Guterres: “An investigation is needed into the deaths in Gaza”
The Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres said yesterday's deaths in Gaza require an effective and independent investigation. Guterres said he was “shocked” by the latest episode of the war between Israel and Hamaswhile regarding the inaction of the UN Security Council he underlined that the worsening of geopolitical divisions has “transformed the veto power into an effective tool for paralyzing the Council's action”.
“I am totally convinced that we need a humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional and immediate release of the hostages – he added – and that we should have a Security Council capable of achieving these objectives”.
Seven hostages killed in Israeli raid
Seven hostages were reportedly killed in an Israeli raid on Gaza. Abu Obaida, spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed this, explaining that he had the confirmation at the end of an investigation launched a few weeks ago after losing contact with the group that was holding the hostages. Since the beginning of the Israeli retaliation on the Gaza Strip, according to Hamas, more than 70 hostages have been killed in Israeli air raids.
The Palestinian factions have decided to reunite under the old PLO
Palestinian factions, including rivals Hamas and Fatah, have said there will be a “next dialogue” to reunite them under the banner of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which unlike the PA represents all the Palestinian people. including people in exile, founded in the 1960s and presided over for decades by Yasser Arafat. Inter-Palestinian talks in Moscow have reached agreement on some points, including the need for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, where they have been fighting against Hamas for over four months, and the creation of a Palestinian state, the statement said. Previous attempts to integrate Hamas into the PLO ended in failure.
South Africa accuses Israel of violating human rights
South Africa says Thursday's massacre of Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza, where dozens were killed as they tried to refuel from humanitarian aid trucks in Gaza City, violated the International Court of Justice's interim orders in a legal case in which Pretoria accused Israel of committing genocide in the coastal enclave. “South Africa condemns the massacre of 112 Palestinians and the injury of hundreds more as they sought life-saving aid,” South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.
Erdogan: “Western countries have a part in the bloodshed”
“Western countries, which have supported Israel since day one, have a hand in the bloodshed” in the Gaza Strip. Turkish President Erdogan said this in his speech, broadcast by state TV TRT, during the Antalya diplomatic forum, taking place in the town on the Mediterranean coast in southern Turkey.
Massacre in Gaza, Gerania: “Israel explain what happened”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on the Israeli army to “fully explain” how Palestinians died yesterday while gathered to receive humanitarian aid. “People were seeking humanitarian aid for themselves and their families and they died. The news from Gaza shocks me. The Israeli army must fully explain how the mob and shooting could have occurred. My condolences go to the families of the victims “Baerbock wrote in a social media post. “In Gaza people are closer to death than life. More humanitarian aid needs to arrive. Immediately. Now we finally need humanitarian action, a ceasefire so that the hostages are released from the hands of Hamas and no more people die in Gaza. And aid can be distributed safely”, added the head of Berlin's diplomacy.
Von der Leyen: “We ask for a transparent investigation into the massacre in Gaza”
“Deeply disturbed by the images coming from Gaza. Every effort must be made to investigate the incident and ensure transparency. Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for those in need and access to it must be guaranteed. We stand by of civilians, we urge their protection in line with international law.” The president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen wrote this in X, commenting on the massacre of civilians that took place yesterday in Gaza.
READ ALSO: Gaza, attack on humanitarian trucks. Gunfire on the crowd: over one hundred dead
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