A year after travelling to Gaza, Andrew Fox, former British Army officer and associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, sits down with Visegrad24 founder Stefan Tompson for an in-depth interview.
They reflect on the Israel-Hamas War, discussing the realities of aid distribution, Hamas’s military capabilities, Israel’s strategy, and how media narratives and disinformation continue to shape public opinion in the West.
The Corridor Problem
During their discussion, Fox and Tompson emphasized the stark realities of aid distribution, revealing the hidden challenges civilians face. According to on-the-ground accounts, roughly 85% of large food convoys have been intercepted before reaching their destinations. The culprits vary. Sometimes Hamas. Sometimes, other armed groups. The effect is the same. Supplies do not reach those who need them the most.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, however, reports that its convoys arrive intact. The key differences are twofold: deliveries are routed to areas secured by the IDF, and convoys travel in hardened vehicles with front and rear protection provided by former American military contractors. This approach prevents theft en route, though challenges remain at the distribution stage.
Even when aid gets through, its delivery points create new hazards. Positioned behind Israeli front lines for security, civilians must walk long distances along single, military-controlled routes. Straying from these paths carries risks of warning fire, ricochets, or worse. Crowds near small bases have already sparked panic shootings, which Israel says it is investigating.
This system excludes the very people it is supposed to serve. The frail, the sick, and children weakened by hunger often cannot manage the journey. In fact, distribution sites should be moved closer to civilians. That would make food accessible, though harder to protect from theft. With armed escorts already in use, the risks could be managed. The choice, then, is between aid that arrives but remains out of reach, or aid that is easier to access but harder to protect. What Gaza needs is scale and smarter geography, a system that delivers food intact without forcing civilians to risk their lives to collect it.
Theft and Suffering
When aid is blocked or hard to access, civilians face more than hunger, profiteering and rising prices exacerbate suffering. The reality is uneven. Families with money or political connections continue to buy food, and in some neighborhoods, cafés remain operational. For the poor, it is a different story: prices in local markets have skyrocketed, and people are forced to barter basic goods like flour online. Much of that food was donated initially as aid but has been seized and resold by profiteers, a practice that ordinary civilians openly condemn.
Some communities are on the edge of famine, but for most low-income families the struggle is constant hunger rather than outright starvation. The moral imperative is clear: ensure aid arrives intact, stop profiteers from reselling it, and place distribution points where civilians can reach food without risking their lives.
Destruction and The “Win”
While humanitarian challenges dominate daily life, Gaza’s military landscape has shifted dramatically. Much of the territory has been reduced to rubble, with Rafah described as a wasteland of twisted steel and dirt roads cutting through ruins. Just over a fifth of buildings remain intact, allowing some life to continue under constant threat. Hamas, once organized into battalions with defensive positions, has been reduced to scattered guerrilla cells. Israel has destroyed rockets, tunnels, commanders, and tens of thousands of fighters, achieving a decisive military victory.
The main challenge now is political: consolidating these gains and ensuring stability in Gaza. This means keeping aid flowing securely, linking reconstruction to hostage release and disarmament, and supporting credible alternatives to Hamas. Israel retains the option to act if rearmament begins. Incremental steps like these improve civilian life while limiting space for extremists.
Information War
Compounding the humanitarian and military realities is the battle for narrative. Protests, slogans, and viral posts spread faster than facts, and politicians have begun to exploit them. The result is a debate reduced to slogans instead of substance. What is needed is transparency: governments must publish hard data, expose falsehoods, and draw a clear line between legitimate criticism and intimidation
Clarity means holding two truths at once. Israel has a duty to safeguard civilians, while Hamas, by embedding its fighters and tunnels in civilian areas, bears responsibility for much of the suffering. The urgent task is to deliver aid safely, prevent profiteering, and rebuild Gaza responsibly, turning military victory into lasting stability. This is not just a logistical challenge; it is a moral one. The world must act not only with arms, but with accountability and compassion.
Adam Starzynski
Journalist | Foreign Policy Analyst
