Truce calls mount as Israeli-Palestinian conflict worsens

Reuters | Gaza/Jerusalem

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Hamas began firing rockets eight days ago in retaliation for what it said were Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians in Jerusalem. Gaza medical officials say 213 Palestinians have been killed, including 61 children and 36 women, and more than 1,400 wounded.

Israeli authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, including two children. Nearly 450 buildings in the Gaza strip have been destroyed or badly damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary care health centres, the United Nations humanitarian agency said. Some 47,000 of the 52,000 displaced had fled to UN schools.

Israel said more than 3,450 rockets have been launched at it from Gaza, some falling short and others shot down by its Iron Dome air defences.

The Israeli military said it had killed at least 130 militants in the Palestinian territory. Yesterday, the army said a soldier was slightly injured when a shell was fired after it allowed the fuel convoy into Gaza. It says its forces have killed around 130 Hamas fighters and another 30 from Islamic Jihad.

On a visit to Iceland, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had received further information requested from Israel about its destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera news organisations.

Blinken gave no further details about the information he said came through intelligence channels about Saturday’s attack. Ron Dermer, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington and now an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas intelligence had been situated in the building, whose occupants were warned by Israel in advance to evacuate.

Hamas was engaged in activity that would have undermined Israel’s ability to target effectively and intercept incoming rockets, Dermer told CNN.

Calling Netanyahu on Monday night, US President Joe Biden said Israel had the right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks but encouraged it to make every effort to protect civilians, the White House said. Egypt and UN mediators also stepped up diplomatic efforts, and the UN General Assembly will meet to discuss the violence tomorrow.