LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Israel ground forces make significant incursion into Gaza, then withdraw

Russia’s Putin warns conflict could extend beyond the Middle East

Palestinians bury unidentified dead in mass graves

GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Amid Russia’s warning that the conflict could spread beyond the Middle East, Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip in preparation for a ground invasion aimed at eradicating the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

In besieged Gaza, humanitarian supplies were critically low as world powers failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire to deliver aid. The mounting civilian casualties led residents to bury the dead in mass graves.

Israel indicated the widening of assaults into Gaza by announcing that ground forces had attacked multiple targets in the Hamas-ruled enclave before withdrawing. This incursion was described as the largest of the current war.

During a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden looked beyond the war and expressed his belief that the future should include Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side in safety and peace. Biden also suggested that the attack by Iranian-backed Hamas on southern Israel on Oct. 7 was intended to hinder the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of potential consequences beyond the Middle East and criticized the punishing of innocent civilians in Gaza for the actions of others during a meeting with religious leaders. Putin emphasized the urgent need to stop the bloodshed and violence in order to prevent further dangerous escalation.

Amid concerns that the Gaza conflict may have broader implications, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had agreed to delay invading Gaza until U.S. air defense systems could be deployed in the region as early as this week to protect American forces. U.S. officials raised concerns with Israel that an incursion into Gaza could provoke Iran and its proxies to escalate the conflict by attacking U.S. troops in the Middle East.

The Gaza war has already sparked conflicts beyond the Palestinian territories, including Israeli airstrikes on Syrian army infrastructure in response to rockets fired from Syria, an ally of Iran. Israel has also targeted Syria’s Aleppo airport and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

AID PROPOSALS FAIL IN UN SECURITY COUNCIL VOTES

In a United Nations Security Council vote, a U.S.-drafted resolution calling for pauses in hostilities to allow the delivery of essential supplies to Palestinian civilians was vetoed by Russia and China. The United Arab Emirates also voted against the resolution, while 10 members voted in favor and two abstained.

Russia proposed an alternative resolution advocating for a broader ceasefire, but it failed to secure the minimum number of votes. Israel rejected both proposals, arguing that Hamas would exploit any ceasefire to create new threats against Gaza civilians.

As the death toll rises in Gaza, Palestinians are resorting to mass graves for unidentified bodies, assigning them numbers instead of names. Some families are using bracelets in the hopes of identifying their loved ones in the event of their death.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, Israeli retaliatory strikes have resulted in the deaths of over 6,500 people. However, Reuters has not independently verified the casualty figures on either side. U.S. President Biden expressed skepticism about the Palestinian death toll figures.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the U.S. expressed deep concern over Biden’s remarks regarding the Gaza figures and called on the president to apologize.

INVASION PREPARATIONS

Israel has pledged to eradicate Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is preparing for a ground invasion without providing further details on timing or scale.

Israeli tanks and troops are stationed on the border with Gaza, awaiting orders. The mobilization of 360,000 reservists has raised international pressure to delay any invasion, particularly due to the presence of hostages. The Israeli government revealed that more than half of the estimated 220 hostages held by Hamas possess foreign passports from 25 different countries, including dual Israeli nationality.

Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Henrietta Chacar, Emily Rose, Jeff Mason, Phil Stewart, and Michelle Nichols; Writing by Grant McCool and Michael Perry; Editing by Howard Goller, Stephen Coates, and Miral Fahmy

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Acquire Licensing Rights (source)

About the author: A senior correspondent with nearly 25 years’ experience covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including several wars and the signing of the first historic peace accord between the two sides.

Reference