Palestinian group government accuses Israeli forces of executing some civilians; Israel announces the deaths of five soldiers
ISRAELI ARMY / AFP
O Hamas announced this Saturday the 23rd that more than 200 Palestinians have died in the last 24 hours due to the incessant bombardments and ground operations Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip, which is awaiting the arrival of more humanitarian aid following a UN Security Council resolution. The Hamas government, in power in Gaza since 2007, accused the Israeli army of killing dozens of Palestinians and “executing” some of them in a ground operation in Jabali this week. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its unprecedented attack on October 7 that left about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, dead. The militants also kidnapped around 250 people, of whom Israel says 129 are still held captive in Gaza. The Israeli military response by air and land resulted in 20,258 deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 53,000 injured, including 201 people killed in several locations across the narrow Palestinian territory in the past 24 hours, according to Hamas. This Saturday, the Israeli army announced the deaths of five soldiers since Friday, bringing to 144 the number of soldiers killed in Gaza since its ground operations began on October 27.
Hamas' health ministry reported an Israeli bomb attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp, saying the attack killed at least 18 people. In Khan Yunis, the major city in the south of the Gaza Strip, bodies and wounded people were taken to Nasser Hospital. Several men accompanied a woman who cried when she saw the bodies of her family members. Another crouched and cried, putting his hand over a black body bag. Hamas Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qidreh accused the Israeli forces this Saturday of “committing several cruel massacres in which dozens of martyrs died in the Jabalia camp.” “They also executed dozens of citizens on the streets,” he added. The Israeli army did not specifically refer to these allegations, but said it was conducting operations “against military targets in accordance with the provisions of international law.” The armed organization released images Saturday of soldiers advancing through ruins and opening fire in southern Gaza City. It said that “armed terrorists” had been “eliminated” and “several terrorist infrastructures” had been “destroyed.”
After five days of intensive negotiations to avoid the United States' veto, the Security Council adopted a text on Friday calling for the “immediate” and “largescale” deployment of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories. The document avoids calling for a “ceasefire,” an unacceptable condition for Israel and the United States, its major ally, but calls for “creating the conditions for a permanent cessation of hostilities.” However, the implementation raises many doubts: humanitarian aid comes in drops and far from the needs of the population, which, according to the United Nations, is on the verge of famine. UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres criticized the “massive obstacles” to the distribution of aid due to “the way Israel is carrying out this offensive.” At the diplomatic level, Egypt and Qatar continue to seek a new ceasefire after the weeklong truce in late November allowed for the release of 105 hostages and 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. But both sides remain steadfast in their demands.
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel, has called for an end to fighting before hostage negotiations take place, and Israel has ruled out a ceasefire before the “elimination” of the Palestinian Islamist movement. Hamas' military wing spokesman Abu Obaida said in a statement that the group believes five hostages “died in one of the Zionist attacks” after they lost contact with the militants who were holding them. Israeli authorities have not confirmed these statements.
*With information from AFP