UN Warning
Israel launched deadly airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, causing extensive destruction in entire districts, while the United Nations emphasized that Israel’s imposition of a total siege on the Palestinian enclave violates international law.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, the airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 830 people and injuries to 4,250 others. As night fell, the airstrikes intensified, filling the sky with columns of smoke and flames.
Despite of UN warning, the total siege imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, which includes cutting off essential supplies like food, water, and electricity, has raised concerns about a deteriorating humanitarian crisis. Hamas has threatened to harm hostages if Israeli airstrikes continue to target Gaza residents without warning.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called for respect for human dignity and lives, urging all parties to de-escalate the volatile situation. Turk emphasized that international humanitarian law obligates the protection of civilians and civilian objects throughout military operations.
In a stern UN warning, it was emphasized that the siege imposes a grave threat to the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly affecting the operation of medical facilities due to the rising number of injuries.
Gaza’s Perilous Reality: No Safe Haven Amid Escalating Conflict
Radwan Abu al-Kass, a boxing instructor and father of three, recounted that he had been one of the last individuals to evacuate his five-storey building in the Al Rimal district when it came under attack. He eventually left the building after a missile struck it, and it has subsequently destroyed in larger strike.
In Gaza’s Khan Younis hospital morgue, bodies had placed on stretchers on the ground, with names inscribed on their bellies. Medics urged relatives to collect the bodies promptly due to limited space.
Ala Abu Tair, 35, who sought refuge there with his family after fleeing Abassan Al-Kabira near the border, grimly remarked, “No place is safe in Gaza, as you see they hit everywhere.” He added, “The whole district was just erased.”
Two members of Hamas’ political office, Jawad Abu Shammala and Zakaria Abu Maamar, were killed in an airstrike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to a Hamas official. The Israeli military confirmed that they had been targeted overnight.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry reported that Israeli strikes had destroyed over 22,600 residential units, 10 health facilities, and damaged 48 schools since Saturday.
Palestinian Journalists Tragically Killed Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on Tuesday resulted in the tragic deaths of four Palestinian journalists, according to media unions and officials.
These casualties bring the total number of Palestinian journalists killed in the conflict since Saturday to eight, as reported by the Palestinian Press Union.
Among the victims, Said al-Taweel, the director of Al-Khamisa news agency; press photographer Mohammed Sobboh; Hisham Nawajhah, a correspondent for a Gaza news agency; and Salam Khalil, the head of the committee of women journalists, along with her husband and children.
These deaths have drawn condemnation from various quarters for Israel’s actions against journalists.
Clear Evidence of War Crimes Emerges Amid Ongoing Conflict
In a concerning UN warning, the ongoing investigation into alleged human rights violations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has uncovered “clear evidence that war crimes may committed” since Saturday’s unexpected Hamas assault, as stated by the Commission of Inquiry.
The Commission emphasized the need to hold accountable all those who have violated international law and targeted civilians.
The United Nations humanitarian office reported that nearly 200,000 people, nearly a tenth of the population in Gaza, have fled their homes since the hostilities began, leading to impending shortages of water and electricity due to the blockade.
Displacement has surged dramatically, with over 187,500 people seeking shelter in schools, and further displacement is anticipated as clashes continue.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 13 attacks on health facilities in Gaza since the weekend, depleting its medical supplies stored in the area.
The WHO has called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to ensure the delivery of critical medical supplies. Despite of UN warning, Israeli air operations have targeted residential buildings, schools, UN buildings, and large tower blocks in Gaza, resulting in civilian casualties, as reported by the United Nations Human Rights chief.
Israeli and Palestinian Foreign Ministers to Address EU Meeting Amid Conflict
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has invited Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki to address an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers following the recent Hamas assault.
The EU is reviewing its development aid to the Palestinians, but payments have not been suspended. The European Commission is checking if the funding indirectly supports terrorist organizations.
Meanwhile, Israel has re-established control over the Gaza border and planted mines where Hamas fighters toppled the barrier during their weekend offensive. The conflict has claimed over 1,500 lives and prompted international support for Israel and appeals for an end to the fighting. Israeli TV channels reported a death toll of 900 Israelis and 2,600 injured.
Iran Rejects involvement
In a speech at a military academy, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied any Iranian involvement in Hamas’s recent attack. He stated that supporters of Israel and some within Israel had been spreading rumors about Iranian involvement but clarified that these claims were false.
Khamenei reiterated Iran’s support for Palestine and called on the entire Islamic world to support the Palestinian cause. He also emphasized that Israel had experienced an “irreparable failure” on both military and intelligence fronts.
Forced from home
Israeli security officers reportedly contacted Palestinians in Gaza through phone calls and audio messages, urging them to evacuate areas in the northern and eastern territories of Gaza.
The warnings conveyed that the Israeli army would conduct operations in those regions, prompting dozens of people in Gaza City’s Remal neighborhood to flee their homes. A resident, Salah Hanouneh, expressed the dire situation and their displacement.
In Israel’s southern regions, which were targeted in the Hamas attack, the chief military spokesperson announced that Israeli troops had regained control of communities that were previously overrun. However, isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.
The activation of 300,000 reservists within two days fueled speculation about a potential Israeli ground assault on Gaza, a territory Israel had evacuated nearly two decades ago.
The United States, a major military supporter of Israel, pledged to provide additional air defenses, munitions, and security assistance to Israel.
The situation also involved hostage-taking, with President Joe Biden confirming the deaths of at least 11 Americans and the likelihood of US citizens had held hostage. Several other countries reported the deaths of their citizens in the Hamas attacks.
In response to the crisis, Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza to prevent the flow of food and fuel into the territory, a move that drew international condemnation. Reports also emerged of casualties in Israeli strikes on houses and the killing of Palestinian journalists in an airstrike on a building in Gaza City.
International Response to Escalating Israel-Palestine Conflict
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported that around 137,000 people sought shelter with UNRWA, the UN agency providing vital services to Palestinians.
A joint statement from the British, French, German, Italian, and US governments acknowledged the “legitimate aspirations” of the Palestinian people and advocated for justice and freedom for both Israelis and Palestinians. They affirmed their unity and coordination to support Israel’s self-defense.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate end to violence and civilian protection in Gaza.
Qatari mediators initiated urgent negotiations for the release of Israeli women and children held by Hamas in exchange for 36 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons.
The potential for conflict escalation raised concerns regionally and globally. Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel following Israeli shelling in Lebanon, leading to Israeli casualties. Israel reported the death of one of its deputy commanders in a prior cross-border raid from Lebanon.
