KEY POINTS
- Israeli airstrikes kill 86 more Palestinians
- Gaza death toll surges to 50,609
- Pakistan urges UNSC to act on Gaza
- Israel faces genocide case at the ICJ
- UN human rights chief warns of high risk
GAZA: The Israeli army has launched a new ground offensive east of Gaza City on Friday as the death toll due to the Israeli bombardment on the Palestinian territory has reached 50,609.
“Over the past few hours… troops have begun conducting ground activity in the area of Shejaiya in northern Gaza, to expand the security zone,” the military said in a statement.
“During and before the activity… troops are allowing the evacuation of civilians from the combat zone via organised routes for their safety.”
Israeli airstrikes kill 86 more Palestinians
According to the Gaza Health Ministry on Friday, the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 86 more Palestinians, bringing the death toll from Israel’s war since October 2023 to 50,609.
A ministry statement said that 287 more wounded people were shifted to hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the number of injuries to 115,063 in the Israeli onslaught.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
On March 18, the Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip, killing 1,249 people and injuring 3,022 others, despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas that had been in effect since January.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the Gaza Strip.
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On Wednesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel would strengthen its military presence within the Gaza Strip.
Pakistan urges UN to end its paralysis on Gaza
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar in a statement during the Security Council open briefing on the situation in Palestinian Occupied Territories, has lamented that Gaza has descended into an abyss of suffering, which is manifest from the way unarmed civilians including children, and women, humanitarian workers, UN personnel, and journalists as well as civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and schools are being attacked indiscriminately.
He drew the Council’s attention to the fact that for a month now, Israel has sealed all border crossings, blocking humanitarian aid with no food or medical supplies being allowed entry in Gaza. He said that according to UNICEF, one million children are without basic necessities, while WFP warns of imminent famine.
ALSO READ: Pakistan Slams Israel for War Crimes Against Palestinians
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a sovereign Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds as its capital.
Macron to visit Egypt
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit a port in Egypt near the Gaza Strip next week to address concerns about the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory, his office announced on Thursday.
Macron is scheduled to travel to Arish, located 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Gaza, on Tuesday as part of his visit to Egypt.
During his visit, Macron will meet with humanitarian and security personnel to emphasize his “constant efforts in favor of a ceasefire,” according to a statement from his office.
Arish serves as a key transit point for international aid destined for Gaza.
UN human rights chief warns of high risk
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday expressed deep outrage over the killing of 15 medical and aid workers in Gaza on March 23, as he warned that “there is a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Volker Turk called for an “independent, prompt and thorough” investigation into the deaths which, he said, raise “further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military.” The perpetrators “must be held to account,” he added.
He was speaking at an emergency meeting of the Security Council, convened at the request of Algeria and supported by China, Pakistan, Russia, and Somalia, to address the escalating violence in the region.
“The temporary relief of the ceasefire has been shattered,” he continued, noting that ongoing Israeli airstrikes have targeted residential buildings, hospitals, and schools, many of them sheltering displaced civilians.
“There was no let-up, even as Palestinian families celebrated Eid,” Turk told council members. The Israeli military has intensified its strikes on “camps for people who have been displaced numerous times.” This has displaced thousands of additional Palestinians “who have nowhere safe to go,” he said, as half of Gaza has been designated a no-go zone or placed under evacuation orders.
