Fierce combating has killed practically 300 Palestinians previously 24 hours in Gaza because the Palestinian armed group Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged threats.
Israeli raids continued throughout the beleaguered territory on Sunday, together with in northern Gaza the place complete neighbourhoods have been flattened by air strikes and the place floor troops which were working for greater than six weeks proceed to face heavy resistance from Hamas fighters.
Gaza’s well being ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra advised Al Jazeera in a phone interview that 297 individuals had been killed and greater than 550 wounded previously 24 hours in Gaza, bringing the dying toll for the reason that begin of the conflict on October 7 to greater than 18,000 – the vast majority of them girls and youngsters.
Hamas, Netanyahu trade threats
Israeli attacks on Gaza continued for the sixty fifth day on Sunday, with Hamas warning that no captives it took on October 7 would depart Gaza alive except its calls for had been met.
“Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership… nor its supporters… can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance,” Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida stated in a televised broadcast.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on his half, known as on Hamas to give up.
“It is the beginning of the end of Hamas. I say to the Hamas terrorists: It’s over. Don’t die for [Yahya] Sinwar. Surrender now,” he stated, referring to the Hamas chief in Gaza.
Hamas earlier stated Israel launched a sequence of “very violent raids” focusing on the southern metropolis of Khan Younis and the street linking it to Rafah close to the border with Egypt.
Gaza residents additionally reported fierce combating in Gaza Metropolis’s neighbourhood of Shujayea and within the Jabalia refugee camp, a dense city space.
The Palestinian Crimson Crescent Society (PRCS) stated Israeli forces raided an space close to the UNRWA clinic within the coronary heart of the Jabalia camp the place its emergency groups and medics are working a medical submit.
“The team consists of nine doctors, nurses, and volunteers. The surrounding area is currently under bombardment, posing a constant threat to the lives of medical teams and the wounded,” the Crimson Crescent stated in a submit on X on Sunday night.
🚨IOF has invaded the realm close to the UNRWA clinic within the midest of the Jabalia camp, the place the PRCS EMS groups 🚑function a complicated medical submit. The crew consists of 9 medical doctors, nurses, and volunteers. The encircling space is presently underneath bombardment, posing a continuing menace… pic.twitter.com/JcFpL1IRRS
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) December 10, 2023
In Shujayea – the place Israeli snipers and tanks positioned themselves among the many deserted buildings – residents stated the lifeless and wounded had been left within the streets as ambulances may not attain the realm.
“They are attacking anything that moves,” Hamza Abu Fatouh advised the Related Press.
‘Journey of death’
Israel had ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza early within the conflict however tens of 1000’s of individuals have remained, fearing that the south can be no safer or that they’d by no means be allowed to return residence.
Heavy combating was additionally underneath means in and across the southern metropolis of Khan Younis on Sunday.
“The mass exodus continues. Those fleeing northern Gaza in order to survive are describing it as the ‘journey of death’,” stated Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza.
“Those in Khan Younis have been ordered to flee to al-Mawasi on the coastline – an area considered to be very dangerous,” he added.
“It’s also a region without any infrastructure – including access to water, food and electricity. There’s also no access to toilets. The situation is deteriorating extremely fast now.”
Gaza’s well being scenario ‘catastrophic’: WHO
The World Well being Group’s 34-member govt board on Sunday adopted a decision calling for rapid, unimpeded support deliveries to Gaza.
“Gaza’s health system is on its knees and collapsing,” stated WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with solely 14 of 36 hospitals performing at any capability.
The emergency motion, proposed by Afghanistan, Qatar, Yemen and Morocco, seeks passage into Gaza for medical personnel and provides, requires the WHO to doc violence towards healthcare employees and sufferers, and to safe funding to rebuild hospitals.
“I must be frank with you: these tasks are almost impossible in the current circumstances,” Tedors stated, commending the international locations for locating frequent floor and saying it was the primary time any United Nations movement had been agreed to by consensus for the reason that battle started.
About 90 p.c of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced throughout the territory. With little or no support allowed in, Palestinians are going through extreme shortages of meals, water and different fundamental items.
Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian politician who heads the Union of Palestinian Medical Reduction Committees with 25 groups working in Gaza, stated: “Half of Gaza is now starving.”
Barghouti stated 350,000 individuals had infections together with 115,000 with extreme respiratory infections and missing heat garments, blankets and safety from the rain.
He stated many had been affected by abdomen complaints as a result of there was little clear water and never sufficient gas to make use of to boil it, risking outbreaks of dysentery, typhoid and cholera.
“To add insult to injury, we have 46,000 injured people who cannot be treated properly because most of the hospitals are not functioning,” he stated.
Renewed US assist to Israeli assaults
Israel intensified its bombardment on Gaza after the newest United States veto on a UN Safety Council decision calling for a ceasefire. The vote was triggered by UN Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres who invoked Article 99 of the UN Constitution – a measure unused in many years.
The article permits the Secretary-Normal to “bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”.
The US additionally pushed by means of an emergency sale of about 14,000 tank shells price greater than $100m to Israel with out congressional assessment, the Pentagon stated on Saturday.
Keeping off criticism over the sale from Palestinians and rights teams who say it doesn’t align with Washington’s said effort to press Israel to minimise civilian casualties, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken advised ABC on Sunday that Washington is in nearly fixed contact with the Israelis “to ensure they understand what their obligations are”.
In an deal with to the two-day Doha Discussion board occasion that began within the Qatari capital on Sunday, Antonio Guterres stated he anticipated the “public order to completely break down soon” in Gaza.
“And an even worse situation could unfold, including epidemic diseases and increased pressure for mass displacement into Egypt,” he added.
Qatar, a key mediator of final month’s seven-day truce, which noticed 80 Israeli captives exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners and a movement of humanitarian support, on Sunday stated it was nonetheless engaged on a brand new truce deal.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani advised the Doha Discussion board that mediation efforts will proceed to cease the conflict and have all captives launched, however “unfortunately, we are not seeing the same willingness that we had seen in the weeks before”.
“Our efforts as the state of Qatar along with our partners are continuing,” he stated, including that Israel’s relentless bombardment was “narrowing the window” for achievement.
