RAFAH: Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed greater than 29,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, the territory’s Well being Ministry stated Monday, marking one other grim milestone in one of many deadliest and most harmful army campaigns in latest historical past.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to proceed the offensive till “complete victory” in opposition to Hamas after the militants’ Oct.7 assault on Israeli communities. He and the army have stated troops will transfer quickly into the southernmost city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, the place over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals have sought refuge from combating elsewhere.
The US, Israel’s high ally, says it’s nonetheless working with mediators Egypt and Qatar to attempt to dealer one other cease-fire and hostage launch settlement. However these efforts seem to have stalled in latest days, and Netanyahu angered Qatar by calling on it to strain Hamas and suggesting it funds the militant group.
The battle has additionally introduced close to every day exchanges of fireplace between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group that regularly threaten to escalate.
Israeli warplanes on Monday carried out no less than two strikes close to the southern port metropolis of Sidon in one of many largest assaults close to a serious metropolis, wounding 14 individuals, Lebanese state media stated. The Israeli army stated it attacked Hezbollah arms depots close to Sidon in retaliation for a drone that exploded in an open subject close to the northern Israeli metropolis of Tiberias earlier Monday.
In Gaza, the Well being Ministry stated the loss of life toll had risen to 29,092 because the begin of the battle, round two-thirds of them girls and youngsters. Greater than 69,000 Palestinians have been wounded, overwhelming the territory’s hospitals, lower than half of that are even partially functioning. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its rely.
The battle started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, and taking round 250 males, girls and youngsters hostage. After a spherical of exchanges for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in November, round 130 stay captive, a fourth of them believed to be useless.
The Israeli army launched a video Monday displaying what’s believed to be the youngest hostage, his brother and mom being led by means of the streets of the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis quickly after their kidnapping on Oct. 7.
The video offers proof that Shiri Bibas and her two younger boys, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, who was 9 months outdated on the time, survived the preliminary kidnapping. The boys are the one youngsters who stay in captivity, together with their mom.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s chief spokesman, stated the military is “very involved” concerning the household’s wellbeing. He stated the military discovered the movies in safety cameras seized throughout its offensive in Khan Younis.
The video seems to point out Bibas, wrapped in a blanket, being led by means of a dust avenue by her captors as she carries Ariel. The army stated it believed that Kfir was in a child sling and couldn’t be seen beneath the blanket.
The toddler with purple hair and a toothless smile has develop into a logo throughout Israel for the helplessness and anger over the hostages nonetheless held in Gaza. Their father, Yarden Bibas, can be nonetheless in captivity.
In an announcement, the prolonged Bibas household stated the movies “tear our hearts out.” They made a determined plea for negotiations to launch the entire hostages. In January, the household and tons of of activists marked Kfir’s first birthday in what his household referred to as “the saddest party on the earth.”
With 1000’s of Palestinians detained by Israel because the battle started, an Israeli human rights group reported that Palestinians inside Israeli prisons face every day violence from guards, who enter cells and beat inmates with batons, kicks and fists with out provocation in abuse it stated might quantity to torture. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel stated in a report Monday that detainees reported guards urinating on them and forcing them to kiss the Israeli flag and to strip. Prisoners are additionally held in overcrowded cells and disadvantaged of water for lengthy durations, it stated.
The U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about tons of of Palestinian girls and ladies in Israeli detention. It stated there have been credible stories that no less than two had been raped, and others “subjected to a number of types of sexual assault,” together with being stripped bare and searched by male officers and being photographed “in degrading circumstances.”
Israel says it has killed over 10,000 Palestinian militants however has supplied no proof for its rely. The army says it tries to keep away from harming civilians and blames the excessive loss of life toll on Hamas as a result of the militant group fights in dense residential neighborhoods. The army says 236 of its troopers have been killed because the begin of the bottom offensive in late October.
On Sunday, Benny Gantz, a member of Netanyahu’s three-man Conflict Cupboard, warned that the offensive would increase to Rafah if the hostages should not freed by the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, anticipated round March 10.
Israel has stated it’s creating plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah, nevertheless it’s not clear the place they’d go within the devastated territory, giant areas of which have been flattened. Egypt has sealed the border and warned that any mass inflow of Palestinians might threaten its decades-old peace treaty with Israel.
Already, the battle has pushed round 80% of the Palestinians in Gaza from their properties and has left 1 / 4 of the inhabitants ravenous, in response to U.N. officers.
The US says it’s nonetheless pushing for a truce and hostage-release, and that it could veto a U.N. Safety Council decision calling for an instantaneous cease-fire as a result of it conflicts with these efforts.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, a senior official in Hamas, Khalil al-Haya, repeated the group’s calls for for releasing the remaining hostages – an finish to Israel’s assault, the withdrawal of its troops from Gaza and the discharge of tons of of Palestinian prisoners, together with high militants. He additionally stated regional stability hinges on the institution of a totally sovereign Palestinian state – although he didn’t specify what its borders ought to be.
Netanyahu has rejected Hanas’ calls for. In a speech earlier than American Jewish leaders on Sunday, he stated strain ought to be utilized on Qatar, which performed a key position in mediating final 12 months’s cease-fire and hostage launch deal.
“Qatar can press Hamas as nobody else can. They host Hamas leaders, Hamas depends on them financially,” Netanyahu stated. “I urge you to press Qatar to press Hamas as a result of we wish our hostages launched.”
Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s international ministry spokesperson, dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks as “a brand new try to stall and delay the battle for causes which have develop into apparent to everybody,” alluding to the Israeli chief’s home political troubles.
Qatar denies funding Hamas and says its provision of assist to Gaza lately was carried out in full coordination with Israel, the U.S. and different events.
