The Israeli army bombed Gaza again on Sunday, March 10, killing dozens on the eve of Ramadan and amid international mobilization to send humanitarian aid to the besieged civilian population and threaten famine.
According to Hamas authorities, at least 85 Palestinians have died in the past twenty-four hours in more than 60 nighttime strikes that have also hit homes in central and southern Gaza, particularly in Khan Yunis. At least thirteen people were killed when shells hit the tents of displaced people in the Al-Mawasi region between Khan Younes and Rafah, the Health Ministry of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said.
The Israeli military, whose troops operate across large swathes of Palestinian territory, reported the death of around thirty Palestinian fighters in the past twenty-four hours in central Gaza and Khan Yunis.
Ahead of Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month that begins on Monday or Tuesday, there is no sign of hope for a ceasefire agreement in the conflict, which has killed 31,045, most of them civilians, in the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry. A major military offensive led by Israel in retaliation for an unprecedentedly bloody attack by the Islamist movement on October 7.
In addition to the heavy human toll and massive destruction, the war has created a humanitarian disaster in the tense Palestinian territory, where, according to the UN, 2.2 of the 2.4 million inhabitants are at risk of famine and 1.7 million have been displaced.
Departure of the boat hoping for Sunday
Twenty-five people, most of them children, died of malnutrition and dehydration, according to the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health. “I make my daughter drink water, water, so that she does not die. I have no choice”says a mother in Gaza City, holding her crying baby in her arms.
Israel has besieged the Gaza Strip since October 9 and allows ground aid only from Egypt, which keeps its border closed.
Occupied by the Israeli army from 1967 to 2005, the Gaza Strip, which has already been subject to an Israeli blockade since 2007, is bordered by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. In recent days, several Western and Arab countries have dropped packages of food and medical equipment on Gaza. On Friday, the European Union and the United States announced that they were preparing a maritime humanitarian corridor from Cyprus, which is located about 370 kilometers from Gaza.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed hope that the first boat loaded by two NGOs with 200 tonnes of food could leave on Sunday. A spokesman for the Spanish NGO Open Arms, a partner in the project of the American NGO World Central Kitchen, clarified on Saturday that Israeli authorities had inspected the cargo. World Central Kitchen “There are already people in Gaza” And “makes a pile” According to her, to be able to unload the cargo.
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It remains to be seen how this aid can be transported through the region, which is bombarded and battle-scarred by Israel on a daily basis.
Warning of “almost inevitable widespread drought”.
The US An Army logistics support ship also left the United States with equipment needed for the construction of a temporary pier in Gaza, which was announced by President Joe Biden. It could take sixty days to build, according to the Pentagon.
However, the UN, which warns against “Widespread famine almost inevitable” In Gaza, assurances that airdrops and sending aid by sea cannot replace land routes. The aid passes through the town of Rafah, located on the border with Egypt. According to the UN, about 1.5 million people have gathered there, most of them displaced, queuing daily at food and water distribution points. And those who fear an Israeli ground invasion.
On Saturday, Joe Biden again criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is determined to continue the war to eliminate Hamas and enter Rafah. “He is doing Israel more harm than good. It has the right to defend Israel, the right to continue attacking Hamas. But he, he must, he must pay more attention to the innocent lives lost.Mr. Biden said.
Benjamin Netanyahu is also criticized in his home country, where part of public opinion wants a cease-fire agreement that would allow the release of hostages, while Israel and Hamas accuse each other of blocking such an agreement. On Saturday evening, thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv to demand the departure of his government, chanting slogans with the crowd. “Elections!” Now! », “Shame on the government”.
