Tag: Israel

War: UEFA suspends football related activities in Israel

Following the ongoing crisis between Israel and Palestine, UEFA has suspended all football related activities in the Country until further notice.

No matches organised by UEFA will be played in Israel “until further notice” due to the “current safety and security situation” in the country, European football’s governing body said in a statement on Thursday.

“After a thorough evaluation of the current safety and security situation in the whole territory of Israel, the UEFA executive committee decided that no UEFA competition matches shall be played in Israel until further notice,” the statement read.

“The Israel Football Association and its clubs Maccabi Haifa FC and Maccabi Tel Aviv have been requested to propose alternative venues/stadiums (which must comply with all applicable UEFA regulations) outside the territory of Israel for their home matches to be used for as long as this decision remains in force,” UEFA said.

Maccabi Haifa’s game at Villarreal on Oct. 26 has been put back to Dec. 6 and Maccabi Tel Aviv’s home game against Zorya Luhansk that had been scheduled for the same day will now be held on Nov. 25.

Earlier this month UEFA postponed all matches scheduled to take place in Israel over a two-week period after Hamas´ surprise attack.

That included Israel´s match against Switzerland in 2024 European Championship qualifying at Tel Aviv´s Bloomfield Stadium.

October 19, 2023
Israel arrests over 500 suspects in West Bank

Israeli security forces have detained over 500 suspects in anti-terror operations in the West Bank since the escalation of the conflict with Hamas, the Israeli military said Thursday.

A total of 524 people are being held, including at least 330 active members of the Islamist organisation that launched a major assault on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7.

More than 50 weapons were also confiscated, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The security situation in the West Bank has been increasingly tense, since the bloody attack by hundreds of Palestinian fighters on Israeli border communities 12 days ago.

Support for Hamas remains strong among the Palestinian population of the landlocked territory adjoining Jordan.

There are no official numbers of members of Hamas.

However, a poll in September showed that in the event of a presidential election, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh could expect half of the vote if the only other candidate was Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

October 19, 2023
Israel-Gaza crisis: U.S. vetoes Security Council resolution

The United State on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza.

The failure by the Council to make its first public intervention on the Israel-Gaza crisis followed the rejection of a Russian-backed draft on Monday evening.

While 12 of the Council’s 15 members voted in favour of the Brazilian-led text, one (United States) voted against, and two (Russia, and the United Kingdom) abstained.

A ‘no’ vote from any one of the five permanent members of the Council stops action on any measure put before it. The body’s permanent members are: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Prior to the vote, two amendments proposed by Russia, calling for an immediate, durable and full ceasefire, and to stop attacks against civilians were rejected by the Security Council.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said, “the time for diplomatic metaphors is long gone.”

According to him, anyone who did not support Russia’s draft resolution on this issue bears responsibility for what happens, saying, the current draft “has no clear call for a ceasefire and will not help to stop the bloodshed.”

He said Russia’s amendments proposed a call to end indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza and the condemnation of the imposition of the blockade on the enclave; and adding a new point for a call for a humanitarian ceasefire.

“If these are not included in the current draft, it would not help to address the human situation in Gaza and polarise positions of the international community,” he said.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield explained her country’s veto in the Council chamber saying, “this resolution did not mention Israel’s right of self-defence.

“Israel has the inherent sight of self-defence as reflected in Article 51 of the UN Charter.”

She noted that the right was reaffirmed by the Council in previous resolutions on terrorist attacks, “this resolution should have done the same.”

She said though the U.S. could not support the resolution, it would continue to work closely with all Council members on the crisis, “just as we will continue to reiterate the need to protect civilians, including members of the media, humanitarian workers and UN officials.”

Thomas-Greenfield also noted that the U.S. is also engaged in on the ground diplomacy, with the visit of President Joseph Biden and other senior officials.

“Yes, resolutions are important, and yes, this Council must speak out. But the actions we take, must be informed by the facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy that can save lives,” she said.

Ambassador Sérgio França Danese of Brazil said his country, as President of the Security Council for October, responded to a call by Council members to forge a united response to the crisis.

“We heeded the call with a sense of urgency and responsibility, in our view the Security Council had to take action and do so very quickly.

“Council paralysis in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe is not in the interest of the international community,” he said, noting efforts to build a unified position.

Ambassador Danese reiterated that the focus was and remained on the critical humanitarian situation on the ground, guided by political realism, “but our sight was always set on the humanitarian imperative.”

