Israel continues airstrikes across the Gaza Strip demolishing residential areas and buildings to mere dust and boulders. Over 5,000 people have been reportedly killed in Gaza since October 7, including 2,055 children, says Gaza Health Ministry. More than 15,000 Palestinians have been injured, with at least half of them being children and women and over one million people have been displaced. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since the first day of war.
The United Nations (UN) Chief Antonia Guterres reiterated his demand for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged for the re-execution of now violated international laws. The intergovernmental organization have termed the blockade initiated by Israel on Gaza, cutting off food, water, fuel, medicines, electricity, and all other essential supplies, as a “form of collective punishment”. Rejecting the call of UN, Israel vowed again to destroy Hamas. The UN agency -UNRWA – working for Palestine refugees had issued a warning that they will be forced to stop their operations in the Gaza Strip by Wednesday night, if fuel scarcity prevails.
الوقود سينفد لدى الأونروا في #غزة مساء غد الأربعاء، بما سيجبرها على وقف عملياتها وتوزيع المساعدات على المحتاجين لها.
“وفقا لوزارة الصحة، قُتل أكثر من 5000 شخص في غزة منذ 7 تشرين الأول/أكتوبر، منهم 2,055 طفلا”. https://t.co/rFTSBISAXB
— أخبار الأمم المتحدة (@UNNewsArabic) October 24, 2023
The UN health agency also called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza to facilitate fuel and other essential life-saving health supplies to hospitals in the Strip’s northern part. “For people in the Gaza Strip, the situation is desperate. It will become catastrophic without the safe and continuous passage of fuel and health supplies, and additional humanitarian assistance,” the World Health Organization said in a statement.
As Gaza’s health system disintegrates, WHO calls for safe passage of fuel, supplies for health facilities
WHO remains unable to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies to major hospitals in northern Gaza due to lack of security guarantees. WHO calls for an… pic.twitter.com/naftum0ANy
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) October 24, 2023
The United Sate”s defense department had positioned F-16 fighter jets and is on the way for sending Israel the US Army’s two batteries of Iron Dome radar, command posts and interceptors to boost the nation’s air defense. The US, UK and their western allies are in fear that the war could spill over into a broadened regional conflict, a cross-border humanitarian and economic crisis. Washington has also plan’s to evacuate its citizens from Iraq and Syria, if the war spreads. Australia reportedly sent two additional air force transport jets to the Middle East in case citizens of the country need to be evacuated. The country has three aircrafts arranged now in the region.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan on Wednesday called for an “immediate ceasefire and immediate lifting of blockade on Gaza”, and expressed his solidarity to reiterate peace dismantling the existing grievances of Palestine people. The Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair on Tuesday said that, Ottawa was not ready to believe Hamas would respect a cease-fire in its conflict with Israel. “I have no expectation that a terrorist organization would respect international law or any call for a cease-fire”, said Mr Blair while heading to the Cabinet meeting.
#NewYork | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan: we are all calling for an immediate ceasefire and an immediate lifting of the blockade on #Gaza and for a return to a peace process and a true serious approach to resolving the existing grievances of the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/wNV9vOtf84
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 24, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel on Tuesday and expressed his solidarity with the country amid its war against Hamas. Mr Macron also offered help to Israel and said that they won’t be “left alone in the war against terrorism”. In Marseille, an interfaith gathering was organised and the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faith leaders held hands and called for peace in the Middle East, on Tuesday.