The National Interest Foundation Newsletter

Issue 288, June 6, 2025

Welcome to our NIF Newsletter. In this week’s edition, we examine yet another Israeli massacre of starving civilians in Gaza, provide analysis regarding Ukraine’s massive attack on Russia and whether it will cause escalation of the war or lead to peace, and delve into Israel denying access to Arab foreign ministers seeking to visit Palestinian President Abbas in Ramallah.

Additionally, in light of recent news of President Trump’s revived travel ban – which is set to go into effect on Monday and negatively impacts an array of Muslim-majority nations among others – we join human rights groups in denouncing the troubling move that will deny entry to individuals and families fleeing war, persecution, and oppression.

Editor: Bassam Tarbush

Yet Another Israeli Massacre of Starving Civilians in Gaza

This week, Israeli forces have committed numerous heinous massacres of Gazan civilians seeking food at aid distribution sites. Medical personnel have outlined how deplorably, many of the victims have been children killed with single gunshot wounds to the head or chest. Furthermore, first-hand accounts from witnesses and humanitarian workers have debunked Israeli forces’ false claims of limited firing at individuals and instead prove that the shootings were en masse and indiscriminate. As United Nations (UN) officials and others have remarked, it is completely unacceptable and disgraceful that desperate civilians are being killed while trying to access aid, especially given the repeated nature of these occurrences. All of this has prompted the UN secretary-general to call for an independent investigation into the massacres of civilians at aid distribution hubs run by the widely condemned Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

Both the recurrence of these incidents and the manner in which they have been carried out demonstrate that they are undoubtedly deliberate acts. Eyewitnesses describe Israel’s use of warplanes, tanks, helicopters, and heavy artillery to target vulnerable civilians merely queuing for humanitarian aid, leading one to understandably conclude that there could be no possible “threat” from these individuals that would warrant this type of barbarity. Israeli forces have a track record of committing these kinds of reprehensible massacres and then fecklessly trying to claim that it was in response to “threats” posed – something that, as is the case in these aid distribution site killings, has no merit and is used to try and defend the indefensible. These actions are egregious crimes against humanity which exhibit a blatant disregard for human rights and international law. Regrettably, the lack of accountability for them has emboldened Israel’s abuses further and increased the likelihood of additional appalling violations like this taking place.

The mass killings of civilians at GHF sites have only deepened the already substantial criticism of Israel’s aid distribution takeover. The UN and all reputable impartial humanitarian agencies have refused to take part in the politicized and militarized Israeli-run scheme. The aid takeover limits distribution points to a few inadequate locations, with many even pointing out that these are strategic spots chosen by Israel to try and facilitate the forced displacement of civilians. On top of these existing issues, what has unfolded at the sites has led observers to label them as “death traps” whereby desperate civilians are left to risk their lives in an attempt to secure essential aid. Rather than subjecting civilians to this cruel and inhumane system, humanitarian groups have implored Israel to open up border crossings and allow legitimate relief organizations to resume their operations. They continue to emphasize that a meaningful and large-scale uptick in relief services is required in order to meet the needs of millions of civilians and work to alleviate dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Additionally, independent humanitarian organizations have reiterated that they stand prepared to carry out their work should Israel simply allow them to, as they have a wide network of aid distribution points that had been helping to improve humanitarian conditions during the six-week Gaza ceasefire between mid-January and early March.

The high level of condemnation regarding the aid takeover and Israeli massacres recently prompted an American consulting firm to withdraw its team from the controversial program. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) expressed that the company had terminated its contract with GHF amid increasing criticism and backlash about its operations. The development adds to the denunciation of the GHF-led takeover which has been universally rejected by humanitarian agencies and elicited outrage for the repeated mass killings of Gazan civilians. The news of BCG’s abandonment is particularly noteworthy given its integral involvement in the design and management of GHF logistics alongside Israeli authorities. It also represents a clear acknowledgement from one of the operation’s main architects as to the immense rebuke against it for allowing Israel to use starvation as a weapon of war and tying humanitarian access to military aims such as the forced displacement of civilians from the north of Gaza. Last week, the head of GHF had even resigned his position after admitting that the operation undeniably failed to adhere to the core humanitarian principles of independence and impartiality.

Ukraine’s Massive Attack on Russia and Whether It Will Cause Escalation of the War or Lead to Peace

A major Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday has raised questions regarding whether it could prompt escalation of the longstanding Russo-Ukrainian War or potentially help lead to peace. The surprising and wide-ranging strikes were carried out deep inside Russia and targeted dozens of strategic bombers at multiple bases. Several of the Russian bomber planes hit are believed to have launched a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine as recently as last week. Ultimately, the Russian aircraft targeted in the massive Ukrainian drone attack consists of notable ones that help to boost Russia’s ability to both intercept missiles and to launch its own strikes, while also critical for nuclear deterrence – making what took place on Sunday all the more relevant due to its scope and scale. Some analysts see Ukraine’s attack as a calculated move aimed at disrupting Russia’s military capabilities, exposing significant vulnerabilities, and providing more leverage and pressure for the prospect of successful negotiations. Others suspect that what many view as a humiliation for Russian President Putin is more likely to spur an intensified response of continued Russian attacks that may make it harder to negotiate what is already an extremely challenging task of trying to reach a comprehensive and lasting peace settlement.

