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00:59
Israel is continuing its bombardment of Gaza after the failure of talks aimed at securing a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to flow into the region from Egypt and foreign passport holders to leave.
Residents living in Hamas-ruled Gaza say that Sunday night’s air raids were the heaviest yet as the conflict enters its 10th day. The plight of civilians could worsen with Israeli forces set to mount a ground offensive in the coming days.
A host of international leaders have urged Israel to show restraint in its retaliation to Hamas’s October 7th attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,300 civilians, in order to protect the people of Gaza, but Israeli officials say there will be no let up.
Israel is continuing its aerial bombardment of Gaza. Here, Palestinians search for survivors at the site of a house reduced to rubble in Khan Younis in the south of the region. /Reuters/Mohammed Salem.
Israel is continuing its aerial bombardment of Gaza. Here, Palestinians search for survivors at the site of a house reduced to rubble in Khan Younis in the south of the region. /Reuters/Mohammed Salem.
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‘Gaza heading for humanitarian catastrophe’
When asked about the prospect of a ceasefire, Israel’s chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, dismissed any suggestion that a resolution was close and confirmed that Israel was continuing its operations.
“There are no such efforts under way at this time. If anything changes we will inform the public. We are continuing our fight against Hamas, this murderous organisation that carried this (the assaults) out,” said Hagari.
Israel has enforced a complete blockade of Gaza, cutting off water, electricity and fuel from the area, until Hamas returns the 199 hostages it captured during the October 7th siege. So far, 2,750 people living in Gaza have been killed by air strikes and nearly 10,000 wounded. One thousand are missing under rubble.
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Humanitarian aid held up in Egypt
With food, fuel and water running short in Gaza hundreds of tons of aid from several countries have been held up in Egypt pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah border crossing.
Earlier on Monday, Egyptian security sources had told Reuters that an agreement had been reached to open the crossing to allow aid into the enclave. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement: “There is currently no truce and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for getting foreigners out.”
Hamas official Izzat El Reshiq told Reuters there was “no truth” to the reports about the crossing opening or a temporary ceasefire.
Egypt has said the crossing was rendered inoperable due to Israeli bombardments on the Palestinian side. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday the Israeli government had yet to take a stance that allowed the crossing to open.
Reuters journalists said a small crowd of people had gathered at the crossing, the only one not controlled by Israel, waiting to enter Egypt.
Israel is expected to mount a ground offensive in Gaza in the coming days. In this picture, Israeli troops stand guard near its border with Lebanon. /Reuters/Lisi Niesner.
Israel is expected to mount a ground offensive in Gaza in the coming days. In this picture, Israeli troops stand guard near its border with Lebanon. /Reuters/Lisi Niesner.
Israel targets Hamas in north
In Gaza’s north, where Israel says Hamas militants are hiding in an elaborate tunnel network, local people said Israeli aircraft bombed areas around the Al-Quds hospital early on Monday. Surrounding houses were damaged, forcing hundreds of people to take shelter in the Red Crescent-run hospital.
Israeli planes also bombed three headquarters of the Civil Emergency and Ambulance Service in Gaza City, killing five people and paralyzing the rescue services in those areas, health officials said.
Israel has urged Gazans to evacuate south, which hundreds of thousands have already done in the enclave, home to about 2.3 million people. Hamas has told people to ignore Israel’s message and residents fear Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza too.
In southern Gaza, five members of a family were killed in Khan Younis refugee camp. Their neighbor, Suhail Baker, 45, said he was woken by the sound of an explosion.
“We woke up in horror, and we saw them dismembered, it took a long time to remove the rubble by the bulldozers to recover the bodies,” said Baker.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S. has supplied Israel with military aid but urged the country to respect international law and minimize civilian casualties. /Reuters/Chad McNeely.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S. has supplied Israel with military aid but urged the country to respect international law and minimize civilian casualties. /Reuters/Chad McNeely.
U.S. fears Middle East escalation
U.S. officials have warned that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could escalate after cross-border clashes between Israel and militants from Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for talks on Monday, Iran said the United States should be held to account for its role in the conflict.
American aircraft carriers have headed to the region and Israel said on Monday it would evacuate residents of 28 villages on the border with Lebanon after one came under a missile attack by Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Sunday. Israeli media said a civilian was killed.
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Source(s): Reuters
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