He regretted that collective action had stalled, stating “very sadly, the Council was yet again unable to adopt a resolution on the crisis, again silence and inaction prevailed.”

UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward said her country abstained from the resolution as the text needed to be clearer on Israel’s inherent right to self-defence, and because it ignored the fact that extremist group Hamas, which controlled Gaza, was using Palestinian civilians as human shields.

“They (Hamas) have embedded themselves in civilian communities and made the Palestinian people their victims too,” she said.

She reiterated the UK’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, rescue hostages and strengthen its security in the long term, while calling on Israel “to take all feasible precautions” to avoid harming Palestinian civilians.

She added that it would continue working with all partners to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, ensure protection of civilians and “to work towards the peace and stability promised by the two-State solution.”

Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Ambassador for the United Arab Emirates and the sole Arab nation serving on the Council, said her country voted for the resolution, not because it was a perfect text but because it clearly stated the basic principles that must be upheld.

“It is perhaps beyond me to put into words the abject horrors we are witnessing in Gaza,” she said, noting the mounting death toll, including the strike on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital.

“Each passing hour of this ruinous war makes a mockery of the principles of international humanitarian law. Gaza is laid to waste, and nobody feels safe,” she said.

She reiterated her country’s support for “no less than a full humanitarian ceasefire,” not at the expense of Israel’s security, but to allow people to tend to their wounded, bury their dead in dignity and begin putting their lives back together.

The action on the Brazilian-led draft resolution followed the defeat on Monday evening of a Russian-led text calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza which did not include any mention or condemnation of extremist group Hamas, which controlled the Gaza strip.

That resolution received five votes in favour (China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates) and four against (France, Japan, UK, and the U.S.), with six abstentions (Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malta, and Switzerland).

This was the Council’s second open meeting on the situation in Gaza.

Ambassadors had met, mainly behind closed doors, on the crisis, including meetings on Oct. 8 and 13.

October 19, 2023
Casualties of Gaza hospital blast revealed

A total of 471 Palestinians were killed in the devastating blast at a hospital in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.

Another 324 people were injured in the explosion, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Wednesday, releasing its first official figures following the explosion late on Tuesday.

Twenty-eight people are said to be in critical condition.

It was not possible to independently verify the figures.

Israel, which has been pounding Gaza with retaliatory airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel border communities on October 7,denied it attacked the hospital.

According to Israelis, a misguided missile by the Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, was responsible for the blast, providing evidence to back up its claim.

Hamas as well as several Arab countries say Israel is to blame.

October 18, 2023
How underground tunnels in Gaza may affect IDF’s ground onslaught

How underground tunnels in Gaza may affect IDF’s ground onslaught

As Israel warns of an imminent ground assault in Gaza, one challenge that awaits a potential ground invasion involves a widespread underground tunnel system designed to conceal and cover Hamas militants and execute surprise attacks, experts say.

Hamas has previously claimed to have built 500 kilometers — more than 300 miles — of tunnels under Gaza. The tunnel system is so extensive and well-known it’s referred to by some — including the Israel Defense Forces — as the “metro.”

Israel has become adept at detecting so-called terror tunnels that have crossed its border — though the extensive tunnel system in Gaza “will present serious challenges for the Israel Defense Forces,” Bradley Bowman, the senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told ABC News.

“The tunnels permit some Hamas fighters to survive bombardment, move around Gaza under cover and concealment, resupply its forces, hide hostages and conduct surprise attacks,” Bowman said.

“Imagine going into an environment and then you’re progressing across the field or into the outskirts of the city, then all of a sudden, some enemy forces pop up behind you and there were none there before,” he said. “That’s kind of a nightmare for an assaulting force.”

Most of the tunnels are reinforced with concrete and some are quite deep, allowing them to protect Hamas militants against airstrikes, Bowman said. In 2020, Israel found one tunnel that went as deep as 230 feet below the surface, according to the Modern War Institute at West Point.

The tunnel system is wired for electricity and communication and the pathways are wide enough to fit two people side-by-side, as well as move equipment, ammunition and forces through, Bowman said. The average tunnel is about 6.5-feet high and a little more than a foot wide, according to a 2016 article in the journal Geopolitics.

The tunnels will be a key part of Hamas’ “guerrilla warfare strategy,” according to John Spencer, the chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.

