© Reuters. Smoke rises over Gaza as seen from Southern Israel, amid the continuing battle between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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By Nidal al-Mughrabi
GAZA (Reuters) -Israel confronted mounting worldwide strain, together with from its foremost ally the US, to do extra to guard Palestinian civilians in Gaza because the loss of life toll rose and combating intensified close to hospitals.
The variety of Palestinians killed through the bombardment of the coastal enclave previously 5 weeks rose above 11,000, in response to Gaza well being officers, as Israeli forces waged struggle on Hamas militants who carried out the lethal Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel.
In his strongest feedback thus far on the plight of civilians caught within the cross-fire, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken instructed reporters on a go to to India on Friday: “Far too many Palestinians have been killed; far too many have suffered these previous weeks.”
However Blinken reaffirmed U.S. help for Israel’s marketing campaign to make sure that Gaza can now not be used “as a platform for launching terrorism”.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a BBC interview revealed late on Friday, stated Israel should cease bombing Gaza and killing civilians. France, he stated, “clearly condemns” the “terrorist” actions of Hamas, however that whereas recognising Israel’s proper to guard itself.
“We do urge them to cease this bombing,” Macron stated.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated world leaders needs to be condemning Hamas, and never Israel. “These crimes that Hamas (is) committing at the moment in Gaza will probably be dedicated tomorrow in Paris, New York and wherever on the earth,” Netanyahu stated.
Israel has stated that Hamas militants, who’re holding as many as 240 hostages of various nationalities taken in final month’s assault, would exploit a truce to regroup if there have been a ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia was set to host a rare joint Islamic-Arab summit on Saturday. The Saudi international ministry stated “international locations really feel the necessity to unify efforts and are available out with a unified collective place”.
Earlier than leaving Tehran to attend the summit in Riyadh, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated: “Gaza just isn’t an enviornment for phrases. It needs to be for motion.”
“At present, the unity of the Islamic international locations is essential,” he added.
Iran backs each Hamas and Islamic Jihad, one other Palestinian militant group in Gaza, in addition to Hezbollah, a militant group primarily based in Lebanon.
OVERCROWDED HOSPITALS HIT BY EXPLOSIONS, GUNFIRE
Preventing intensified in a single day into Saturday close to Gaza Metropolis’s overcrowded hospitals, which Palestinian officers stated have been hit by explosions and gunfire.
“Israel is now launching a struggle on Gaza Metropolis hospitals,” stated Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, director of Al Shifa hospital.
He stated later that no less than 25 individuals have been killed in Israeli strikes on Al-Buraq faculty in Gaza Metropolis, the place individuals whose properties had been destroyed have been sheltering.
Gaza officers stated missiles landed in a courtyard of Al Shifa, the enclave’s largest hospital, within the early hours of Friday, broken the Indonesian Hospital and reportedly set fireplace to the Nasser Rantissi paediatric most cancers hospital.
Israel’s navy stated later {that a} misfired projectile launched by Palestinian militants in Gaza had hit Shifa.
The hospitals, stuffed with displaced individuals in addition to sufferers and medical employees, are in northern Gaza, the place Israel says the Hamas militants are concentrated.
Israeli authorities spokesperson Eylon Levy stated the Hamas headquarters was in Shifa hospital’s basement, which meant the power may lose its protected standing and turn into a reputable goal.
Israel says Hamas hides weapons in tunnels underneath hospitals. Hamas denies that.
World Well being Organisation Director-Normal Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that well being staff the group was involved with at Shifa had been pressured to go away the hospital seeking security.
“Lots of the hundreds sheltering on the hospital are pressured to evacuate because of safety dangers, whereas many nonetheless stay there,” Tedros wrote on social media.
‘NO ONE IS SAFE’
Gaza well being ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra stated Israel had bombed Shifa hospital buildings 5 occasions.
“One Palestinian was killed and a number of other have been wounded within the early morning assault,” he stated by cellphone. Movies verified by Reuters confirmed scenes of panic and other people coated in blood.
Israeli tanks have taken up positions across the Nasser Rantissi hospital in addition to the Al-Quds hospital, medical employees stated earlier.
The Palestinian Purple Cross stated Israeli forces have been capturing at Al-Quds hospital, and there have been violent clashes, with one particular person killed and 28 wounded, most of them youngsters.
Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht stated at a briefing the military “doesn’t fireplace on hospitals. If we see Hamas terrorists firing from hospitals we’ll do what we have to do. We’re conscious of the sensitivity (of hospitals), however once more, if we see Hamas terrorists, we’ll kill them.”
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan stated Israel had created a activity power to ascertain hospitals in southern Gaza. On Oct. 12, Israel ordered some 1.1 million individuals in Gaza to maneuver south forward of its floor invasion.
Palestinian officers stated on Friday that 11,078 Gaza residents had been killed in air and artillery strikes since Oct. 7.
Israel’s International Ministry stated about 1,200 individuals had been killed, largely civilians, within the Hamas assault on Oct. 7, a revision of an earlier loss of life toll, though it added that may change once more as soon as all our bodies have been recognized.
Israel has additionally stated 39 troopers have been killed in fight since Oct. 7.