Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations have called for humanitarian pauses in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza to provide aid to the desperate Palestinian civilian population. The G7 ministers issued a statement that criticises Hamas’ actions and supports Israel’s right to defend itself.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy, expressed support for humanitarian pauses in Israel’s shelling of Gaza. These pauses intend to facilitate aid delivery, allow for civilian movement, and aid in the release of hostages.
However, the meeting did not address the issue of a ceasefire.
In a televised conference on Tuesday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the military is operating deep within Gaza City and is “tightening the noose.”
US President Biden has requested a “pause” in the fighting in Gaza from Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The White House national security spokesman, John Kirby, stated that Hamas should not be part of Gaza’s governance equation. Hamas responded to US statements by asserting that Gaza’s governance is solely a Palestinian matter and that no external force could change the reality or impose its will.
Israeli forces have killed 154 Palestinians and arrested 2,150 in the occupied West Bank since the commencement of its military operation on 7 October. The total Palestinian death toll in Israeli attacks on Gaza has reached at least 10,328.
Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are now fleeing south on foot due to severe food and water shortages in the north, according to reports from the United Nations agencies. Nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are internally displaced, with many seeking refuge in hospitals and makeshift shelters.
Hospitals are struggling to operate due to fuel and medical supply shortages. The region’s health, sanitation, water, and food services are nearing a “breaking point,” according to the UN. Lack of fuel, water, and wheat flour, along with damage from air raids, has caused all bakeries in the north of Gaza to cease operations.
The ICRC reported that its convoy, consisting of five trucks and two vehicles carrying life-saving medical supplies, was targeted in Gaza, resulting in damage to two trucks and a wounded driver.
Israeli forces conducted deadly air raids in various parts of the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals and refugee camps.
Late on Tuesday, the United States House of Representatives voted to censure Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, for her criticism of Israeli bombardment of Gaza and US support for Israel.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project recorded 4,200 demonstrations worldwide related to the Israel-Palestine war from 7 to 27 October. The majority of these protests were in the United States, with 90 percent expressing support for Palestine.
A vigil took place outside the Israeli parliament, Knesset, in Jerusalem, marking one month since the war began.
By Tuesday, at least 320 foreign passport holders departed Gaza through the Rafah crossing to Egypt.
Predawn Israeli raids continued in the occupied West Bank, leading to the arrest of several Palestinians, including two senior journalists in Hebron.