In the past 24 hours, there has been a notable surge in Israeli military offensives, notably targeting the southern regions of Gaza. Reports indicate that at least 17 Palestinians lost their lives in the recent series of Israeli airstrikes on the Rafah district, resulting in the destruction of two residential dwellings. Simultaneously, ongoing explosions have been reported in Khan Younis, with the Israeli military maintaining a blockade on a residential area.
The situation remains highly precarious in central areas, particularly at the Nuseirat refugee camp, where civilian casualties have been reported following Israeli bombardment.
Harris meets with Israel's Benny Gantz after calling for immediate cease-fire in Gaza
2024/03/05
Vice President Kamala Harris' meeting with Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz at the White House on Monday comes after her remarks over the weekend calling for an immediate cease-fire in Israel's war against Hamas so that hostages can be released and aid can be distributed.
Omar Shakir, Human Right Watch’s director for Israel and Palestine, said attacks by Israeli forces on people seeking aid in Gaza were part of a “decades-long pattern” of deadly abuses against Palestinians. From the “routine killings of Palestinians” in the occupied West Bank to the killing of people seeking food aid in war-torn Gaza was the continuation of a pattern of Israeli killings that takes “place with impunity”.
“Let’s start with the clear responsibility here of the Israeli government. They are starving the Palestinians of Gaza,” Shakir told Al Jazeera. “They are using the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war, which is a war crime,” Shakir said. “They are creating catastrophic conditions that are leading to these sorts of situations. Moreover, the Israeli government has a long track record of using unlawful, excessive force against Palestinians.
Not only in the context of air strikes but also in normal policing situations,” he said. After being bombed, displaced multiple times, and starved, Palestinians are now shot and killed while seeking food supplies, Shakir added. “The idea that people are being killed as they scavenge for meagre rations of food is just appalling”.
