In the fifth week of Israeli strikes in Gaza, there is no sign of the military operations letting up. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced mounting anger from Arab foreign ministers during his meetings. Blinken reiterated the US's support for "humanitarian pauses" to provide aid to the desperate civilians caught in the conflict. This statement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the idea.
During a press conference in Amman, Blinken discussed the importance of sparing civilian lives and expediting aid deliveries, expressing the belief that humanitarian pauses would facilitate these efforts. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for all parties to collaborate in preventing a catastrophe that could affect the region for generations.
The Israeli army conducted an operation in southern Gaza after an ambulance convoy and a school-turned-refugee shelter were struck by deadly attacks. The Israeli military has encircled Gaza's largest city in an attempt to weaken Hamas. They reported multiple attacks on their forces from Hamas tunnel shafts and military compounds in northern Gaza and claimed to have killed many "terrorists" and destroyed three observation posts. Hamas, in response, said it had targeted an Israeli convoy with mortar fire.
The Gaza health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, reported that over 9,480 Gazans, primarily women and children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and the escalating ground campaign. They stated that at least 12 people lost their lives when Israel targeted a United Nations school housing displaced Palestinians.
The ongoing conflict has sparked anti-Israeli protests worldwide and has led to political opposition from key regional powers. Turkey, in particular, has recalled its ambassador from Israel in protest of the continued bombing of civilians in Gaza and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the enclave. This decision follows Turkey's increasingly critical stance toward Israel, which has resulted in thousands of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
Israeli spokesperson Lior Haiat criticized the move, accusing Turkey's president of siding with the Hamas terrorist organization. Turkey, unlike Western governments, has called for an immediate ceasefire.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey stated that he was breaking off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but clarified that Turkey was not cutting its relations with Israel entirely. Erdogan expressed a desire to see Gaza as a peaceful region, part of an independent Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israeli diplomats had left Turkey for security reasons following pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled them to assess bilateral relations. Erdogan also mentioned plans to host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and attend an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Riyadh to discuss a Gaza ceasefire with regional actors.
Despite international calls for a Gaza ceasefire, Netanyahu remains firm in his refusal to consider such prospects, as Israeli military operations in Gaza continue. While humanitarian aid has started entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing, the situation remains dire, as highlighted by human rights organizations.
0 Comments