Israeli snipers operating in Khan Younis have shot at least 21 Palestinians dead, including medical staff outside Nasser Hospital. In the past 24 hours, Israel has killed 107 Palestinians and wounded 142.
As Isreal intensifies its war on Gaza, US President Joe Biden described Israel’s assault on the enclave as over the top. He expressed his commitment to tirelessly working for an extended pause in the fighting. UN Chief Antonio Guterres revealed that half of Gaza’s population is now crammed into Rafah with no homes and no hope.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, made two weeks ago, seems to have failed to alleviate the worsening situation. Islamic Relief reports thousands more killed and injured since the verdict. The Israeli siege has cut off access to essential resources, and people face the choice of bullets or hunger.
Israel’s bombing of Rafah is having catastrophic consequences. Islamic Relief pointed out that Israel’s actions caused starvation and highlighted the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of the ICJ ruling. The International Rescue Committee’s Bob Kitchen warns that Palestinian civilians, particularly children, women, and men, are at risk of dying from starvation or disease if not killed in the ongoing Israeli attacks.
The four-month-old air and ground offensive by Israel, considered one of the most destructive in recent history, has forced the majority of Gaza’s population from their homes, pushing a quarter of them towards starvation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains resolute that the offensive will continue and expand until achieving total victory over Hamas.
Meanwhile, reports indicate an escalation in Israeli attacks on targets linked to Iran and Iran-backed groups in Syria during the ongoing Gaza conflict. The Israeli government neither confirmed nor denied these attacks.
The UAE’s foreign minister emphasised the need for increased efforts to prevent regional conflict during a meeting of Arab states in Riyadh. The gathering, focused on discussions about the Gaza war, involved foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Hussein al-Sheikh.
Reports also says Israeli army is continuing raids in the occupied West Bank, detaining 11 Palestinians, according to local sources and the Wafa news agency. The raids included operations in Ramallah, where seven Palestinians were arrested, and Tulkarem, where four individuals, including journalist Hamza Safi, were reportedly detained. The Israeli army confiscated three private vehicles and around $2,800 in shekels during a raid in Sinjil.