GAZA: Israeli army on Saturday continued its offensive in Gaza’s Khan Yunis despite the UN’s International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) verdict which called on Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
The Israeli army is continuously targeting parts of the Gaza, Khan Yunis and West Bank since October 7 last year when the Palestinian group Hamas made an arm attempt to liberate its territory from occupied forces. Concerns mounted for civilians in Khan Yunis, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
Reports indicated intensified fighting in the city, resulting in casualties, with Gaza health ministry reporting numerous deaths. The region faced additional challenges, including harsh weather conditions causing distress for tens of thousands of displaced individuals.
The UN’s landmark ruling on Friday urged Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, allow humanitarian aid, and condemned the ongoing bombardment and siege. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the case, while Hamas hailed the ruling.
A woman in Gaza said that this was the first time the world has told Israel that it was out of line. She said What Israel did to them in the Gaza Strip for around four months has never occurred in the history of world.
The humanitarian crisis has grown, with the UN highlighting the plight of displaced Palestinians in Rafah. Medical facilities, such as Khan Yunis’s Nasser Hospital, faced severe challenges, with surgical capacity described as virtually non-existent.
The situation worsened as Israeli tanks targeted civilian areas, public places, and medical facilities. At Khan Yunis’s Nasser Hospital, Doctors Without Borders stated surgical capacity was “virtually non-existent.”
The charity said medical services at the hospital had “collapsed” and the few staff who remained “must contend with very low supplies that are insufficient to handle mass casualty events.”
The UN Security Council is set to discuss the International Court of Justice’s ruling on Wednesday. The complex situation involves ongoing military operations, humanitarian concerns, and diplomatic efforts to address the crisis in Gaza.
The health ministry in Gaza reported that at least 26,257 Palestinians, 70 percent of them women and children, have been killed in the Israeli ground, air and sea attacks.
Israeli army admits at least 220 soldiers have been killed since Israel launched its Gaza ground operations.
