Israel faces growing isolation over Gaza war

JERUSALEM

An Israeli media report on Friday revealed that Israel is facing an unprecedented state of international isolation due to its ongoing devastating offensive against Gaza.

“After 14 months of war, Israel is experiencing unprecedented international isolation, bleeding not only internally but externally as well,” the Israeli newspaper Calcalist said.

The report added that the forms of isolation range from the disappearance of foreign airline companies at Israel's main airport (Ben Gurion Airport) to the suspension of arms sales to the Israeli government, cancelations of art shows by artists, halts in academic cooperation with universities worldwide, and the withdrawal of international infrastructure corporations from Israeli projects.

The newspaper also mentioned that the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “will have consequences on the foreign investments in Israel.”

Calcalist said that over 300 Israeli researchers have been subjected to an academic boycott since the start of the war on Gaza in October last year. This includes bans on publishing research, cancelations of lectures and conference participations, and the withdrawal of research grants for Israeli academics.

In the airlines sector, Calcalist noted that out of 66 foreign airlines operating in Israeli airports before the war, only 14 remain, in addition to Israeli airlines.

In sports, the report mentioned that Israeli sports clubs are facing difficulties in securing contracts with foreign athletes.

The Turkish boycott, according to Calcalist, was among the largest and most impactful.

"The largest and most vocal boycott was the Turkish boycott, which was imposed last May and intensified last October," the report said.

The tourism sector has also been hit hard, with 90 hotels having to shut down since the war began, representing 20% of Israel's hotel industry.

Israel launched its military offensive on Gaza after a cross-border attack by Hamas in October 2023, resulting in the deaths of over 44,300 people, most of them women and children, and leaving over 104,900 injured.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn increasing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and the blocking of aid deliveries as part of a deliberate attempt to destroy Gaza’s population.

Last week, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara