Gaza situation 'at breaking point': UN after Israel intensifies strikes
Israel has intensified attacks against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, hitting over 450 targets on Friday alone, Reuters reported. This prompted United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to issue a warning saying the situation in Gaza was a "spiraling humanitarian nightmare" for civilians. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an international peace conference to end the Israel and Hamas war and come up with a permanent solution to the Palestine issue.
Why does this story matter?
Last week, Israel resumed its fight against Hamas after the end of a week-long truce. The conflict was triggered after the Palestinian terror group killed around 1,200 Israelis and took 240 hostages during its surprise October 7 cross-border attacks on Israel. In response, Israel launched multi-pronged retaliatory strikes in Hamas-controlled Gaza, killing nearly 17,500 Palestinians. Reportedly brokered by Egypt and Qatar, the ceasefire was in effect from November 24-30, resulting in the release of 105 hostages and 240 Palestinian inmates.
Expansion of Gaza strikes would break down public order: Guterres
Addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Guterres said the expansion of Gaza strikes would break down public order completely. "We are at breaking point. The people of Gaza are being told to move like human pinballs—ricocheting between ever-smaller slivers of the south, without any of the basics for survival.' Israel earlier asked people to move from north to south for safety. Guterres's response comes hours before the United States (US) vetoed a UNSC resolution for a humanitarian ceasefire.
Intensified fighting reported in northern, southern Gaza
The Israel-Hamas fighting has reportedly intensified in both northern and southern areas of Gaza. Last month, Israel claimed its troops had mostly ended their operation in the north, while attacks were launched in the south last week. Hamas also reported intense clashes with Israeli forces in the northern city of Shejaia and Khan Younis in the south. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed two of its troops were injured in a failed rescue operation for hostages in Gaza.
US calls for more efforts to reduce civilian casualties
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby suggested Israel "could do more to protect civilians" in Gaza. On Friday, Guterres invoked the UN Charter's Article 99 and urged the Security Council to address the situation in the strip. Notably, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) moved the humanitarian ceasefire resolution based on Guterres's letter under Article 99. It was supported by 13 members and diplomatically isolated Washington in its attempt to back Israel. However, the US eventually vetoed the resolution.
Abbas seeks international peace conference
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Abbas reportedly demanded that an international peace conference be held to end the war and work out a lasting political solution for the establishment of a Palestinian state. The director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Palestinians, Thomas White, also tweeted that civil order was breaking down in the strip. He noted, "The streets feel wild, particularly after dark - some aid convoys are being looted, and UN vehicles stoned."
Gaza on verge of collapse, hospitals overwhelmed
The death toll in Gaza has risen to 17,487, with 350 people killed on Thursday alone, per Gaza's Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. Thousands more are missing, presumed to be trapped under rubble, while hospitals are overwhelmed and food supplies dwindle. The UN aid agency in Gaza reportedly warned that society was "on the verge of a full-blown collapse," adding that its ability to protect people was "reducing fast." Most Gazans are now displaced and unable to access any aid, it said.