“Its fighters will form small hunter-killer teams that move underground, pop up, strike, and pop quickly back into a tunnel,” Spencer wrote in a piece published Tuesday.

Hamas also uses the tunnels to hide and move rockets and rig “tunnel bombs under main roads and buildings that the IDF might be lured into,” Spencer wrote.

The IDF has acknowledged the challenges posed by the tunnel system.

“It is not an easy endeavor because Hamas has embedded FORUM
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As Israel warns of an imminent ground assault in Gaza, one challenge that awaits a potential ground invasion involves a widespread underground tunnel system designed to conceal and cover Hamas militants and execute surprise attacks, experts say.

Hamas has previously claimed to have built 500 kilometers — more than 300 miles — of tunnels under Gaza. The tunnel system is so extensive and well-known it’s referred to by some — including the Israel Defense Forces — as the “metro.”

Israel has become adept at detecting so-called terror tunnels that have crossed its border — though the extensive tunnel system in Gaza “will present serious challenges for the Israel Defense Forces,” Bradley Bowman, the senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told ABC News.

“The tunnels permit some Hamas fighters to survive bombardment, move around Gaza under cover and concealment, resupply its forces, hide hostages and conduct surprise attacks,” Bowman said.

“Imagine going into an environment and then you’re progressing across the field or into the outskirts of the city, then all of a sudden, some enemy forces pop up behind you and there were none there before,” he said. “That’s kind of a nightmare for an assaulting force.”

Most of the tunnels are reinforced with concrete and some are quite deep, allowing them to protect Hamas militants against airstrikes, Bowman said. In 2020, Israel found one tunnel that went as deep as 230 feet below the surface, according to the Modern War Institute at West Point.

The tunnel system is wired for electricity and communication and the pathways are wide enough to fit two people side-by-side, as well as move equipment, ammunition and forces through, Bowman said. The average tunnel is about 6.5-feet high and a little more than a foot wide, according to a 2016 article in the journal Geopolitics.

The tunnels will be a key part of Hamas’ “guerrilla warfare strategy,” according to John Spencer, the chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.

“Its fighters will form small hunter-killer teams that move underground, pop up, strike, and pop quickly back into a tunnel,” Spencer wrote in a piece published Tuesday.

Hamas also uses the tunnels to hide and move rockets and rig “tunnel bombs under main roads and buildings that the IDF might be lured into,” Spencer wrote.

The IDF has acknowledged the challenges posed by the tunnel system.

“It is not an easy endeavor because Hamas has embedded itself inside and underneath the Gaza Strip,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told ABC News in the wake of Hamas’ attack.

Conricus said the tunnels strategically run below civilian infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip.

“That is how Hamas has been able to stop our weapons and hide countless rockets in all of these clashes that we’ve had,” he said. “That is where they’re hiding now as we’re bombing, that is where their weapons are, and that is what they rely on, that’s the military infrastructure that they rely on in order to keep on fighting.”

The IDF has several units that specialize in combating the tunnels, including the Yahalom — “one of the largest units in the world that trains, mans, equips, experiments, and develops new ways to deal with underground warfare,” according to Spencer. In the wake of Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attack, the IDF has claimed to have struck targets belonging to Hamas, including “a number of underground tunnels.”

Israel will have technical advantages in a ground incursion, including drones, though that advantage will be reduced to some degree as it enters enemy territory, Bowman said.

“Once you’re talking about block-to-block, building-to-building, room-to-room, in some cases, hand-to-hand fighting, it really gets pretty brutal pretty fast,” Bowman said.

Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and an ABC News contributor, said that for Israel to “clear buildings, basements and the extensive network of tunnels, they will have to dismount their infantry and essentially fight soldier-on-soldier and block-by-block.”

Hamas — which has “home-court advantage” — has also likely prepared for a major Israeli ground incursion “long before Oct. 7,” Bowman said.

“That’s going to make any Israeli ground incursion more difficult because Hamas is probably prepared for this scenario,” he said.

October 18, 2023
Fresh twist: Israel denies bombing Gaza hospital, says there’s enough evidence to nail militants

In what could be described as a fresh twist, the Israeli army on Wednesday denied any link with the bombing of Gaza hospital hundreds were killed.

According to the Israeli army, it has evidence that militants were responsible for the blast.

Military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, during a press conference in Tel Aviv, said, “The evidence — which we are sharing with you all — confirms that the explosion at the hospital in Gaza was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket that misfired.”

