Western aid agencies have accused Israel of using the GHF to deliberately herd Palestinians out of their homes in order to be closer to the aid distribution centres, where it will be it easier to move them out of Gaza permanently.

Unlike traditional humanitarian agencies that have operated in Gaza — which transport aid to warehouses and distribute food, fuel and medicine to communities throughout the territory — the GHF has on many days operated only two distribution points.

Palestinians say that has forced families to make long, dangerous treks through hazardous war zones to get food.

Mohamed Salim told a CBC freelance videographer in Gaza earlier this week that he walked through the night from his home in Gaza City and then waited for hours to try to get boxes of provisions for his family — only to leave empty handed. 

"We came here for nothing, except to get shot at and injured," he said.

Another man, 25-year-old Mohamed Abdo, says he needed to get food for 10 family members but managed only a few bags of beans, lentils and salt.