President Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready to give all possible assistance to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s civilians and help de-escalate the conflict.
Moscow says an international monitoring mission should go to Gaza to monitor the humanitarian situation.
“Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the principle position of rejecting and condemning terrorism in all its forms,” the Kremlin said in a statement. “At the same time, it is extremely important that countering terrorist threats does not lead to such grave consequences for the civilian population.”
Russia backed a UN Security Council resolution for a Gaza ceasefire that was vetoed by the United States on Friday.
Yesterday, the death toll in Gaza reached to over 17,700 in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, the health ministry says. Another 48,780 people have been wounded in Israeli attacks.
No captives will be released without negotiations: Hamas
In a pre-recorded message, the spokesperson for Hamas’s Qassam Brigades says Israeli captives will not be released by military force.
“We tell the Israelis that Netanyahu, Gallant, and others in the war cabinet cannot bring back their captives without negotiations. The latest killing of a captive they tried to take back by force proves that.”
Abu Obaida was referring to an Israeli man held captive, whom Israeli special forces in the Gaza Strip tried to rescue. He said the group repelled the attempt, inflicting several military casualties, and the captive also died in the assault.
“The crimes and genocide against the people of Gaza are beyond any description … Ending Palestinian existence with American and European support is inhuman,” ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra said.
Earlier, United States (US) vetoed a United Nations (UN) resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, despite it being backed by the vast majority of Security Council members and many other nations.
Thirteen of the 15 Security Council members voted in favor of a draft resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates with the co-sponsorship of 97 countries, including Pakistan, while Britain abstained.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the group’s October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and saw around 240 hostages taken.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and free 138 hostages still held after scores were freed during a short-lived truce.
Several Hamas commanders were killed in an air strike near the Indonesia Hospital, the Israeli military said early Wednesday on X.
‘Nowhere is safe’
Israel had previously told civilians in the north of the densely populated Gaza Strip to seek shelter in the south of the territory, with many fleeing to Khan Yunis believing it would be safer.
As the war expands, Israel has told people to move even further south, sparking “panic, fear and anxiety”, according to Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
People were being pushed into an area that is less than one-third of the Gaza Strip, with roads to the south clogged, he said.
International aid groups have condemned the succession of orders to flee from one area to another, saying that civilians were running out of options.
“Nowhere is safe in Gaza,” said United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths.
“Not hospital, not shelters, not refugee camps. No one is safe.”
Following demands to create areas where civilians could shelter, Israel’s army published a map it said was intended to enable Gazans to “evacuate from specific places for their safety if required”.
But the UN criticised the map on Tuesday, saying it was impossible to create safe zones for civilians to flee to inside Gaza.
“The so-called safe zones… are not scientific, they are not rational, they are not possible, and I think the authorities are aware of this,” said James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency UNICEF.
The violence in Gaza “now ranks amongst the worst assaults on any civilian population in our time and age”, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, which also warned of the dire public health consequences of the approaching winter.
Their belongings piled onto donkey carts, battered vehicles and camels, Gazans headed south to try to escape the expanding Israeli offensive.
In northern Gaza, the Israeli military said it had encircled the Jabalia refugee camp and also raided a Hamas Internal Security Forces command and control centre.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, several people were killed and injured in Israeli strikes on Jabalia.
Leave a Comment