Gazan orphans moved to the PA: Who can object to that?

In a move that received little attention, Israel moved children from an orphanage in Gaza to Bethlehem, needing, of course, to drive through Israel and Jerusalem to get them there. In response, an Israeli NGO, Choosing Life, started a petition called: If Germany wants Gaza’s orphans to be looked after, let Germany take them in.

Petition campaign poster reads — If Germany wants Gazan orphans taken care of, let Germany take them in. Heartbreaking: Bereaved parents blocked their transport and were almost run over. To the Israeli government and PM Netanyahu, our country is flooded with terrorists even without importing more from Gaza. We won’t let this happen. Image linked to petition [in Hebrew only]

According to the Jewish Press and other reports in Hebrew, The National Security Headquarters in the Prime Minister’s Office consented to the move without even informing the wartime Security Cabinet nevermind getting their approval. IDF units secured the transport that drove from Taba to Jerusalem, using the Jerusalem tunnel road to drive to Bethlehem in the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The New York Times informs us that the 68 orphans, orphaned before Oct 7th, were not the only Gazans in the buses taking them to Bethlehem. Eleven adults accompanied them. Who can object to such a humanitarian project?

The German Embassy, that supports SOS Children’s Villages International, was instrumental in getting permission for moving the children from their orphanage in Gaza to its counterpart in Bethlehem. Supposedly a temporary measure, because of the difficulties in running the orphanage in Gaza at present, it seems to be something no person with a heart can oppose.

The Hebrew press reports that there were over 70 orphans and dozens of adults on those buses. Three problematic issues arise.

Firstly, in response to journalist Amit Segal’s report on the move, Member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi said:

“אלה ילדים שישראל הרגה/רצחה את ההורים שלהם ולכן הם יתומים. הם לא מועברים לתל אביב אלא לגדה המערבית”.

These are the children of parents Israel killed/murdered and that is why they are orphans. They are not being moved to Tel Aviv but to the West Bank.

Segal then responded to Tibi:

טיבי חושף פה דבר מטלטל: ישראל מסייעת לבני משפחות של מחבלים שחיסלה כמחווה הומניטרית, בעוד חטופינו נמקים במנהרות. בושה, בושה, בושה”.

Tibi reveals something unsettling: In a humanitarian move, Israel is helping the families of terrorists she eliminated, even as the hostages are rotting in the tunnels [of Gaza]. Shame, shame, shame.

Should we be as concerned as Segal apparently is regarding the identity of the orphans?

Secondly, who are the dozens of adults who accompanied the children to Bethlehem and where are they now? How many of them are actually Hamas operatives? Have they remained in the Bethlehem orphanage as members of staff or are not now embedded in terrorist cells in the PA? Is Israeli intelligence keeping tabs on them?

And thirdly, who, exactly, authorized this move?

I will leave you to ponder on these questions that arose for me.