No letup in Gaza war despite UN resolution
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israeli troops continued to battle Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, with no sign of a letup in their war despite a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an “IMMEDIATE CEASEfiRE.”
The resolution, which was adopted on Monday after Israel’s closest ally, the United States, abstained, demands an “immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, leading to a “lasting” truce.
It also demands that Hamas and other militants free the hostages they took during their unprecedented attacks on southern Israel on October 7, though it does not directly link the release to a truce.
After the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres led calls for the resolution to be implemented.
“Failure would be unforgivable,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Israel reacted furiously to the US abstention, as it allowed the resolution to go through with all the other 14 Security Council members voting yes.
The resolution is the first since the Gaza war erupted to demand an immediate halt in the fighting.
Washington insisted that its abstention, which followed numerous vetoes, did not mark a shift in policy, although it has taken an increasingly tougher line with Israel in recent weeks.
The October 7 attacks that sparked the war resulted in about the deaths of 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) tally based on official Israeli figures shows.
The militants also seized that day about 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes about 130 are still held in Gaza, including 33 presumed dead.
Vowing to destroy Hamas and free the captives, Israel has carried out a relentless bombardment and ground invasion of the coastal territory.
The Health Ministry in Hamasrun Gaza on Monday put the Palestinian death toll at 32,333, most of them women and children.
Seventy people were killed early on Tuesday, the ministry said, including 13 in Israeli air strikes around Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city and a key flash point in the war.
Hamas welcomed the Security Council resolution and reaffirmed its readiness to negotiate the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
In a statement, the militant group accused Israel of thwarting the latest round of talks hosted by mediator Qatar.
Hamas said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Cabinet were “entirely responsible for the failure of negotiation efforts and for preventing an agreement from being reached up until now.”
‘Clear retreat’
Israel has consistently defended its campaign despite mounting international criticism of its conduct.
Enraged by the US’ abstention, it canceled the visit of a delegation to Washington.
It said the abstention “hurts” both its war effort and attempts to release hostages, while Netanyahu’s office described it as “a clear retreat from the consistent position of the US.”
On the ground, the fighting raged on unabated.
In Rafah, witnesses said Israeli jets pummeled the city on Tuesday.
According to the Israeli army, anti-rocket sirens sounded in Israeli areas around Gaza.
While Rafah, like other areas in Gaza, has come under frequent Israeli strikes, it is the only part of the territory where Israel has not sent in ground troops. Some 1.5 million Palestinians fleeing the rest of the devastated territory have sought refuge there.
Netanyahu’s determination to launch a ground operation in Rafah has become a key point of contention between Israel and the US.
In the city, Palestinians welcomed the UN vote and called for Washington to use its influence on Israel to secure a ceasefire.
Bilal Awad, 63, said the US must “stand against an attack on Rafah, and support the return of the displaced to their cities.”
Ihab al-Assar, 60, expressed hope that “Israel will comply” with the Security Council.
Israel has labeled its operations “precise operational activities” and said it has taken care to avoid harm to civilians, but aid agencies have voiced alarm about noncombatants caught up in the fighting.