The comments came after an explosion at a Gaza hospital compound on Tuesday evening killed at least 200 people.

This development sparked protests across the Middle East and wide-ranging condemnation.

Hagari said, “There was no IDF (Israeli army) fire by land, sea or air that hit the hospital.

“Our radar system tracked missiles fired by terrorists in Gaza at the time of the explosion and the trajectory analysis of the rockets shows the rockets were fired in close proximity to the hospital.”

Following the blast, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which runs the territory, pinned the blame on Israel.

The war of words continued on Wednesday with Hamas firing back at Israel’s latest comments about the strike, saying “Its outrageous lies do not deceive anyone.

“Israel is directly responsible for this horrific massacre which was carried out… with American weapons only the occupation possesses.”

For more than a week, Israel has carried out a withering bombardment of Gaza – retaliation for the killing of 1,400 people who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death in shock cross-border attacks launched by Hamas on October 7.

October 18, 2023
VIDEO: Israeli military releases aerial footage of Gaza hospital

The Israeli army has released footage it said proves that a misguided Palestinian rocket was responsible for the deadly blast at a hospital in the Gaza Strip.

The video released on Wednesday shows the Al Ahli hospital and a car park in Gaza City, comparing aerial shots before and after the deadly incident.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said there were no craters to be seen which typically resulted from an airstrike.

The IDF had blamed the Palestinian militant organization Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip for the attack. Islamic Jihad rejected the accusation.

Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus told CNN that the IDF had evidence of a conversation between Hamas members intercepted by Israel discussing “the fact that ‘Oh, there appears to have been a malfunction or an explosion by a rocket which landed short inside the Gaza Strip’.”

In addition, shortly before the incident, a volley of rockets had been fired from the central or northern section of the Gaza Strip towards Israel.

This was recorded on Israel’s radar system, Conricus said.

A failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City.

IAF footage from the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization: pic.twitter.com/AvCAkQULAf

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023

October 18, 2023
Israel vs Hamas: Putin calls for negotiations after strike on Gaza hospital

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said the strike on a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinians was a terrible catastrophe that shows that the conflict should be ended.

“As for the strike on the hospital, the tragedy that happened there is a terrible event. Hundreds of dead and hundreds of wounded is of course a catastrophe.” Putin said after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

“I really hope this will be a signal that we need to end this conflict as soon as possible. In any case, we need to focus on the possibility of starting some contacts and negotiations.’’

October 18, 2023
Biden heads to Israel after Gaza hospital strike kills hundreds

A strike on a Gaza hospital killed hundreds of Palestinians, deepening tensions in the Middle East and raising the stakes for U.S. President Joe Biden as he flies to Israel on Wednesday to signal support for its war against Hamas.

Palestinian officials said an Israeli air strike hit the hospital, with the Palestinian Authority’s health minister accusing Israel of causing a “massacre”.

Israel blamed the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital on a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which denied responsibility.

Reuters could not independently verify the claims around the catastrophe, which has inflamed a region already in crisis since Hamas carried out an Oct. 7 cross-border rampage against communities in southern Israel in which at least 1,300 people died.

Palestinian ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra said rescuers were still pulling bodies from the rubble.

Al Jazeera carried footage showing a frantic scene as rescue workers scoured blood-stained debris for survivors.

Rescuers and civilians were shown carrying away at least four victims in body bags.

A Gaza civil defence chief gave a death toll of 300, while health ministry sources put it at 500.

Biden’s complex diplomatic mission to the Middle East was supposed to calm the region and shore up humanitarian efforts for Gaza.

However, after the strike, Jordan cancelled a planned summit with the U.S. president, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Abbas also cancelled plans to meet Biden, as Palestinian security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse anti-government protesters in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah as popular anger boiled.

Protests also took place at Israel’s embassies in Turkey and Jordan and near the U.S. embassy in Lebanon, where security forces fired tear gas toward demonstrators.

Before the hospital strike, health authorities in Gaza said at least 3,000 people had died in Israel’s 11-day bombardment that began after the Hamas assault, which caught Israel by surprise and led to nearly 200 people being taken to Gaza as hostages.

The Israeli military urged Gaza City residents to relocate southward on Wednesday, saying there was a “humanitarian zone” with aid available in Al-Mawasi, 28 km (17 miles) down the coast of the Palestinian enclave.

“The IDF calls on #GazaCity residents to evacuate south for their protection,” said a social-media post by the military.

