© Reuters. Folks search by the rubble of broken buildings following an Israeli air strike on Palestinian homes, amid the continued battle between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah within the southern Gaza Strip December 12, 2023. REUTERS/
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By Michelle Nichols, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Bassam Masoud
UNITED NATIONS/CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) – Israel confronted rising diplomatic isolation in its conflict towards Hamas because the United Nations demanded an instantaneous humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and U.S. President Joe Biden instructed the longtime ally its “indiscriminate” bombing of civilians was hurting worldwide assist.
After dire warnings from U.N. officers a couple of deepening humanitarian disaster in Gaza, the 193-member U.N. Normal Meeting on Tuesday handed a decision calling for a ceasefire with three-quarters of member states voting in favour.
“The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” the leaders of Canada, Australia and New Zealand stated individually in a joint assertion calling for a ceasefire.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the decision and urged international locations to strain Israel to conform. A Hamas official in exile, Izzat El-Reshiq, in a press release on Telegram echoed that response, saying Israel ought to “stop its aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing against our people.”
The U.S. and Israel, which argue a ceasefire solely advantages Hamas, voted towards the measure together with eight different international locations.
Earlier than the U.N. vote, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan stated: “A ceasefire means one thing and one thing only – ensuring the survival of Hamas, ensuring the survival of genocidal terrorists committed to the annihilation of Israel and Jews.”
Earlier than the decision, Biden stated Israel now has assist from “most of the world” together with the U.S. and European Union for its struggle towards the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“But they’re starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place,” he instructed a marketing campaign donor occasion in Washington.
In probably the most public signal of division between the leaders thus far, Biden additionally stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to vary his hardline authorities and that in the end Israel “can’t say no” to an impartial Palestinian state – one thing that Israeli hardliners oppose.
White Home nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan will journey to Israel this week and Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin will go to the Center East subsequent week. Biden stated Sullivan will emphasize the U.S. dedication to Israel in addition to the necessity to defend civilian lives in Gaza
Israel’s assault on Gaza to root out Hamas has killed at the very least 18,205 Palestinians together with many kids and wounded practically 50,000 since Oct. 7, in response to the Gaza well being ministry.
The battle has additionally led to hunger, displaced 85% of the inhabitants from their houses and prompted illnesses to unfold, in response to the U.N. and Gaza well being ministry.
Israel launched its onslaught after a cross-border raid by Hamas fighters who killed 1,200 individuals and took 240 hostage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Israel on Tuesday declared 19 of 134 individuals nonetheless in captivity in Gaza lifeless in absentia after the our bodies of two hostages have been recovered.
The U.N. decision isn’t binding however carries political weight, reflecting a worldwide view on the conflict. America vetoed an identical name within the 15-member Safety Council final week however doesn’t have a veto within the Normal Meeting.
Tuesday’s decision received 153 votes in favour, 10 towards and 23 abstentions. In a sign of weakening assist for Israel, the decision handed by a wider margin than an identical U.N. measure in October, which received 121 votes in favour, 14 towards and 44 abstentions.
REPORTS SAY ISRAEL IS FLOODING GAZA TUNNELS
After pummeling north Gaza, Israel has expanded its assault to the south since a short lived truce collapsed on Dec. 1. Israeli tank shelling on Tuesday was targeted on the centre of Khan Younis, southern Gaza’s major metropolis, residents stated.
After dusk, Israeli air strikes on Khan Younis killed 11 Palestinians, together with two kids, well being officers stated.
Within the south Gaza city of Rafah, which borders Egypt and the place the Israeli military this month instructed civilians they might be secure, Gazans stated the shelling was among the heaviest in days. Well being officers stated 22 individuals together with kids have been killed there.
Israel’s army stated that over the previous day it hit a number of posts that have been used to fireplace rockets at its territory, raided a Hamas compound the place it discovered some 250 rockets amongst different weapons and struck a weapons manufacturing manufacturing unit.
An aged Palestinian, Tawfik Abu Breika, stated his residential block in Khan Younis was hit with out warning by an Israeli air strike that introduced down a number of buildings and prompted casualties.
“The world’s conscience is dead, no humanity or any kind of morals,” Breika instructed Reuters as neighbours sifted by rubble. “This is the third month that we are facing death and destruction.”
The Wall Avenue Journal and ABC reported that the Israeli army started pumping seawater into Hamas’ tunnel community, the place the militant group is believed to be hiding fighters and munitions and basing hit-and-run avenue assaults on Israeli troops.
Biden stated he had heard unconfirmed experiences there have been no hostages within the tunnels. Some hostages freed throughout a ceasefire reported they’d been held in tunnels. The Israeli army stated it was wanting into the experiences.
