Gaza becoming ‘graveyard for children’ – UN
The Israeli military on Monday released video of tanks moving through bombed-out streets and groups of troops moving on foot. It says it has surrounded Gaza City, cutting off northern parts of the narrow coastal strip from the south.
In a press briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said troops were hunting Hamas field level commanders.
“Eliminating the Hamas field command significantly undermines Hamas capabilities to carry out counter attacks,” Hagari said.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that Gaza is becoming a “graveyard for children”, calling for an urgent ceasefire.
“Ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces and continued bombardment are hitting civilians, hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches and U.N. facilities – including shelters. No one is safe,” Guterres told reporters.
“At the same time, Hamas and other militants use civilians as human shields and continue to launch rockets indiscriminately towards Israel,” he said.
The U.N. Security Council met behind closed doors on Monday. The 15-member body is still trying to agree a resolution after failing four times in two weeks to take action. Diplomats said a key obstacle is whether to call for a ceasefire, cessation of hostilities or humanitarian pauses to allow aid access in Gaza.
When asked if there were any talks at the United Nations yet about what might happen in Gaza once the fighting stops, Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told reporters on Monday: “Obviously there is concern about what happens the day after, but we’re not at that point.”
President Joe Biden’s administration has informed the U.S. Congress that it is planning a $320 million transfer of precision bombs for Israel, a source familiar with the plan said on Monday.
Israel said on Monday it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to a barrage of rockets fired at northern Israeli cities. The Israeli military said it detected around 30 launches from Lebanon in an hour.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier since the Hamas-Israel war began on Oct. 7, in the worst fighting there since Hezbollah and Israel fought a war in 2006.
Hamas said it had launched 16 missiles towards Nahariyya and southern Haifa in Israel.
Share your thoughts on the story Gaza becoming ‘graveyard for children’ with OnilneNews in the comments section below.
