The war between Israel and Hamas, entering its 30e day Sunday, was triggered by the bloody attack of the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7 on Israeli soil from the Gaza Strip, which it controls.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas, relentlessly shelling the Gaza Strip, a besieged territory where 2.4 million Palestinians are crowded together. The Israeli army has also been carrying out ground operations deep in the territory since October 27.
Overview of the latest developments:
Blinken against “forced displacement”
The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, who is stepping up his efforts in the region, warned on Sunday, according to a spokesperson, against the “forced displacement” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, following a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
Abbas speaks of “genocide”
“I have no words to describe the genocidal war and destruction suffered by our Palestinian people in Gaza at the hands of Israel’s military apparatus, without any respect for the principles of international law,” Mr. Abbas in Ramallah, where he received Mr. Blinken.
A bombed refugee camp
At least 45 people, mostly children and women, were killed and around 100 others injured in an Israeli bombardment on Saturday evening against the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Ministry of Defense. Hamas Health.
Three dead in occupied West Bank
Three Palestinians were killed on Sunday by Israeli forces in two towns in the occupied West Bank, where violence has flared since October 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Pope calls for ceasefire
At the Vatican, Pope Francis on Sunday reiterated his calls to stop the fighting between Israel and Hamas, to release the hostages and to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the situation is “very serious”.
Colonna wants an “immediate humanitarian truce”
In Doha, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, pleaded for an “immediate, lasting and sustained humanitarian truce” which “must be able to lead to a ceasefire” and called on Israel to take “concrete measures to protect the lives of civilians.
“More than 2,500 terrorist targets”
The Israeli army said on Sunday that it had struck “more than 2,500 terrorist targets” in the Gaza Strip since the start of the ground offensive, around ten days ago, in the Palestinian territory, during land, air and naval.
On Thursday, Israel said it had struck 12,000 targets in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war on October 7.
Balance sheets
According to the latest Hamas report on Sunday, 9,770 people, including 4,800 children and 2,550 women, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, in Israel’s retaliatory bombings.
According to Israeli authorities, at least 1,400 people died on the Israeli side, the majority of them civilians killed on the same day of the attack perpetrated by Hamas.
At least 345 Israeli soldiers have been killed since October 7, according to the army.