“The Israeli prime minister is aware of very effectively that Qatar has been dedicated from day one to mediation efforts, ending the disaster and releasing the hostages,” al-Ansari stated.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to proceed the offensive till “complete victory” in opposition to Hamas after the militants’ Oct.7 assault on Israeli communities. He and the army have stated troops will transfer quickly into the southernmost city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, the place over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals have sought refuge from combating elsewhere.
The US, Israel’s high ally, says it’s nonetheless working with mediators Egypt and Qatar to attempt to dealer one other cease-fire and hostage launch settlement. However these efforts seem to have stalled in latest days, and Netanyahu angered Qatar by calling on it to strain Hamas and suggesting it funds the militant group.
The battle has additionally introduced close to every day exchanges of fireplace between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group that regularly threaten to escalate.
Israeli warplanes on Monday carried out no less than two strikes close to the southern port metropolis of Sidon in one of many largest assaults close to a serious metropolis, wounding 14 individuals, Lebanese state media stated. The Israeli army stated it attacked Hezbollah arms depots close to Sidon in retaliation for a drone that exploded in an open subject close to the northern Israeli metropolis of Tiberias earlier Monday.
In Gaza, the Well being Ministry stated the loss of life toll had risen to 29,092 because the begin of the battle, round two-thirds of them girls and youngsters. Greater than 69,000 Palestinians have been wounded, overwhelming the territory’s hospitals, lower than half of that are even partially functioning. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its rely.
The battle started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, and taking round 250 males, girls and youngsters hostage. After a spherical of exchanges for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in November, round 130 stay captive, a fourth of them believed to be useless.
The Israeli army launched a video Monday displaying what’s believed to be the youngest hostage, his brother and mom being led by means of the streets of the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis quickly after their kidnapping on Oct. 7.
The video offers proof that Shiri Bibas and her two younger boys, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, who was 9 months outdated on the time, survived the preliminary kidnapping. The boys are the one youngsters who stay in captivity, together with their mom.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s chief spokesman, stated the military is “very involved” concerning the household’s wellbeing. He stated the military discovered the movies in safety cameras seized throughout its offensive in Khan Younis.
The video seems to point out Bibas, wrapped in a blanket, being led by means of a dust avenue by her captors as she carries Ariel. The army stated it believed that Kfir was in a child sling and couldn’t be seen beneath the blanket.
The toddler with purple hair and a toothless smile has develop into a logo throughout Israel for the helplessness and anger over the hostages nonetheless held in Gaza. Their father, Yarden Bibas, can be nonetheless in captivity.
In an announcement, the prolonged Bibas household stated the movies “tear our hearts out.” They made a determined plea for negotiations to launch the entire hostages. In January, the household and tons of of activists marked Kfir’s first birthday in what his household referred to as “the saddest party on the earth.”
With 1000’s of Palestinians detained by Israel because the battle started, an Israeli human rights group reported that Palestinians inside Israeli prisons face every day violence from guards, who enter cells and beat inmates with batons, kicks and fists with out provocation in abuse it stated might quantity to torture. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel stated in a report Monday that detainees reported guards urinating on them and forcing them to kiss the Israeli flag and to strip. Prisoners are additionally held in overcrowded cells and disadvantaged of water for lengthy durations, it stated.
The U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about tons of of Palestinian girls and ladies in Israeli detention. It stated there have been credible stories that no less than two had been raped, and others “subjected to a number of types of sexual assault,” together with being stripped bare and searched by male officers and being photographed “in degrading circumstances.”
Israel says it has killed over 10,000 Palestinian militants however has supplied no proof for its rely. The army says it tries to keep away from harming civilians and blames the excessive loss of life toll on Hamas as a result of the militant group fights in dense residential neighborhoods. The army says 236 of its troopers have been killed because the begin of the bottom offensive in late October.
On Sunday, Benny Gantz, a member of Netanyahu’s three-man Conflict Cupboard, warned that the offensive would increase to Rafah if the hostages should not freed by the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, anticipated round March 10.
Israel has stated it’s creating plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah, nevertheless it’s not clear the place they’d go within the devastated territory, giant areas of which have been flattened. Egypt has sealed the border and warned that any mass inflow of Palestinians might threaten its decades-old peace treaty with Israel.
Already, the battle has pushed round 80% of the Palestinians in Gaza from their properties and has left 1 / 4 of the inhabitants ravenous, in response to U.N. officers.
The US says it’s nonetheless pushing for a truce and hostage-release, and that it could veto a U.N. Safety Council decision calling for an instantaneous cease-fire as a result of it conflicts with these efforts.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, a senior official in Hamas, Khalil al-Haya, repeated the group’s calls for for releasing the remaining hostages – an finish to Israel’s assault, the withdrawal of its troops from Gaza and the discharge of tons of of Palestinian prisoners, together with high militants. He additionally stated regional stability hinges on the institution of a totally sovereign Palestinian state – although he didn’t specify what its borders ought to be.
Netanyahu has rejected Hanas’ calls for. In a speech earlier than American Jewish leaders on Sunday, he stated strain ought to be utilized on Qatar, which performed a key position in mediating final 12 months’s cease-fire and hostage launch deal.
“Qatar can press Hamas as nobody else can. They host Hamas leaders, Hamas depends on them financially,” Netanyahu stated. “I urge you to press Qatar to press Hamas as a result of we wish our hostages launched.”
Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s international ministry spokesperson, dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks as “a brand new try to stall and delay the battle for causes which have develop into apparent to everybody,” alluding to the Israeli chief’s home political troubles.
Qatar denies funding Hamas and says its provision of assist to Gaza lately was carried out in full coordination with Israel, the U.S. and different events.
“The Israeli prime minister is aware of very effectively that Qatar has been dedicated from day one to mediation efforts, ending the disaster and releasing the hostages,” al-Ansari stated.
