Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The war between Palestine and Israel is still heating up. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that his party rejects a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas. This means the country will ignore UN General Assembly resolutions aimed at meeting “unprecedented humanitarian needs.”
As is known, Israeli ground troops are fighting in the Gaza Strip and airstrikes hit Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory in response to the October 7 attack – the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
The intensifying military operation has raised fears for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, with the Hamas-controlled health ministry saying more than 8,300 people have been killed.
In his explanation to the press, as reported by AFP, Tuesday (31/10/2023), Netanyahu said a ceasefire would mean surrendering to Hamas, whose armed group killed 1,400 people and took more than 230 hostages, according to the latest Israeli figures.
“The call for a ceasefire is a call for Israel to surrender to Hamas, surrender to terrorism… this will not happen,” he said, vowing that Israel would “fight until this battle is won.”
Israel’s ally, the United States, also objects to the ceasefire.
“We do not believe that a ceasefire is the right answer at this time,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, adding that a “pause” to get aid into Gaza should be considered.
As Israeli forces battle Hamas militants in the tiny Palestinian enclave and send tanks into the outskirts of Gaza City, concerns are growing about a widening humanitarian crisis.
Kirby said Washington was “confident” it could increase the number of aid trucks to Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt to around 100 trucks per day.
Limited aid has entered Gaza from Egypt under a US-brokered deal, but the amount of aid falls short of the hundreds of trucks per day that aid agencies say is needed.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, called on the Security Council to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
“The existing system for allowing aid into Gaza will fail unless there is political will to create a meaningful flow of supplies, commensurate with unprecedented humanitarian needs,” he said.
Israel Enters Gaza
The Hamas attack sparked Gaza’s bloodiest war ever, marked by weeks of aerial bombardment and three consecutive nights of ground operations centered on northern Gaza, where Israel has ordered civilians evacuated.
Columns of Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers were seen circling in the sand, and snipers took up positions inside empty residential buildings, in footage released by the army.
An eyewitness told AFP that dozens of tanks advanced for more than an hour into the southern outskirts of Gaza City and blocked the main north-south highway, “shooting every vehicle that tried to pass through”.
The air strikes also left roads with potholes and collapsed buildings, residents said, before the tanks withdrew.
Israeli ground forces were supported by heavy air and artillery fire, with the army striking more than 600 targets within 24 hours, up from 450 targets reported by the military a day earlier.
Hamas said it had fired anti-tank missiles at two Israeli armored vehicles and that “attacks carried out by the resistance had prevented” Israeli forces from establishing a presence in Gaza.
The Israeli military also said a female soldier was rescued from captivity following an operation in Hamas-controlled territory.
Ori Megidish’s release was “secured during ground operations,” the military said, adding that he had been “medically examined” and was “fine.”
Netanyahu said the international community must demand that the remaining captives in Gaza be “immediately, unconditionally released.”
Hamas released a video showing three female hostages, sitting against a tiled wall, although the time and place of the footage could not be verified.
One of them called in an agitated tone for Netanyahu to agree to Hamas’s proposed exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Netanyahu in a statement condemned the clip as “vicious psychological propaganda”.
The Fate of Citizens
More than 230 hostages – aged between a few months and over 80 years – are believed to be held in a network of underground tunnels where Hamas hides its military infrastructure from Israeli surveillance and airstrikes.
Israel also confirmed the death of one of the missing, Shani Louk, 23, a German-Israeli citizen, who was captured by Hamas when gunmen stormed a music festival in the desert.
Fear and desperation are rising in Gaza, under a weeks-long siege that has cut off water, food, fuel and other essentials.
Internet access was cut off on Friday, but restored on Sunday following US pressure, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
“We explained to the Israeli government at the weekend that communications networks needed to be restored,” he said on Monday.
“This is about ensuring the flow of vital information, humanitarian coordination continues, and families can stay in touch.”
The UN reported on Sunday that “thousands of people” had searched aid warehouses in Gaza.
Donkey carts line up to load water, as safe drinking water becomes increasingly scarce, in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
According to the UN, 10 hospitals in northern Gaza have received evacuation orders – despite housing thousands of patients and around 117,000 displaced people.
“We fled from our homes to the hospital,” said Gaza City resident Ashraf al-Muzani (38) from the Al-Quds hospital where he and his family had taken refuge for a week.
“The bombing followed us,” he said. “We haven’t been able to sleep and our children are very scared.”
Widespread Conflict
UNRWA’s Lazzarini said that 64 of his colleagues had been killed in Gaza since October 7, “the highest number of UN aid workers killed in the conflict in a short time.”
Anti-Israel anger has flared across the region and beyond.
In Muslim-majority Dagestan, Russia, police said they had arrested 60 people after a mob stormed the airport on Sunday to attack passengers arriving from Tel Aviv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused the United States of responsibility for what he called the “deadly chaos” unfolding in the Middle East.
Washington has warned Israel’s enemies – particularly groups aligned with Iran – not to engage further after a series of attacks in the region.
Israel’s military has struck targets in Syria and exchanged fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, with caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati telling AFP he was “doing my duty to prevent Lebanon from entering the war”.
Violence has also increased in the occupied West Bank where health officials say around 120 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire and settler attacks since the Gaza war began.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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