RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The United States and Arab partners are at odds over an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Israeli military strikes have resulted in the deaths of civilians at a U.N. shelter and a hospital, while Israel claims that Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, is feeling the full force of its troops.
Large columns of smoke can be seen as Israel’s military confirms its encirclement of Gaza City, the initial target of its offensive to crush Hamas. The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported over 9,400 Palestinian deaths in the territory since the start of the war, and that number is expected to rise.
Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, warns that anyone in Gaza City is risking their life due to the ongoing military strikes. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, airstrikes hit the Maghazi refugee camp in the central area of Gaza, resulting in multiple casualties.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Arab foreign ministers in Jordan on Saturday after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu insists on no temporary cease-fire until all hostages held by Hamas are released. Arab countries, on the other hand, are pushing for an immediate cease-fire, believing that the whole region is being consumed by hatred.
Blinken argues that a cease-fire at this moment would only allow Hamas to regroup and repeat its actions. He proposes that humanitarian pauses are critical to protect civilians, deliver aid, and evacuate foreign nationals while enabling Israel to achieve its objective of defeating Hamas.
As U.S. President Joe Biden leaves church in Delaware on Sunday, he suggests that progress is being made in convincing Israel to agree to a humanitarian pause.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan dismisses Blinken’s suggestions and calls for an immediate end to the aggression. The Hamas military wing spokesperson, Abu Obeida, claims that they have destroyed Israeli vehicles and caused casualties within the past two days.
Egyptian officials, along with Qatar, propose the implementation of daily humanitarian pauses lasting six to twelve hours to allow aid in and casualties to be evacuated. They also request Israel to release women and elderly prisoners in exchange for hostages, although Israel is unlikely to accept these demands.
Israel has been urging the 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to flee south. However, few have heeded the call due to fear of Israeli bombardment. The North Gaza home of Hamas’ exiled leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has also been hit in an airstrike.
Swaths of residential neighborhoods in northern Gaza have been destroyed, leading to more than half of the remaining 300,000 residents seeking shelter in U.N.-run facilities. However, even those shelters have been repeatedly hit by Israeli strikes.
International outrage mounts as U.N. school shelters and hospitals are targeted in airstrikes. The World Health Organization deems the attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza as unacceptable. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has lost contact with many people in northern Gaza.
Protests against the war and civilian deaths erupt in various cities worldwide, including Paris, Washington, London, and Pakistan. Turkey recalls its ambassador to Israel, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan states that he can no longer communicate with Netanyahu in light of the ongoing bombardment.
Israeli civilians also protest outside Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, demanding his resignation and the return of hostages held by Hamas.
Rocket fire from Hamas continues in southern Israel, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. There are fears of a new front opening along Israel’s border with Lebanon. The Israeli military claims to have struck militant cells in Lebanon attempting to attack Israel, as well as an observation post for Hezbollah. Israel’s defense minister states that the air force is prepared for any task on the Lebanon front.
The death toll in Gaza rises, with over 3,900 Palestinian children killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
___Mroue reported from Beirut and Anna reported from New York. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Amman, Jordan; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Julia Frankel…
