As fighting continues in Gaza, the situation in the Palestinian enclave “becomes more and more desperate by the hour”, warned UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The war between Israel and Hamas is now in its 23rd day, Sunday October 29. After the unprecedented attack by the Islamist movement on October 7 on Israeli soil, the Israeli army is now relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip. This cramped Palestinian territory, where some 2.4 million Palestinians are crowded together, controlled by Hamas since 2007, is under fire from the IDF, which is also conducting land operations. Here’s what to remember from the day.
Fighting continues in Gaza
Hamas reported “violent fighting” with Israeli forces in the north of the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli army has been carrying out ground incursions since Friday evening. Hamas explained earlier “targeted two tanks of the invading forces” Israeli forces in northwest Gaza, who “caught fire”. When contacted by AFP, the Israeli army did not immediately respond.
Furthermore, rockets fired from the Gaza Strip targeted the south and center of Israel on Sunday morning, assures the Israeli army. Local authorities did not immediately report any casualties.
For its part, the United States called on Israel to “take all possible measures at its disposal to distinguish between Hamas – terrorists who are legitimate military targets – and civilians who are not”White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN.
The humanitarian situation is “increasingly desperate”
“The situation in Gaza is becoming more and more desperate by the hour“, alerted UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Earlier, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees had warned of a collapse of “public order” in the Gaza Strip after looting of its centers.
Ten additional trucks of humanitarian aid, with food and medicine, arrived in the Palestinian enclave from Egypt, the Palestinian Red Crescent announced. According to a senior US government official, 40 more trucks could pass through the Rafah crossing this Sunday. Joe Biden called on Sunday evening to increase “considerably and immediately” aid to Gaza
Tension rises at the Lebanese border
The Israeli army reported new shots coming from Lebanon towards the area of Har Dov and Kyriat Shmona. She said she returned fire toward the source of the shots. Lebanese Hezbollah announced the death of one of its fighters and indicated that it had shot down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile. For its part, the armed wing of Hamas in Lebanon indicated that its fighters launched 16 missiles towards the Israeli town of Nahariya.
Benjamin Netanyahu apologizes
Benjamin Netanyahu criticized security officials for having underestimated the risks of a major attack by Hamas, in a message on X which he later deleted before apologizing. “Never, under any circumstances, has the Prime Minister been alerted to the warlike intentions of Hamas”Mr. Netanyahu wrote on the social network “All security officials, including the head of military intelligence and the head of internal security, believed that Hamas was afraid to act and was seeking an arrangement”continued the head of government.
The tweet, which was posted in the middle of the night, after a press conference by the Israeli Prime Minister, was removed in the morning and no longer appears on X. It was quickly replaced by an apology tweet. “I was wrong. What I said after the press conference should not have been said and I apologize for it. I fully support all security officials. I support the chief of staff, the commanders and soldiers of the IDF (Israeli Army) who are on the front lines and fighting for our home. Together we will win.”wrote the head of the Israeli government.
France condemns settler attacks against Palestinians
“France strongly condemns settler attacks” Israelis against the Palestinians in the West Bank, writes the Quai d’Orsay in a press release. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs deplores “the death of several Palestinian civilians in recent days in Qusra and el-Sawiya” and the “forced departure of several communities in zone C”.
“Violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population is increasing”, “They are unacceptable and must stop”declares the Quai d’Orsay. “France calls on the Israeli authorities to take immediate measures to protect the Palestinian population, in particular the community of Susiya which has received imminent threats”continues the ministry.