After more than two months of conflict in Gaza, the UN General Assembly has voted for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.” A clear vote with 153 yes votes (23 more than at the October meeting), 10 no votes and 23 abstentions, including Italy and Germany. Israel and its staunch ally the United States have resisted with their “no,” but their isolation in the international community continues to grow. Joe Biden is well aware of this and, although he continues to support Israel, has openly accused Benjamin Netanyahu of not wanting a two-state solution. And he called for “change.” The US president also expressed disappointment at the news that the Israeli army is preparing to flood the tunnels in Gaza in the belief that no hostages are already being held there. “Israel,” Biden declared, “is ready to take responsibility. They say it's pretty certain there are no hostages in the tunnels, but I can't say that for sure. All I know is that every civilian death is a national tragedy for the State of Israel.”
05:08
Gaza, Gallant: We are destroying all Hamas underground sites
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were operating deep underground in the Gaza Strip to “find and destroy Hamas' infrastructure.” The local media reported about it. Gallant believes that Hamas operations in Gaza City and the northern part of the Gaza Strip are on the verge of collapse. “We are building on our successes and will soon destroy all Hamas infrastructure in Gaza,” the Israeli defense minister said.
04:19
USA to Israel: Rafah is not enough, keep Kerem Shalom border crossing open for help
The US government is urging Israel to keep its border with Gaza at Kerem Shalom open because the Rafah crossing is insufficient to meet the needs of displaced Palestinians. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said this last night. “We need the capacity provided by Kerem Shalom to procure more food, water, medicine and basic necessities that we can distribute to the Palestinian civilian population,” Sullivan said, quoted by US media. An American official told NBC News that the Israeli government's response would be to strengthen the capacity of the Rafah border crossing. Biden will address the issue directly with Netanyahu in their final phone call, the source added. The Kerem Shalom trade crossing connects Israel, Gaza and Egypt. It was opened yesterday for the first time since the war began, but only to allow further security checks on aid moving through Rafah.
02:14
Hamas: “Respect UN request for ceasefire and stop genocide”
Arab media reported that Hamas welcomed the United Nations General Assembly's call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of the Palestinian Islamist Movement's Politburo, “called on the international community to continue to put pressure on what he called “occupying forces” and called for “respect” for the outcome of the vote in the United Nations General Assembly . In a brief statement, Al-Rishq also condemned “the war of genocide and ethnic cleansing” against the people of Gaza.