Shocked by Israeli bombardments, UN chief says unprecedented escalation in Gaza impairing humanitarian support n Palestinian well being ministry says battle deaths hit 7,703 n Israeli strikes destroy ‘tons of’ of Gaza buildings: rescuers.
TEL AVIV /GAZA/DOHA – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Saturday that the second stage of the battle in opposition to Hamas has begun, with the aim of destroying the navy and authorities of Hamas and returning hostages held in Gaza residence.
“By no means once more. ‘By no means once more,’ is now,” Netanyahu stated whereas addressing a press convention in Tel Aviv. Israel’s navy says troops are nonetheless preventing within the besieged enclave after launching what it known as an expanded floor operation. In the meantime, Palestinians final evening confronted what they stated had been essentially the most intense spherical of airstrikes on Gaza since Israel started its retaliatory offensive in opposition to Hamas. The well being ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza stated Saturday that at the very least 7,703 folks have been killed within the battle with Israel that erupted on October 7.
Greater than 3,500 youngsters had been among the many lifeless, the ministry added. The continuing battle between Hamas and Israel has triggered the very best variety of fatalities in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005. On Friday night Israel intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the military stated, putting dozens of Hamas targets, particularly underground tunnels. The blistering air and artillery assault destroyed tons of of buildings and 1000’s of homes throughout the strip, the civil defence service within the Palestinian territory stated. ‘Unprecedented escalation of bombardments on Gaza’ United Nations Secretary- Basic António Guterres on Saturday stated he was shocked by the “unprecedented escalation” of bombardments in Gaza by Israel, which he stated is “undermining” humanitarian assist to the enclave.
“I used to be inspired within the final days by what appeared to be a rising consensus within the worldwide neighborhood, together with the international locations supporting Israel, for the necessity of at the very least a humanitarian pause within the preventing to facilitate the discharge of hostages in Gaza, the evacuation of third nation nationals and the mandatory huge scale up of the supply of humanitarian support to the folks in Gaza,” Guterres stated in an announcement.
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres sharply criticised the “ unprecedented escalation” of bombardments on Gaza and urged an “rapid” ceasefire.
“As a substitute of the pause” he had anticipated, there was “an unprecedented escalation of the bombardments and their devastating impacts, undermining the referred humanitarian goals,” Guterres stated on a go to to Doha. Guterres spoke as Israel introduced Saturday that the battle with Hamas had “entered a brand new section,” with its forces relentlessly pounding Gaza three weeks right into a battle sparked by the deadliest assault within the nation’s historical past. Israel unleashed its bombing marketing campaign after Hamas gunmen stormed throughout the Gaza border on October 7, killing 1,400 folks, largely civilians, and seizing greater than 220 hostages, in keeping with Israeli officers.
The Hamas-controlled well being ministry in Gaza stated Israeli strikes had killed 7,703 folks, primarily civilians, with greater than 3,500 of them youngsters. “This case should be reversed. I reiterate my robust attraction for a right away humanitarian ceasefire, along with the unconditional launch of hostages and a supply of humanitarian aid,” Guterres stated. “A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in entrance of our eyes.”
Qatar, which hosts a political bureau for Hamas in Doha and has offered hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in monetary support to Gaza, has been linked to mediation efforts for a prisoner trade between the Palestinian militant group and Israel. In Doha on Saturday, Guterres met with Qatar’s international minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
The highest diplomat “underscored the State of Qatar’s full rejection of the indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip and the makes an attempt to forcibly displace its folks,” in keeping with a international ministry assertion. He additionally warned of “the hazard of a floor escalation… to the protection of civilians and hostages in Gaza.”
‘Potential for 1000’s extra to die’ in Gaza The UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Saturday there was the potential for 1000’s extra civilians to die if Israel presses a serious floor offensive in Gaza. Israel’s military relentlessly hammered the territory on Saturday after fierce in a single day bombardment that rescuers stated destroyed tons of of buildings three weeks right into a battle sparked by the deadliest assault within the nation’s historical past.
“Given the style by which navy operations have been carried out till now, within the context of the 56-yearold occupation, I’m elevating alarm concerning the presumably catastrophic penalties of large-scale floor operations in Gaza and the potential for 1000’s extra civilians to die,” Turk stated. “There isn’t any protected place in Gaza and there’s no means out. I’m very nervous for my colleagues, as I’m for all civilians in Gaza.”
Israel unleashed its bombing marketing campaign after Hamas gunmen stormed throughout the Gaza border on October 7, killing 1,400 folks, largely civilians, and seizing greater than 220 hostages, in keeping with Israeli officers. The well being ministry within the Hamas-run Gaza stated Israeli strikes had killed 7,703 folks, primarily civilians, together with greater than 3,500 youngsters. The UN rights chief additionally condemned the Web and telecommunications blackout that has hit the Palestinian enclave since Friday.
“Compounding the distress and struggling of civilians, Israeli strikes on telecommunications installations and subsequent Web shutdown have successfully left Gazans with no means of understanding what is occurring throughout Gaza and lower them off from the surface world,” he stated.
“Ambulances and civil defence groups are now not capable of find the injured, or the 1000’s of individuals estimated to be nonetheless underneath the rubble.
When these hostilities finish, those that have survived will face the rubble of their properties and the graves of their members of the family,” Turk stated. He known as on all events “to do all of their energy to de-escalate the battle”. The battle is the fifth and deadliest in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Palestinian territory in 2005. The newest Israeli strikes in opposition to Hamas, the Islamist group that has dominated Gaza since 2007, had been essentially the most intense because the battle broke out. They coincided with floor operations. “Continued violence just isn’t the reply. I name on all events in addition to third States, particularly these with affect over the events to the battle, to do all of their energy to de-escalate this battle,” Turk Israeli strikes destroy tons of of Gaza buildings Israel’s military relentlessly hammered Gaza on Saturday after fierce in a single day bombardment that rescuers stated destroyed tons of of buildings three weeks right into a battle sparked by the deadliest assault within the nation’s historical past. Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Israel to halt the assaults, whereas the households of Israeli hostages held by Hamas stated that they had been snubbed by the federal government when asking about their destiny.