The Israeli Army assured this Monday that it is aborting attacks in the Gaza Strip when detecting the presence of civilians and denied that it is restricting the entry of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, in response to growing international criticism.
“We abort attacks when we see an unexpected civilian presence. We choose the appropriate ammunition for each target, so that it does not cause unnecessary damage,” said Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli army, in a video message, cited by international agencies. .
“We use many measures to try to minimize harm and suffering to civilians (…). We warn civilians before attacks, whenever possible, we also recommend that civilians temporarily move away from areas of intense fighting” , he added.
These statements come during an official visit to Israel by the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin, at a time when the Israeli and American governments have shown differences over how to carry out the offensive in Gaza against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. . .
After an unprecedented attack by Hamas that caused 1,200 deaths and around 240 kidnappings in Israeli territory on October 7, the Tel Aviv Army has since carried out a powerful air, land and sea offensive in the Gaza Strip, which It has already left more than 19,000 dead. and more than 51,000 injured, most of them women, children and the elderly, according to figures from local authorities, controlled by the Palestinian Islamist group, as well as 1.9 million displaced people, 85% of the total population of the enclave, according to the UN.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated on December 6 that Hamas attacks, even when they ignore the laws of war, “do not absolve Israel of its own violations,” and, two days later, the Council The UN Security Council voted on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which was vetoed by the United States, Tel Aviv’s main ally.
The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, today criticized the “terrible lack of distinction” in the Israeli military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which caused the death of “too many civilians”, and insisted on a humanitarian pause, a day after diplomats in London, Paris and Berlin called for a lasting ceasefire.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Sunday reaffirmed Tel Aviv’s position that a ceasefire is a mistake and a “gift to Hamas”, thus ruling out a pause in hostilities.
The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote this Monday on a new resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, for humanitarian reasons.
Since the start of the war, fighting only ceased for one week – between November 24 and 30 – during a truce brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, which included the release of 105 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. .and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
Around 130 hostages remain in captivity in the enclave, where the displaced population survives in tents in the middle of winter and in a deep humanitarian crisis, due to the collapse of hospitals, the outbreak of epidemics and the shortage of drinking water, food and medicines. , electricity and fuel. .
Israel allows humanitarian aid to enter through Rafah, the border between Egypt and the Strip, and on Sunday, under pressure from the United States, it opened the passage of support across its own border for the first time, through Kerem Shalom.
However, aid arrives little by little and is insufficient.
“Israel is not restricting the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza,” said Daniel Hagari, shortly after the non-governmental organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch accused Tel Aviv of committing war crimes by deliberately denying food and water. to the inhabitants of the area. enclave, using hunger as a weapon of war.
The Israeli army spokesman also stated that his country “offered international organizations the establishment of humanitarian zones,” but in the territory even areas marked as “safe” were bombed.
Source: TSF
