GAZA: The number of Palestinians killed in the besieged Gaza Strip during the Israeli military onslaught has reached 34,151, mostly women and children. Another 77,084 have been wounded, the health ministry reported on Monday. The death toll is expected far higher with thousands believed buried under the rubble of buildings demolished in Israeli strikes.
The escalation in Israeli violence has left Gaza in ruins. Among the dead are over 14,500 children and 9,500 women, underscoring the disproportionate toll on vulnerable populations, Gaza’s media office says.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler violence has exacerbated tensions, contributing to what Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), described as a “state of constant fear.” The recent Israeli raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp resulted in the loss of 14 lives, further fueling outrage and grief among Palestinian communities.
Calls for Gaza Ceasefire to End Israeli War Crimes
Meanwhile, international voices have called for urgent action to address the escalating violence. Spanish Foreign Minister Joss Manuel Albarez has urged for a permanent ceasefire, warning of dire consequences if Israel proceeds with further aggression, particularly in the Rafah region. Albarez emphasized the necessity of recognizing a Palestinian state to achieve a lasting two-state solution and bring an end to the cycle of violence in the Middle East.
In a rare move, Major-General Aharon Haliva, head of Israel’s military intelligence, has resigned over failures related to the October 7 Hamas attack. Haliva acknowledged the intelligence division’s failure in preventing the Hamas attack, which breached Israel’s defenses.
Meanwhile, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has denounced the “horrific massacres” perpetrated by Israel, particularly following the discovery of mass graves in Gaza’s Khan Younis. The OIC has called for an investigation into what it describes as “war crimes” and “organized state terrorism,” urging international courts to intervene and hold perpetrators accountable.
