Instead of a large-scale ground offensive, Israel carried out a limited incursion into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday night. The tanks and troops entered northern Palestinian territory, destroyed Hamas positions and left after a few hours. The purpose of this “test” is to “prepare the ground” for the larger offensive, and the Israeli military says it will conduct more such operations in the coming days. Meanwhile, the clash between the two sides of the war continues at the diplomatic level. At the United Nations, but also within the European Union itself, which was faced with disagreements about the terminology to be used.
“We will not get caught up in terminology. What is essential is that the conditions are created so that humanitarian aid can exist,” Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa said in Brussels upon arriving at the European Council. “It is necessary, whether through a ceasefire or this new form of humanitarian pause, to create conditions so that humanitarian support can be effective and not hampered by continued military actions,” Costa added to. Portugal defended talking about a humanitarian ceasefire, but there are countries like Germany that reject this expression.
The heads of state or government of the 27 ultimately defended “humanitarian pauses” in the summit conclusions to allow aid to be sent to Gaza. The original expression was in the singular: ‘humanitarian pause’. The leaders also expressed “concern” about the deterioration of the situation on Palestinian territory. In the 19-point statement, issued after hours of negotiations, they also defended the “swift” convening of an “international peace conference” to end the war. Another point that ties in with what Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had asked for.
United Nations
While European leaders met in Brussels, the issue was discussed in New York during an emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The day before, the Security Council once again failed to pass a resolution on the war – this time Russia and China vetoed the US-drafted text that included ‘humanitarian pauses’ and the right of ‘all states’ to self-defence supported within the law. International.
No one has a veto in the General Assembly, but the adopted resolutions are not binding. Today a proposal from Jordan that criticizes Israel is to be voted on. “The proposed resolution completely ignores the existence of Hamas, makes no mention of the barbaric massacre and calls for an immediate ceasefire.” criticized Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, on the to accept Israel.”
The ambassador promised to present “the true face of the Nazi terrorist organization” in his speech, after taking photos in the pulpit and a QR code. “We will not rest until every UN ambassador has seen with his own eyes the atrocities committed by the monsters of Hamas,” he said in another message.
In his speech, Erdan said that “The October 7 massacre and what followed has nothing to do with the Palestinians,” with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but everything that has to do with Hamas. The ambassador recalled that the rockets released that day “were merely a cover for the pogrom that followed,” using the Russian word for an organized mass murder of an ethnic group, especially Jews, in Eastern Europe. At least 1,400 Israelites died.
“The barbaric terrorists of Hamas invaded Israel by sea, land and air. They came with one goal: to brutally murder every living thing they encountered. Hamas’s Nazi killers went from house to house with lists of targets. A carefully planned attack, deliberate and premeditated,” Erdan said, explaining that they filmed the “sadistic violence” to then “sow fear in the hearts of Israeli citizens” because “that is what terrorists do, they terrorize ‘.
Before Erdan, Palestine’s permanent observer at the United Nations (Palestinians are not member states of the UN), Riyad Mansour, left a call: “Stop the bombs, save lives.” The diplomat recalled that “for millions of Palestinians there is no longer a home to return to” and that “for millions of Palestinians there is no longer a family to embrace, not by an act of God, but by the act of a government that is represented.” General meeting. Mansour claimed that Israel “believes that if it says Hamas often enough, the world will not be able to oppose the elimination of [famílias inteiras] of the face of the earth.”
The ambassador wondered why the world felt so much “the pain” of the Israelis, but not that of the Palestinians. “What’s the problem? We have the wrong religion, the wrong skin color, the wrong nationality?” he insisted, saying the ‘Selective outrage is scandalous and must stop’. Mansour called on the UN to “choose words carefully and act accordingly.”
Also appearing in the pulpit was the head of diplomacy in Iran (a country that supports Hamas), Hossein Amirabdollahian, who left a warning to the US. “I say frankly to American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome an expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared this fire,” he said. indicated.
Hamas envoys were in Moscow to discuss the release of hostages. Among the more than 200 people taken by the Israeli terror group will be several Russians. Russia has ties to all sides in the conflict and blames the failure of US diplomacy for the current crisis. The Israelis, who also have good relations with the Russians, criticized Russia for hosting the Hamas delegation, considering it “an act of support for terrorism” and “the legitimization of atrocities.”
“Test” the invasion
Meanwhile, Israeli bombardments continue on targets in the Gaza Strip, and “several” Hamas commanders have reportedly been killed.. The bombings were accompanied by the limited raid, which would have been the third since the start of the war – but this time images were released and tanks and armored vehicles were used. According to Israeli army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari, these types of operations will certainly be repeated. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the military is “preparing the ground for the continuation of the campaign,” explaining that “there will be more phases of the war.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry claims more than 7,000 Palestinian civilians have also been killed. But the US says this number is unbelievable. “We all know that the Ministry of Health in Gaza is just a front for Hamas,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said after the president himself, Joe Biden, cast doubt on the figures the day before. “We cannot rely on what comes from Hamas,” he added, reiterating, however, the importance of Israel doing everything possible to minimize civilian casualties. In response to Biden, Hamas published a list of the names of 6,747 people it counts among the dead, and says it still expects confirmation of the identities of another 281.
Source: DN
