7 or 8 missiles dropped… Casualties continue to rise
This “hitting the hideout of a Hamas commander”
Hamas: “Crime of massacre of children and women”
The United States dispatches Blinken again… Britain also calls for a ceasefire
As the Israeli military conducted an airstrike on the largest refugee camp in the northern part of the Gaza Strip in Palestine on the 31st of last month (local time), causing a series of civilian casualties, criticism from the international community against Israel and pressure for a ceasefire are growing. The Israeli side said, “It was an important offensive operation for us. He emphasized the legitimacy of the attack, saying, “We killed the Hamas military commander and a number of terrorists.”
However, the United States, which supported Israel until the day before, saying, “A ceasefire is not the answer,” also said, “A humanitarian pause in fighting is valuable,” and decided to dispatch Secretary of State Tony Blinken to the Middle East again. With the intervention of the United States and the mediation of Qatar, an evacuation route outside the Gaza Strip was opened for foreign nationals and the seriously injured for the first time in 25 days since the outbreak of the Seven-Day War last month.
According to Reuters, BBC, etc., on this day, about 7 or 8 missiles were dropped from an F-16 fighter jet on a residential area in the Jabalia refugee camp located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Foreign media reported that at least 50 people were killed in this attack and that additional deaths were expected. Citing an eyewitness, CNN reported that “numerous children were playing at the scene surrounding the bombing.” About 116,000 people live in the Jabalia refugee camp, and it is known to be the largest of the eight camps in the Gaza Strip.
Israel acknowledged the airstrike and claimed, “It was a necessary attack.” The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that day, “We eliminated Hamas commander Ibrahim Biary, who attacked Israel on the 7th of last month and killed over 1,400 people, and also struck down a number of Hamas terrorists.” He then claimed, “Hamas was in hiding by taking control of civilian buildings.” Regarding the large-scale civilian casualties, he explained, “We hit the empty space around the underground tunnel where the Hamas commander was hiding, but the tunnel collapsed, leading to serious damage to nearby buildings.”
However, Hamas denied the presence of military commanders in the refugee camp and accused Israel of “horrible crimes of massacre of civilians, children and women.” Criticism from neighboring Middle Eastern countries is also growing. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “This attack was a massacre against civilians and undermined mediation attempts (by Qatar and others).” Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan also called for a halt to military operations, saying, “Indiscriminate attacks will lead to irreversible consequences.”
As criticism from the international community grows, Western countries, including the United States, which have supported Israel, are also showing a cautious attitude. John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council (NSC), said, “It is time to consider halting the fighting in order to provide humanitarian support, such as hostage rescue. “This requires trust on both sides,” he said. The United States dispatches Secretary Blinken to Israel again on the 3rd to extinguish the situation. This is my third visit following the 11th and 16th of last month since the outbreak of war. The United Kingdom and Canada also called for a temporary ceasefire.
In a statement posted on Telegram on the 1st, Hamas claimed, “Seven hostages, including three holders of foreign passports, were killed in the Jabalia massacre.” However, since no evidence was provided to support this claim, some speculate that it was aimed at spreading anti-Israel public opinion.
As concerns about civilian casualties increased due to Israel’s intensified offensive, the Rafah border checkpoint was opened this afternoon to allow only foreigners and seriously injured patients in the Gaza Strip to leave for Egypt. It is the only route out of Gaza. As a result, it was reported that 400 people, including foreigners, and 90 patients were reported. Since the outbreak of war on the 7th of last month, relief vehicles have been passing through, but this is the first time that people have escaped.
According to Reuters, the Qatari government worked with the United States to mediate this agreement between Egypt, Israel, and Hamas. However, Reuters quoted a source as saying that this is different from the ‘temporary ceasefire to alleviate the humanitarian crisis’ mentioned by the United States and others.
Cairo =
Washington =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.