News Agencies
Gaza— Israel has so far killed more than 50,000 and wounded 113,000 Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including 673 people killed since Tuesday most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry on Sunday.
Thousands of the Palestinians killed in Gaza are yet to be identified while more than 11,000 are still buried under the rubble. “A grim milestone for a war with no end in sight as Israel resumes fighting and warns of even tougher days ahead,” said the CNN.
Israel resumed its aggression on the already destroyed Gaza enclave on Tuesday 18 March ending a two-month ceasefire that began on January 19. The ceasefire agreement was sponsored by then President-elect Donald Trump whose special envoy Steve Witkoff played a major role along with Egypt and Qatar in reaching it.
Israel violated the terms of the agreement by refusing to enter negotiations over the second phase with Hamas and on 2 March impose a total blockade on humanitarian aid from entering Gaza as stipulated by the agreement.
Tuesday was one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since the war began, with more than 400 killed and scores more wounded.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military on Sunday called on residents in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to forcibly evacuate to the north as its troops began operations in the area, adding that movement with vehicles would not be allowed.
Israel has been accused of repeatedly targeting so-called “safe zones” where it forced people to take shelter. The Israeli military also announced that it was conducting operations in Beit Hanoon in northern Gaza, according to reports.
UNICEF spokeswoman Rosalia Bollen says Israel’s latest forced displacement orders for Gaza, including Rafah and Beit Hanoon, are compounding the “very deep suffering” of families there.
“It’s displacement under fire,” said Mustafa Gaber, a local journalist who left Tel al-Sultan with his family as quoted by Al Jazeera. In a video call, he said hundreds of people were fleeing as Israeli tank and drone fire echoed nearby. “There are wounded people among us. The situation is very difficult,” he said as cited by Al Jazeera.
Amal Nassar, also displaced from Rafah, said: “The shells are falling among us and the bullets are (flying) above us. “The elderly have been thrown into the streets. An old woman was telling her son, ‘Go and leave me to die.’ Where will we go?”
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it lost contact with a team of medics responding to the strikes. Spokesperson Nebal Farsakh said some were wounded.
Negotiations to extend the ceasefire have been moribund nearly from the day it went into effect January 19. Hamas has insisted on sticking to the initial framework signed with Israel in January, which would have seen parties move to a second phase on March 1.
Under the terms of the second phase, Israel would have had to withdraw entirely from Gaza and commit to a permanent end of the war. In exchange, Hamas would release all living hostages.
The second phase never happened, and Israel resumed the war, citing Hamas’ alleged rejection of “two concrete mediation proposals presented by the US”.
