As the Israel-Palestine war entered in its 20th day, the indiscriminate bombarding by Israel continues, killing more than 6,546 Palestinians in Gaza including 2000 children and 1000 women.
Hospitals in Gaza have been shut as there is no electricity, water and other necessary reagents with the Health Ministry saying over 130 premature babies are at risk.
The UN chief said that Israel’s actions were clear violations of international humanitarian laws.
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Earlier, Un Chief António Guterres in a speech to the Security Council condemned unequivocally Hamas’s deadly attacks in Israel two weeks ago and said that they (attack) "did not happen in a vacuum". Reacting to his comments, Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan accused him of "justifying terrorism" and called for his immediate resignation.
Moreover, around 100 Palestinians have been killed in occupied west bank in clashes as Israel continues raids with more than 1,200 people arrested since October 7.
Diplomacy:
US President Biden faced backlash for questioning the Gaza death toll and describing the deaths of innocent Palestinians in the besieged enclave as “the price of waging war”.
Russia-led UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip failed shortly after Russia and China vetoed a resolution put forward by US for humanitarian aid.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with the Israeli ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, to extend Tokyo’s request for a temporary suspension of fighting in Gaza.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Japanese foreign ministry said that the meeting between the two diplomats late on Wednesday was aimed at pressing Israel to suspend fighting and allow the delivery of more humanitarian assistance to the more than two million civilians living in the besieged Palestinian territory.
However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the palestanain killing and calling off a planned visit to Israel over its inhumane war in Gaza, saying relations between the two states would not improve.
“We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled; we will not go,” he told governing party lawmakers in parliament on Wednesday as he lambasted Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza and defended Hamas.
Once tight regional allies, Turkey froze links with Israel in 2010, after Israeli military forces carried out a raid on a Turkish ship heading to Gaza with aid supplies, killing 10 civilians.
While the two states restored ties in 2016, Turkey again dismissed Israeli envoys in 2018 over Israel’s deadly crackdown on peaceful Palestinian protesters at Gaza’s fence with Israel.
Erdogan also condemned deadly hospital blast in the besieged Gaza Strip on October 17.
“The international community is not rising to the challenge in the face of the Israeli regime’s unlawful and unrestrained attacks against civilians,” Erdogan said, adding that the people of Gaza are suffering from collective punishment.
In his Wednesday address to parliament, the Turkish president also praised Hamas as liberators who are fighting to protect their lands and people.
Erdogan is expected to attend a mass pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul on Saturday.
