Over 700 killed in overnight Israeli strikes as world leaders call for end to war

Agencies | Gaza City                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

As the death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks crossed four times that of Hamas’ attack by yesterday, the United Nations chief and leaders of non-Western countries called for a truce and denounced the continued violation of humanitarian law by Israel.

Western leaders urged for a ‘humanitarian pause’ instead. The health ministry of Gaza said yesterday that the number of people killed in the Palestinian exclave since October 7th reached 5,791, with over 40 per cent being children.

As Israel took its attacks to unprecedented levels, more than 700 people died in overnight yesterday while 50 were killed in an hour’s span in the evening, according to news reports. Around 1,400 Israelis were killed in the attack by Hamas on October 7th.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday said, addressing a special UN Security Council session, there were “clear violations” of international humanitarian law in Gaza and reminded that no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law. Explaining the backdrop of the recent Hamas attack, he said it followed 56 years of “suffocating occupation”.

‘Not justified’

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Hamas’ attack on Israel did not justify the killing of millions in Gaza and stressed the need of a peace deal, with both sides retaining their territories. “Just because Hamas committed a terrorist attack against Israel doesn’t mean Israel has to kill millions of innocents,” he said.

Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki yesterday deplored the inaction of the UN Security Council in stopping the massacres in Gaza by Israel and said inaction is inexcusable. The ongoing massacres must be stopped, he told the special Security Council session.

‘UN bowing to Israel’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the UN Security Council of deepening the crisis in Gaza by bowing to the Israeli regime and said the international community is not rising to the challenge in the face of the Israeli regime’s unlawful and unrestrained attacks against civilians.

‘Enough is enough’

Qatar’s emir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Israel has been given a free licence to kill. Stating that “enough is enough”, the ruler called for an earnest regional and international stance against the dangerous escalation that threatens regional and global security.

Israel has denounced the UN Secretary-General’s stance while the US said humanitarian pauses should be considered but that a ceasefire would benefit Hamas. Canada also supported a humanitarian pause.

French president said it stands shoulder to shoulder with Israel in its fight against Hamas but said it should not fight without rules.

‘Drop in the ocean’

Yesterday, the UN chief also said the international aid being delivered to Gaza is “a drop of aid in an ocean of need”.