Eavy fighting across Gaza as Israel presses ahead
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza
Strip — Heavy fighting raged
Sunday across Gaza, including in the devastated north, as Israel pressed ahead with its offensive after the U.S. blocked the latest international push for a cease-fire and rushed more munitions to its close ally.
Israel has faced rising international outrage and calls for a permanent cease-fire after the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians. About 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, where
U.N. agencies say there is no sands of Palestinians, mostly “The evaluation that this safe place to flee. civilians, and forced some can’t be measured in weeks
The United States has lent 1.9 million people to flee is correct, and I’m not sure it vital support to the offensive their homes. With a trickle can be measured in months,” once again in recent days, of aid allowed in, and deliv- he said. by vetoing United Nations ery impossible in much of Secretary of State Antony Security Council efforts to the territory, Palestinians Blinken told CNN that “we end the fighting that enjoyed face severe shortages of food, have these discussions with wide international support, water and other basic goods. Israel including about the and by pushing through an “Expect public order to duration as well as how it’s emergency sale of over $100 completely break down prosecuting this campaign million worth of tank ammu- soon, and an even worse sit- against Hamas. These are nition to Israel. uation could unfold includ- decisions for Israel to make.”
Israeli Prime Minister Ben- ing epidemic diseases and This is a war that cannot jamin Netanyahu thanked increased pressure for mass be won, Jordan’s foreign U.S. President Joe Biden for displacement into Egypt,” minister, Ayman Safadi, the “important ammuni- U.N. Secretary-General Anto- asserted to the Qatar forum, tion for the continuation nio Guterres told a forum in and warned that “Israel has of the war.” Qatar, a key intermediary. created an amount of hatred
The U.S. has pledged Qatar’s prime minister, that will haunt this region unwavering support for Isra- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad that will define generations el’s goal of crushing Hamas’ Al Thani, told the forum that to come.” military and governing abil- mediation efforts will conities, and returning all the tinue to stop the war and hostages captured in the Oct. have all hostages released,
7 attack that triggered the but “unfortunately, we are war. Hamas and other Pales- not seeing the same willingtinian militants stormed into ness that we had seen in the southern Israel that day, kill- weeks before.” ing some 1,200 people and Israel’s national security capturing around 240, over adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, told
100 of whom were released Israel’s Channel 12 TV that during a weeklong cease-fire the U.S. has set no deadline late last month. for Israel to achieve its goals
Israel’s air and ground war of dismantling Hamas and in response has killed thou- returning all hostages.
Fighting and arrests in the North
Israeli forces face heavy resistance, even in northern Gaza, where neighborhoods have been flattened by air strikes and where ground troops have operated for over six weeks.
Israel’s Channel 13 TV broadcast footage showing dozens of detainees stripped to their underwear, hands in the air. Several held assault rifles above their heads, and one man walked forward and placed a gun on the ground.
Other videos have shown groups of unarmed men held in similar conditions, without clothes, bound and blindfolded. Detainees from a group who were released Saturday told The Associated Press they had been beaten and denied food and water.
Israel has not commented on the latest video or the allegations of mistreatment, but government spokesman Eylon Levy said “increasing numbers” of Hamas fighters were surrendering.
Residents said there was still heavy fighting in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shijaiyah and the Jabaliya refugee camp, a dense urban area housing Palestinian families who fled or were driven out of what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation.
“They are attacking anything that moves,” said Hamza Abu Fatouh, a Shijaiyah resident. He said the dead and wounded were left in the streets as ambulances could no longer reach the area, where Israeli snipers and tanks positioned themselves among abandoned buildings.
“The resistance also fights back,” he added.
Israel ordered the evacuation of the northern third of the territory, including Gaza City, early in the war, but tens of thousands of people have remained, fearing that the south would be no safer or that they would never be allowed to return to their homes.
Heavy fighting was also underway in and around the southern city of Khan Younis.