Israeli warplanes struck two refugee camps within the Gaza Strip early Sunday, killing not less than 53 individuals and wounding dozens, Palestinian well being officers mentioned. The strikes got here as Israel mentioned it will press on with its offensive to crush the territory’s Hamas rulers, regardless of U.S. appeals for a pause to get assist to determined civilians.
Israel has rejected the thought of halting its offensive, even for temporary humanitarian pauses proposed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken throughout his present tour of the area. Gaza’s Well being Ministry mentioned greater than 9,700 Palestinians have been killed within the territory in almost a month of struggle, a quantity that’s more likely to rise as Israeli troops advance into dense, city neighborhoods.
Airstrikes hit the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza in a single day, killing not less than 40 individuals and wounding 34 others, the Well being Ministry mentioned.
An Related Press reporter at a close-by hospital noticed eight useless youngsters, together with a child, who had been introduced in after the strike. A surviving youngster was led down the hall, her garments caked in mud, an expression of shock on her face.
Arafat Abu Mashaia, who lives within the camp, mentioned the Israeli airstrike flattened a number of multi-story properties the place individuals compelled out of different elements of Gaza had been sheltering. “It was a real bloodbath,” he mentioned whereas standing on the wreckage. “All listed below are peaceable individuals. I problem anybody who says there have been resistance (fighters) right here.”
There was no quick remark from the Israeli navy. The camp, a built-up residential space, is positioned within the evacuation zone the place Israel’s navy had urged Palestinian civilians to hunt refuge because it focuses its navy offensive on the north.
One other airstrike hit a home close to a faculty on the Bureji refugee camp in central Gaza on Sunday, and employees at Al-Aqsa Hospital instructed the AP not less than 13 individuals had been killed. The camp is house to an estimated 46,000 individuals and was struck on Thursday as properly.
Regardless of appeals and abroad demonstrations, Israel has continued its bombardment throughout Gaza, saying it’s concentrating on Hamas and accusing it of utilizing civilians as human shields. Critics say Israel’s strikes are sometimes disproportionate, contemplating the big variety of civilians killed.
Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas within the occupied West Financial institution on Sunday, a day after talks with Arab overseas ministers in neighboring Jordan.
Abbas, who has had no authority in Gaza since Hamas took over in 2007, mentioned the Palestinian Authority would solely assume management of Gaza as a part of a “complete political answer” establishing an impartial state that may additionally take within the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, lands Israel seized within the 1967 struggle.
His remarks appeared to additional slim the already slim choices for who would govern Gaza if Israel succeeds in toppling Hamas. The final peace talks with Israel broke down greater than a decade in the past, and Israel’s authorities is dominated by opponents of Palestinian statehood.
Earlier in his tour, Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Sunday reiterated whereas visiting an air drive base that “there will probably be no ceasefire with out the return of our abductees.” He added: “We’ll simply proceed till we beat them, we’ve got no various.”
Arab leaders have known as for an instantaneous cease-fire. However Blinken mentioned that “would merely depart Hamas in place, capable of regroup and repeat what it did on Oct. 7,” when the group launched a wide-ranging assault from Gaza into southern Israel, triggering the struggle.
Blinken mentioned humanitarian pauses could possibly be essential in defending civilians, getting assist in and getting overseas nationals out, “whereas nonetheless enabling Israel to attain its goal, the defeat of Hamas.”
Swaths of residential neighborhoods in northern Gaza have been leveled in airstrikes. The U.N. workplace for humanitarian affairs says greater than half the remaining residents, estimated at round 300,000, are sheltering in U.N.-run services. Lethal Israeli strikes have repeatedly hit and broken these shelters.
Israeli planes as soon as once more dropped leaflets urging individuals to move south throughout a four-hour window on Sunday. Crowds of individuals could possibly be seen strolling down Gaza’s major north-south freeway carrying baggage, even pets, or pushing wheelchairs. Others led donkey carts.
One man mentioned they needed to stroll 500 meters (yards) with their fingers raised whereas passing Israeli troops. One other described seeing our bodies in broken vehicles alongside the highway. “The kids noticed tanks for the primary time. Oh world, have mercy on us,” mentioned one Palestinian who declined to offer his title.
One other Israeli airstrike in a single day struck a water properly in Tal al-Zatar in northern Gaza, slicing off water for tens of hundreds of individuals, the Hamas-run municipality within the city of Beit Lahia mentioned in a press release.
The U.N. mentioned about 1.5 million individuals in Gaza, or 70% of the inhabitants, have fled their properties. Meals, water and the gasoline wanted for mills that energy hospitals and different services is working out.
The struggle has stoked tensions throughout the area, with Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group repeatedly buying and selling fireplace alongside the border.
Within the occupied West Financial institution, not less than two Palestinians had been shot useless throughout an Israeli arrest raid in Abu Dis, simply exterior of Jerusalem, based on the Palestinian Well being Ministry. The navy mentioned a militant who had arrange an armed cell and fired at Israeli forces was killed throughout the raid.
Not less than 150 Palestinians have been killed within the West Financial institution for the reason that begin of the struggle, primarily throughout violent protests and gun battles throughout arrest raids.
1000’s of Israelis protested exterior Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem on Saturday, urging him to resign and calling for the return of roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas. Some households are touring overseas to attempt to verify the hostages aren’t forgotten.
Netanyahu has refused to take accountability for the Oct. 7 assault in southern Israel that killed greater than 1,400 individuals. Ongoing Palestinian rocket fireplace has compelled tens of hundreds of individuals in Israel to depart their properties.
In one other reflection of widespread anger in Israel, a junior authorities minister, Amihai Eliyahu, prompt in a radio interview Sunday that Israel may drop an atomic bomb on Gaza. He later walked again the remarks, saying they had been “metaphorical.” Netanyahu issued a press release saying the minister’s feedback had been “not primarily based in actuality.”
Netanyahu suspended Eliyahu from cupboard conferences, a transfer that has no sensible impact.Among the many Palestinians killed in Gaza are greater than 4,800 youngsters, the Gaza Well being Ministry mentioned, with out offering a breakdown of civilians and fighters.
The Israeli navy mentioned 29 of its troopers have died throughout the floor operation.
TIME has contacted the IDF and the Israeli Authorities press workplace for remark relating to the Palestinian Well being Ministry reporting that Israeli warplanes struck the refugee camps.