Israeli forces continued bombing the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, despite the UN Security Council’s call for an “immediate ceasefire” in the war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated and famine-bound Gaza Strip .
The Ministry of Health in Gaza, governed by Hamas, reported 70 deaths in the last 24 hours, 13 of them in bombings near Rafah, in the far south of the enclave, where 1.5 million Palestinians are crowded together, the majority displaced due to violence in the area. rest of the territory.
“We heard a loud explosion. Debris fell on us. There were pieces of bodies in the trees. There were 22 or 23 martyrs, all displaced from Gaza,” said Hussam Qazaat, in the ruins of Rafah.
The humanitarian situation in the territory is extreme and according to the United Nations, most of its population of 2.4 million people is threatened by famine.
At least 18 people have died trying to collect air supplies in the northern enclave, Hamas said on Tuesday. Twelve drowned at sea and six died in the stampede, he said.
Israel strictly controls the land entry of aid arriving in dribs and drabs from Egypt. This led several countries to withdraw supplies from planes.
The extremist group that controls the Strip has asked to “immediately cease” these air operations and to “rapidly” open land access to the enclave.
Parachute with humanitarian aid for the Palestinians of Gaza, this Tuesday in the south of the Strip. Photo: AFP “People die for a can of tuna,” says Mohamad Al Sabaawi, from Gaza, showing the only can he managed to salvage.
Another man said he risked his life for a bag of beans “for 18 people.”
United Nations resolution
The UN Security Council adopted on Monday, for the first time since the beginning of the war, a resolution calling for a ceasefire, with 14 votes in favor and one abstention, that of the United States, which until now had vetoed on three texts that included the term “ceasefire”.
The resolution, presented by the non-permanent members of the Council, “calls for an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan”, the holy month for Muslims that began two weeks ago, and “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”.
Ruins in the southern Gaza city of Rafah amid Israel’s fighting and bombing against Hamas. Photo: AFP “This resolution must be implemented. Failure to comply will be inexcusable,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message published on X.
Friction between Israel and the United States
Israel, furious against the United States, canceled the visit of a delegation to Washington and declared that his abstention from the vote was harming his efforts in the war and in rescuing hostages.
“We have no moral right to stop the war while there are still hostages in Gaza,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is visiting the United States.
Hamas, in power in Gaza, welcomed the adoption of the resolution and accused Israel of causing the “failure” of Doha negotiations with international mediators on a truce.
Its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, an ally of the Palestinian movement and sworn enemy of Israel, arrived in Iran on Tuesday.
The war erupted on October 7 after a ferocious Hamas attack on Israeli soil, which left around 1,160 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data. Islamist militias They kidnapped around 250 people, of whom Israel believes around 130 remained captive in Gaza. including 33 who reportedly died.
In response, Israel has launched an offensive that has so far killed 32,414 people, according to the latest data from the Hamas government’s Ministry of Health.
Fight relentlessly
On the field the fighting doesn’t stop. Dozens of Israeli tanks and armored vehicles surrounded the Nasser hospital, located in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip, on Tuesday, according to several witnesses.
The territory’s Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces were carrying out “violent operations in the surrounding area, in preparation for an assault.”
“Thousands of displaced people are still inside the hospital,” the ministry added.
Since the start of the conflict, Israeli forces have carried out military operations in hospitals in the enclave, claiming they were searching for Palestinian fighters.
One such operation began on March 18 at Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, the largest in the Palestinian territory, where the army said it had killed more than 170 fighters.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.