Israeli airstrikes continue to claim lives in the Gaza Strip this Tuesday, December 19. At least 20 people died in a bombardment against a housing area in Rafah, in the south of the enclave, while another assault against the Jabalia refugee camp, in the north, left at least 13 dead, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported. . Meanwhile, a delayed vote in the UN Security Council on a cessation of hostilities to allow the entry of humanitarian aid is expected in the coming hours.
19,667 fatalities after more than two months of war in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Army continues hostilities over the Palestinian enclave with renewed support from the United States and without any international pressure coming into effect, so far, to stop the fire hitting by air, sea and land.
This Tuesday, December 19, the Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed the total number of deaths, most of them civilians, while reporting new assaults that claimed more lives throughout the enclave.
In Rafah, southern Gaza, Israeli missiles and airstrikes hit three homes, where at least 20 Palestinians were killed.
Dozens of Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Israeli bombardment on residential homes in Rafah, southern Gaza, where Israel had ordered civilians to flee in recent weeks. pic.twitter.com/npZXuStDOr
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 19, 2023
The attacks intensify in the area where the majority of inhabitants are overcrowded after evacuating the north, as demanded by foreign troops in the first weeks of the ongoing conflict. Although this is a long-standing conflict, the strength in the current escalation – unleashed in response to the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7 – has not been seen by many Gazans.
“We have never seen such weapons. I was born in 1950, I have never seen anything like it. I witnessed the 1956 war, there was nothing like it. I witnessed the 1967 war, there was nothing like it. This is a barbaric act. It is something we have not seen before. Israel is the biggest criminal,” said Palestinian resident Mohamed Abu Zurub.
At least 13 dead in new attack on the Jabalia refugee camp
The Jabalia refugee camp, in the north of the besieged coastal strip, was once again hit by Israeli fire, which in the last hours left there at least 13 people dead and 75 injuredsaid the local Ministry of Health.
At 1.4 square kilometers, Jabalia is the largest of eight refugee camps in Gaza and has housed some 116,000 registered people, many of whom depend on food, medicine and other aid provided by the Gaza Relief and Works Agency. United Nations for Palestinian Refugees.
To the total number of deaths, which is close to 20,000, there are 52,586 people who have been injured. All when the attacks hit hospitals especially hard and leave Gazans without options to receive medical care.
The Israeli Army justifies the attack on places protected by International Law due to the presence of Hamas militants. However, the Islamist movement, health authorities and UN agencies reject this version and denounce a disproportionate use of force.
UN Security Council plans to vote on new truce proposal
After being delayed until this Tuesday, the United Nations agency in charge of ensuring security in the world is expected to put to a vote in the next few hours a resolution, promoted by Arab countries, that urges a cessation of hostilities to allow the entry of humanitarian aid “without obstacles.”
The diplomats noted that they have been carrying out negotiations to get the United States, Israel's main ally, to abstain or vote “yes” on the resolution after Washington used its power on December 8 and October 18. veto power in the Council to block previous calls for a ceasefire.
However, over the weekend France, the United Kingdom and Germany, governments also close to Israel, joined global calls for a ceasefire.
Despite some international pressure, the Israeli authorities are not giving up on their military objectives in Gaza. So far, a call in this regard has only prospered in the UN General Assembly, which on December 12 managed to approve a text calling for the cessation of hostilities.
But the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu insists that its troops will continue attacking the enclave until “eliminating” Hamas, which has controlled that Palestinian territory since 2007. Israel maintains that its purpose is to defeat the militants of the Islamist group by military means and free all the hostages still in its power, around 120 people.
After the death of three hostages, Israel denounces the excessive use of force
The Netanyahu Administration's goals are beginning to lose support among some, even within their own country. On December 16, hundreds of people protested in Tel Aviv after three of those kidnapped in Gaza were killed “by mistake” by Israeli troops during their operations.
Citizens were stunned after it emerged that those held captive were killed in the middle of an active war zone after waving a white flag and shouting in Hebrew to show they posed no threat.
For critics, the incident underscores what they claim is the excessively violent conduct of Israel's security apparatus against Palestinians. Only in this case, it cut short the lives of three Israelis who were desperately trying to save themselves.
“It's heartbreaking but not surprising… We have documented countless incidents over the years of people who clearly surrendered and were still shot,” said Roy Yellin, director of public outreach for the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. .
For now, Israeli authorities appear to have the full support of the United States for an armed campaign that could last months or years, while the troops' actions claim the lives of thousands of civilians and the WHO warns that more Gazans will die from diseases. , in the midst of hunger, overcrowding and the precarious security conditions in which they have been left after the destruction of their homes.
With Reuters and AP
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