Israel Rejects Calls for Ceasefire as Gaza City Encircled
Israel has rejected international pressure for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza and has announced that its forces have encircled Gaza City. The top US diplomat, Antony Blinken, is working to contain the crisis, which is also threatening to escalate tensions in neighboring Lebanon.
According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, Gaza is facing an “unprecedented bombardment” from Israel, with all communications and internet services being cut off. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has joined the international calls for an immediate ceasefire during a meeting with Blinken. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that a ceasefire will only be considered if hostages held by Hamas are released.
Blinken arrived in Ankara on Sunday for further talks on the Gaza conflict with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Earlier, police in southern Turkey used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a pro-Palestinian rally where hundreds of people attempted to storm an air base housing US troops.
The Israeli military has confirmed that Gaza City has been surrounded by its forces. Meanwhile, tensions have escalated with Lebanon after an Israeli strike killed three children and their grandmother in the south of the country. In response, Hezbollah fired rockets at the town of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel, vowing a strong and firm retaliation against attacks on civilians.
Sirens sounded across central Israel, with reports of rockets hitting areas in and around Tel Aviv. However, no casualties have been reported. Health officials in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, said that over 9,770 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began. Israel has reported 31 of its soldiers killed.
In the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza, where Israeli forces reportedly killed at least 47 people in an overnight strike, residents searched for victims or survivors. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they are gathering details regarding these reports. In a separate attack, 21 Palestinians from one family, including women and children, were killed, but the IDF declined to comment on this incident.
Calls for a ceasefire have come from various nations and organizations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Pope Francis. However, Blinken argues that a ceasefire could benefit Hamas and instead proposes localized pauses in fighting to allow humanitarian aid and the safe evacuation of people from Gaza.
Efforts are underway to resume evacuations of foreign nationals and injured Gazans through the Rafah crossing to Egypt. Evacuations were temporarily suspended after an attack on an ambulance. The worsening violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has raised concerns that it could become a third front in the wider conflict.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 1.5 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are internally displaced, and the aid currently entering the region is insufficient to meet their needs. World Food Programme head Cindy McCain, who visited the Rafah crossing, described the situation as a “horrific nightmare” with food and water running out.
(Note: This article is an unedited syndicated feed, published by NDTV.)
