Israel faces backlash over Gaza airstrikes amid rising toll
The Israeli army conducted an airstrike on Saturday in the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, resulting in 35 casualties. "The ongoing evacuation orders and continuous restrictions on the supply of essential goods put the remaining civilians in the northern Gaza Strip in a dire situation," the International Committee of the Red Cross warns.
3:24 PM EDT, October 27, 2024
Israeli authorities argue that the airstrike on Beit Lahia targeted Hamas terrorists believed to be present there. Al Jazeera reported that rockets landed on residential buildings, some of which collapsed, and it is possible that the number of casualties will increase.
Meanwhile, according to local authorities, since the beginning of Israel's recent offensive in the region, about 800 people have already been killed. It is unclear how many of those casualties were actually Hamas fighters.
The residents' tragedy in the Gaza Strip is worsened by the poor humanitarian situation, which WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called "catastrophic".
Israel maintains that residents of the destroyed areas can evacuate to a special humanitarian zone located in the southern Gaza Strip. However, media and non-governmental organizations report that the zone is overcrowded and cannot accommodate all the refugees.
"The ongoing evacuation orders and continuous restrictions on the supply of essential goods put the remaining civilians in the northern Gaza Strip in a dire situation," stated the International Committee of the Red Cross in a statement released on Saturday. It also called for the creation of "safe corridors" for those wishing to flee south.
The USA threatened Israel: "limiting aid"
The delivery of aid shipments to the Gaza Strip is under the control of the government in Tel Aviv. During the first two weeks of October, no convoys reached the Strip. The United States has threatened that if the humanitarian situation in the region does not improve, they will limit military aid to Israel.
In response, Israel allowed aid shipments. However, according to local officials, they are not reaching the northern part of the Strip. Israel contends that aid agencies are responsible for distribution within Gaza.
Israel's war with Hamas
The war in the Gaza Strip erupted after a terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 6, 2023. During this attack, about 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were kidnapped.
Local authorities report that as a result of the Israeli offensive against Hamas, more than 42,800 Palestinians have been killed. The Gaza Strip is devastated, and most of its residents have become internally displaced.
Source: PAP
