Israel continues very heavy attacks in what it calls the “second phase” of its operation against Gaza; He claims to have destroyed 450 Hamas targets last night alone. Moreover, at least three Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the occupied West Bank in recent hours.
Operation ‘Iron Swords’, launched by Israel on October 7 after multiple attacks by Hamas from Gaza, has ended the lives of nearly 8,000 Palestinians, including more than 3,000 children, in 21 days.
Israel deepened its incursion into northern Gaza on a night dominated by the most intense bombardment since the outbreak of this latest chapter of the conflict; a wave of airstrikes that, according to the military, have hit “450 targets” of the Hamas movement and its militias.
This was warned on Saturday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who announced the start of the “second phase” of the operation, with the incursion of more ground troops into Gaza. Israel’s goal is clear: “defeat a murderous enemy,” Hamas. He also warned that the war will be “long and hard” and reiterated the goal of achieving “the return of the hostages to their homes.”
The Palestine Red Crescent announced on Sunday that it had received warnings from the Israeli authorities Evacuate Al Quds Hospital immediately in the Gaza Strip. “Since this morning there have been attacks 50 meters from the hospital,” he reported.
The demand for a ceasefire
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across Europe, the Middle East and Asia on Saturday to show support for the Palestinians, as the Israeli army expanded its air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
London, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Baghdad, Kuala Lumpur and Wellington have been the scene of mass protests calling for a ceasefire and an end to Israeli ‘genocide’. A request that has also been made by leaders and humanitarian organizations around the world.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has criticized Israel’s “unprecedented escalation of bombing” in the Gaza Strip after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave on Friday.
“I was encouraged by what appeared to be a growing consensus on the need for at least a humanitarian pause in the Middle East. Unfortunately, I was instead surprised by an unprecedented escalation of bombing,” Guterres said on his X account (formerly Twitter) during a visit to Qatar.
“I reiterate my call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, together with the unconditional release of the hostages and the provision of assistance at a level that meets the dramatic needs of the people of Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis is unfolding before our eyes. catastrophe is unfolding.” Guterres said.
Release of hostages
Netanyahu vowed during his meeting on Saturday with the hostages’ relatives that he would “exhaust” all options to secure their release. They have ‘begged’ him not to approve military operations that could endanger their loved ones.
Exactly, the leader of the group has been talking about the hostages for the past few hours. Hamas, Yehia Sinwar, who has insisted that her organization is too ready for an “immediate” exchange with Israel to exchange the hostages which took place on October 7 for all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
“We are prepared to carry out an immediate prisoner exchange, which would include the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons in exchange for all hostages held by the Palestinian resistance,” Sinwar said in a statement on social media.
The mediation of Qatar, which hosts the political office of Hamas on its territory, has been essential for the release of four hostages held by that Islamist group and who are so far the only ones released since the outbreak of the war . last year, October 7.
Yesterday, Qatar’s head of diplomacy held a meeting with UN Secretary General António Guterres, who thanked the country’s “tireless mediation initiatives.”
(We are working to expand this information)
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
