The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip says that 71 bodies were taken to hospitals over the past 24 hours. It said Thursday that a total of at least 33,970 Palestinian have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war erupted more than six months ago. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tallies but has said women and children make up most of those killed. Palestinian medical officials say an Israeli airstrike overnight on the southern town of Rafah killed eight members of a family, including four children and three women, who had been displaced from northern Gaza.
Quick Read
- Gaza Health Crisis: The Health Ministry in Gaza reported 71 bodies were taken to hospitals over the last 24 hours, with a total of 33,970 Palestinians killed since the Israel-Hamas conflict began six months ago.
- Family Tragedy in Rafah: An Israeli airstrike in Rafah killed eight members of a displaced family, including four children and three women.
- Refuge in Rafah: Over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have sought refuge in Rafah, which Israel plans to target next in its ground offensive.
- Medical Shortages: Northern Gaza is experiencing severe shortages in medical services, needing field hospitals with comprehensive facilities.
- UNRWA Accusations Against Israel: Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, accused Israel of attempting to halt its humanitarian operations in Gaza, reporting the death of 178 UNRWA workers and damage to over 160 premises.
- Qatar’s Mediation Role: Qatar is reassessing its role as a mediator in the conflict, citing the misuse of its efforts for narrow political gains.
- Italy’s Peacekeeping Proposal: Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed willingness to contribute troops to a potential U.N. peacekeeping force in Gaza, suggesting a model similar to the U.N. mission in Lebanon.
The Associated Press has the story:
Gaza Health Ministry reported 71 people killed in the last 24 hours
Newslooks- DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip —
The Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip says that 71 bodies were taken to hospitals over the past 24 hours. It said Thursday that a total of at least 33,970 Palestinian have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war erupted more than six months ago. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tallies but has said women and children make up most of those killed.
Palestinian medical officials say an Israeli airstrike overnight on the southern town of Rafah killed eight members of a family, including four children and three women, who had been displaced from northern Gaza.
More than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah, on the border with Egypt. Israel has vowed to expand its ground offensive to the city.
The Health Ministry says people in Gaza City and other parts of the north are meanwhile living with no “real” medical services. It says northern Gaza needs field hospitals with 200 beds that also include operation rooms, intensive care units and laboratories.
UNRWA HEAD SAYS ISRAEL IS TRYING TO END ITS OPERATIONS IN GAZA
UNITED NATIONS – The head of the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees is accusing Israel of trying to end its operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
Philippe Lazzarini is urging the U.N. Security Council to safeguard his agency’s critical role as the relief agency for Palestinians.
Lazzarini told the council Wednesday that Israel has banned the agency from delivering aid to Gaza. International experts have warned that faminine is imminent in the northern part of the territory.
Since the war began, Lazzarini said, 178 personnel from the agency known as UNRWA have been killed. More than 160 of the agency’s premises, which were mostly used to shelter Palestinians, have been damaged or destroyed, killing more than 400 people.
“We demand an independent investigation and accountability for the blatant disregard for the protected status of humanitarian workers, operations, and facilities under international law,” UNRWA’s commissioner general said.
Israel has alleged that 12 of UNRWA’s thousands of workers participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war. Lazzarini pledged to implement recommendations and strengthen safeguards to ensure UNRWA’s neutrality.
QATAR SAYS IT’S RETHINKING ITS MEDIATOR ROLE
DOHA, Qatar — Qatar’s prime minister said Wednesday the country is reevaluating its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar has been a key intermediary throughout the war in Gaza. It, along with the U.S. and Egypt, was instrumental in helping negotiate a brief halt to the fighting in November that led to the release of dozens of hostages.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdurrahman Al Thani said there had been an “abuse” of Qatar’s mediation for “narrow political interests.”
He did not name one side in his remarks. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized Qatar and recently threatened to shutter Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.
Top Hamas leaders live in exile in Qatar, which is seen as one of the only parties with influence over the militant group.
Al Thani said there were “limits” to the role of mediator and “to the ability to which we can contribute to these negotiations in a constructive manner.”
Mediators have been trying to push Hamas and Israel toward a cease-fire deal, but the sides remain far apart on key terms.
ITALY WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO ANY UN PEACEKEEPING IN GAZA
Italy’s foreign minister says Rome would be willing to contribute troops to any possible U.N. peacekeeping force for Gaza, even though no such proposal is currently on the table and Israel has rejected the idea.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani suggested a U.N. force under Arab command could help provide security if Israel and the Palestinians make headway on an eventual two-state solution. He said the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon could be the model.
“If there is the solution and for a short time we need the presence of the United Nations under Arab control, we are ready for sending Italian soldiers,” Tajani said ahead of a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Capri.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a foreign peacekeeping force in Gaza after the war, saying only Israel is capable of keeping the territory demilitarized.
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