Amid an escalation of violence, the Hamas Ministry of Health revealed that deaths in the Gaza Strip have exceeded 25,000 since October 7, with 62,681 injured by Israeli attacks. In the last 24 hours, 178 people died in the enclave and 293 were injured. The shelling has intensified especially in the south, in Khan Younis. Israel claims to fight terrorists, while Hamas denounces attacks on hospitals. Meanwhile, in the north, fighting persists, exacerbating the difficult living conditions of the people who have remained in that area.
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This Sunday, January 21, the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas, announced that the deaths in the Gaza Strip since October 7 reached 25,105. In addition, they assured that 62,681 citizens have been injured by the ferocious Israeli attacks.
During the last 24 hours – also according to figures from said Ministry – 178 people were killed and 293 were injured.
The bombing of the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7 after Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed at least 1,200 people, is far from ending. Especially alarming is the situation in Khan Younis, in the south of the Palestinian enclave, where violence has been escalating in recent days.
There, according to the Israeli Army, snipers, backed by air support, had “eliminated a certain number of terrorists.”
Earlier, the Islamist group Hamas had reported dozens of air and artillery strikes in the Gaza Strip. In addition, they had claimed that Israeli forces had attacked areas near two hospitals in Khan Younis: Nasser (the largest still in operation) and Al-Amal.
Dozens of bodies “are still under the rubble,” Hamas added.
Fighting does not stop in the north
On the other hand, the Israeli Army said that further north, its soldiers had killed 15 armed Palestinians during the fighting. However, a Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, dismissed the Israeli story and said it was intended to “portray a false and delusional victory.”
During the day, a publication from Wall Street Journal citing the United States intelligence services, indicated that since the beginning of the war, Israel has killed between 20 and 30% of Hamas militants, although so far the institution, dependent on the US Government, has not officially published the figure.
Also in the north of Gaza, in the Jabalia refugee camp, Palestinians assured that heavy fighting has been fought over the last three days. According to witnesses, the bombings were continuous and some buildings caught fire.
Although the focus of Israeli attention is now on the south, people in the north tell of the harsh conditions in which they have to live.
“We fought to survive the bombs, but, frankly, we tried to survive the hunger more,” Amer, a 32-year-old resident of northern Gaza, told Reuters.
And he added: Finding food for the family, for the children, has become a more challenging adventure than surviving the war.”
A situation that is explained by the large increase in the price of products such as flour, while other foods are almost impossible to find in Gaza.
Violence in the West Bank
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Israeli Army is carrying out operations in the West Bank, specifically in Hebron, Qalqilya and Jenin. At these points arrests were made and two houses were demolished in Hebron.
Violence has also increased in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority has limited self-government. There, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces have killed 360 Palestinians since October 7.
Guterres condemns Israel's 'heartbreaking' killings in Gaza
On the sidelines of the G77+China summit in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres denounced Israel for the “heartbreaking” deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In addition, he reiterated his call from Saturday and said that it was an unacceptable fact that the prime minister of that country resists the creation of a State for the Palestinian people.
“Israel's military operations have spread massive destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as Secretary-General,” Guterres said. “This is heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable,” he said. And he added that “everything possible must be done to prevent a conflict from breaking out throughout the region.”
The refusal to accept the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the denial of the right to statehood for the Palestinian people, are unacceptable.
The right of the Palestinian people to build their own state must be recognized by all.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) January 21, 2024
On the other hand, he noted that the refusal to accept the two-state option for Israelis and Palestinians “would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security.”
This comes after Netanyahu stated on Saturday that he would not accept any form of Palestinian sovereignty. Some statements that came after a conversation with the president of the United States, Joe Biden, who advocated for this solution. Despite pressure from his main ally, the Israeli prime minister reiterated that accepting it would be a threat to Israeli security and that his country must “maintain security control over Gaza.”
The Secretary General of the United Nations also participated in the Non-Aligned Movement. There, a joint statement was signed condemning “the illegal Israeli military aggression in the Gaza Strip, the indiscriminate attacks against Palestinian civilians, civilian targets” and “the forced displacement of the Palestinian population.”
With Reuters and AFP
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