Speaking to reporters as Biden flew to Tel Aviv, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Biden would put “tough questions” to Israeli leaders but did not give details.

Biden will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet seeking to get a sense of Israel’s plans and aims, Kirby said.

He also aims to get humanitarian aid into Gaza, where millions of Palestinians are surviving with scant food, fuel and water due to Israel’s siege.

“He’ll be asking some tough questions, he’ll be asking them as a friend, as a true friend of Israel, but he’ll be asking some questions of them,” Kirby said.

It was unclear what Biden could accomplish during his visit. Kirby said the U.S. president planned to speak with Abbas and Sisi on his way back to Washington.

“This sort of murky but horrific event makes diplomacy harder and increases escalation risks,” said Richard Gowan, UN director at International Crisis Group.

Biden has previously said the United States does not want the conflict to flare up into a wider war.

Iran, which supports Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Lebanon-based Islamist group Hezbollah have warned Israel of escalation if it fails to end aggressions against Palestinians.

The U.S. State Department told Americans not to travel to Lebanon after exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon’s south.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “horrified” by hundreds of people killed in Tuesday’s strike on the hospital.

Guterres appealed to Hamas for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and to Israel to allow immediate unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for Gaza.

October 18, 2023
Israel vs Hamas: UN chief, WHO react over attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has condemned the strike on Al Ahli Anglican Episcopal Hospital in Gaza, with preliminary reports of hundreds killed and many others wounded, including women and children.

He also condemned the attack on a UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) school in Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza which killed at least six people.

UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said this in a statement on Tuesday.

Dujarric said the secretary-general extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to those injured.

He emphasised that hospitals, clinics, medical personnel, and UN premises were explicitly protected under international law.

Similarly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) condemned the attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital.

“The hospital was operational, with patients, health and care givers, and internally displaced people sheltering there.

“Early reports indicate hundreds of fatalities and injuries,” it said in a statement.

According to the UN health agency, the hospital is one of 20 in the north of the Gaza Strip facing evacuation orders from the Israeli military.

It said that the order for evacuation had been impossible to carry out given the current insecurity and critical condition of many patients.

WHO said that other problems were lack of ambulances, staff, health system bed capacity, and alternative shelter for those displaced.

The agency, however, called for the immediate active protection of civilians and health care.

WHO condemns attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has condemned the attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip.

WHO said in a statement released on Tuesday that the attack reported large scale casualties.

“The hospital was operational, with patients, health and care givers, and internally displaced people sheltering there.

“Early reports indicate hundreds of fatalities and injuries,” it said.

According to the statement, the hospital is one of 20 in the north of the Gaza Strip facing evacuation orders from the Israeli military.

It said that the order for evacuation had been impossible to carry out given the current insecurity and critical condition of many patients.

It said that other problems were lack of ambulances, staff, health system bed capacity, and alternative shelter for those displaced.

The statement called for the immediate active protection of civilians and health care.

”Evacuation orders must be reversed.

“International humanitarian law must be abided by, which means health care must be actively protected and never targeted,” it said.

Israeli-Hamas conflict: UN expresses concern for civilians as school attacked

The head of the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini on Tuesday expressed concern for the safety of civilians as UNRWA school was attached

The UN envoy said at least six people were killed when an UNRWA school being used as a shelter, was hit in the al-Maghazi camp in the middle region of the embattled Gaza Strip on Monday.

“Dozens were injured (including UNRWA staff) and severe structural damage was caused to the school.

“The numbers are likely to be higher. This is outrageous, and it again shows a flagrant disregard for the lives of civilians,” he said in a statement

No place is safe in Gaza anymore, he warned, stressing that it was hit as Israeli airstrikes and bombardment continues.

“At least 4,000 people have taken refuge in this UNRWA school turned shelter. They had and still have nowhere else to go.”

He said that the agency has provided the coordinates of its facilities to “relevant parties” on a daily basis.

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) issued a fresh alert on Tuesday for civilians left in northern Gaza, amid ongoing military operations in the enclave ahead of an anticipated full-scale Israeli response to Hamas’s October 7 attack.

The past 10 days of conflict have claimed the lives of 4,200 people, forced more than one million individuals to flee their homes following an order from the Israeli authorities and left large areas in the Gaza Strip “reduced to rubble”, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Meanwhile, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, on Monday, briefed Member States on the Gaza crisis, and said the situation “can only be described as an utter catastrophe.”