The massive Ukrainian attack came a day before the latest round of peace talks on Monday. The respective delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, agreeing to a new prisoner swap and the return of thousands of dead soldiers but with little progress made towards reaching a peace agreement that would end the war. The two sides remain bitterly divided, with Russia repeatedly rejecting the idea of an unconditional ceasefire and instead only proposing a limited two or three-day pause in fighting. During the latest round of talks, Russia also presented Ukraine with a document laying out the former’s terms for ending hostilities, as Ukrainian officials indicated that time would be needed for them to review and respond. Some of the conditions are understood to have included a demand for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from regions that Russia unilaterally annexed in September of 2022 and the freezing of Western arms deliveries, among others. There is little hope for any tangible progress given that Ukraine has previously rejected many of the demands that have been laid out by Moscow but moving forward, Ukraine has proposed that further talks take place in late June.

While what transpired on Sunday did not translate into any immediate impact on the prospects for fruitful negotiations to put an end to hostilities, experts point out that it did however highlight the growing importance of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles in modern warfare. With respect to the Russo-Ukrainian War specifically, attacks like this demonstrate how both sides have increasingly relied on simple and commercially available weaponry such as drones to conduct their war operations. Many observers anticipate that this is only going to become even more commonplace – as a result of its accessibility and capacity for effectiveness. In fact, of the at least 45 Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine between June and December of last year documented by Human Rights Watch, the majority of these have been carried out using modified commercial drones. This is largely the result of their easiness to alter combined with the ability to operate them at great distances in a very strategic but inexpensive manner.

If some of the most recent developments this week are any indication, it appears as though the massive Ukrainian drone attack has a higher probability of resulting in further escalations than it does leading to imminent peace. In addition to the latest round of talks failing to amount to anything other than a new prisoner swap, a reported talk between U.S. President Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin saw the latter suggest that Russia “will have to respond to recent attacks on its airfields.” Trump himself summed up his conversation with Putin by expressing that it was not one that will “lead to immediate peace.” Earlier today, Russia did launch large-scale drone and missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital and other parts of the country – confirming what was anticipated to unfold following news of the Trump-Putin conversation.

Israel Denies Access to Arab Foreign Ministers Seeking to Visit Palestinian President Abbas in Ramallah

Israel’s decision to block the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Turkey from a planned visit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah this past weekend has garnered widespread condemnation for being a flagrant violation of international law and a setback for peace efforts. In its official statement reacting to the denial of access, the Arab ministerial delegation remarked that it showed “the extent of the Israeli government’s arrogance, its disregard for international law, and its continued implementation of illegal measures and policies that besiege the Palestinian people.” The move comes amid already growing international criticism of Israel’s actions in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza – including its illegal settlement expansion in the former and war crimes in the latter – and is therefore certain to deepen its diplomatic isolation. The denial of access to the group of foreign ministers also takes place ahead of a planned international conference in New York later this month, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, that is slated to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. For impartial observers, it is clear that Israel’s decision is aimed at trying to undermine and derail initiatives in support of this.

As analysts have highlighted, Israel’s rejection of the visit demonstrates how brazen its obstruction efforts to Palestinian statehood have become and the level of deterioration in its ties with other countries in the region. Saudi Arabia, which was set to lead the blocked delegation of foreign ministers to Ramallah, has consistently expressed – since the onset of the Gaza War – that there is no prospect of it normalizing relations with Israel in the absence of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Before the Gaza War, some speculated that Saudi Arabia and Israel may have been moving closer to the possibility of normalizing ties, but Israel’s denial of access to the foreign ministers exemplifies – as one expert put it – how far Saudi Arabia and Israel have moved from potential normalization to diplomatic confrontation. There have been indications of increased friction between Israel and other countries in the region as well. Recently, the UAE was reported to have summoned Israel’s ambassador to its foreign ministry for a dressing down, with Emirati officials stating that the ambassador was given angry messages to send back to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

On top of being a testament to its indifference towards international norms, many see Israel’s denial of access to the foreign ministers as a glaring attempt to disrupt growing global momentum in support of Palestinian recognition and social justice. The aforementioned upcoming international conference later this month in New York co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France could serve as a critical means for rallying and broadening this, and the planned delegation of foreign ministers’ visit to Ramallah was intended to spur further progress in advance of it. Thus, it is obvious that Israel sought to hinder regional initiatives to solidify support in the lead up to the approaching conference in New York. While the Netanyahu government seeks to obstruct these diplomatic channels, it is hoped that its actions will not have a damaging impact on the wider global sentiment as a whole given that there is increasingly international, especially European, criticism towards Israel’s policies. As such, there is optimism that the upcoming conference can be leveraged to secure additional Palestinian recognitions and elevate its status within the United Nations as well.

The latest situation with the group of foreign ministers is not the only time that Israel has elicited recent denunciation for its behavior towards diplomatic delegations in the occupied West Bank. A few weeks ago, more than a dozen governments condemned Israeli forces for firing shots in the direction of a foreign delegation of diplomats which included representatives from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, China, Japan, and others. The incident prompted a wave of outrage and widespread calls for an investigation from world leaders and the United Nations. Videos that were shared on social media showed delegation members providing media interviews when shots rang out, forcing them to run for cover. All told, regular transgressive occurrences like this one and the denial of access to foreign ministers illustrates Israel’s systematic disregard for international law and human rights.