She added that as every hour passes, the restoration of essential supplies and services, “becomes every more critical.”

She said the UN would continue to identify urgent solutions for getting aid into Gaza.

UN Secretary- General Antonio Guterres will travel to the Egyptian capital Cairo on Thursday, according to his Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric to engage with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on the Gaza crisis.

In southern Gaza where a humanitarian emergency is already playing out, UN relief agencies reiterated their call for a secure and reliable humanitarian corridor to deliver stockpiled aid into the Occupied Territory.

Both Egypt and Israel have faced multiple calls from the UN and international community to protect non-combatants impacted by the war.

“We call for unimpeded access, safe passage for desperately needed humanitarian supplies to Gaza,” Ms Abeer Etefa, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Communications Lead for the Middle East and North Africa, said.

Some 300 tonnes of food “are either at or on the way to the Egyptian border in Rafah,” Etefa said. “That’s enough to feed around a quarter million people for one week.”

According to OHCHR, “a large number” of women and children are among the dead in Gaza, as well as at least 11 Palestinian journalists, 28 medical staff and 14 UN colleagues.

“It remains unclear how many more bodies may be buried in the rubble – with many families missing loved ones, terrified about their uncertain fate,” Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR Spokesperson said.

Echoing urgent warnings from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA about the desperate situation in Gaza amid heavy Israeli bombardments, from the air, sea and land, humanitarians echoed deep concern that healthcare facilities had been targeted – raising concerns about medical care for the injured, including pregnant women and those with chronic health issues.

Additionally, civilians attempting to relocate to southern Gaza have been struck and killed by explosive weapons, demanding urgent and independent investigation, OHCHR says.

The world body has called for an immediate humanitarian pause to facilitate aid delivery and prevent further suffering.

“Strict compliance with the laws of war and the protection of civilians is essential to prevent further loss of life in this dire crisis,” Shamdasani said.

Israeli-Hamas conflict: UN Security Council to consider resolution on ceasefire

The UN Security Council is expected to consider a draft resolution led by Brazil, calling for humanitarian ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict at the Gaza Strip.

The council had on Monday in its first intervention in the Gaza crisis voted down a resolution led by Russia, calling for humanitarian ceasefire.

In spite of the setback, diplomatic efforts are in full swing as ambassadors prepare to consider another text on the unprecedented crisis.

The 15-member body that oversees peace and security issues, is expected to decide on a second draft resolution, led by Brazil.

While it does not officially represent the position of the council until adopted, the proposal aims to mitigate existing humanitarian suffering, establish corridors for safe aid delivery, and protect UN and other humanitarian workers struggling to provide life-saving aid to the people of Gaza.

While both texts seek a humanitarian pause, there are key differences, including reportedly over the major point of contention in the Russian draft – explicit mention of the extremist group Hamas which controls Gaza.

Russia’s ambassador told the emergency meeting on Monday that Western powers opposing its resolution had “stomped” on hopes of de-escalation, while the U.S. ambassador said that in failing to condemn Hamas, Russia was “giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalises innocent civilians.”

In the hope of agreeing on unified action – never more important than during a time of international crisis – ambassadors usually seek to build support through resolutions, laying out a clear path.

Rival or parallel drafts of resolutions are common, leaving delegations to hammer out the details and soften the edges, often behind closed doors.

If common positions can’t be reached, the draft goes for a vote, where it either passes, or – as on Monday night – is rejected.

Meanwhile, UN officials continue to engage with all actors involved in the widening crisis, to de-escalate tensions, establish safe zones, and provide essential aid and medical support to those in urgent need.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to arrive in Egypt on Thursday to meet President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and others.

World leaders are also making appeals to de-escalate, with the White House announcing President Joe Biden’s high stakes visit to Israel and Jordan beginning Wednesday, in a show of solidarity with partners in the region.

UN and other humanitarian agencies have worked round the clock to preposition aid since the latest war between Israel and Hamas broke out following the militant group’s surprise Oct. 7 attack on several locations inside Israel, and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war.

Thousands have reportedly been killed on both sides and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee south inside Gaza, where the southern frontier remains closed so far to vital aid.

UN staff, primarily with the Palestine refugees agency (UNRWA), as well as medical personnel and aid workers, have also lost their lives.

Concerns loom over the potential for the violence to spill over into neighbouring countries, destabilising the entire region – and beyond.

October 18, 2023