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U.S. President Joe Biden has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step up tensions in the Gaza Strip, increasing U.S. pressure to end a nine-day ceasefire to end the ceasefire.
After reading the call in the White House on Wednesday morning, Biden told his Israeli counterpart that he “expected a significant de-escalation on the road to a ceasefire today.”
A few hours after Biden’s statement was made, Netanyahu said he “has a decision to make until the purpose of continuing with this operation is met.” Speaking at his office on Wednesday, Netanyahu said he “greatly appreciates the support of the American president,” but said that Israel will move forward “to return calmly and security to you Israelis.”
Israeli warplanes hit several targets in Gaza overnight as Israel sustained an attack on Palestinian militant Hamas. The Israeli military said 52 planes dropped about 120 bombs in the attacks, and said they targeted the tunnel infrastructure used by the militants.
Israeli strikes have killed 227 Palestinians, including 102 women and children, Gaza health officials said. They said 1,620 were injured.
Israeli army officials said 130 of the dead were Hamas fighters, and they discussed – without evidence – Gaza believes nearly half of the dead were women and children. Israel has reported that 12 Israelis have been killed in Hamas attacks, including two children. Two Thai workers have also been killed.
Hamas has fired more than 3,400 rockets into Israeli cities since the fighting began. The militant group fired about 50 rockets overnight, according to newswire reports.
Israel’s bombing of Gaza has forced tens of thousands of Palestinians on the walled list to flee their homes because their homes, health facilities, schools, shops and infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged.
A UN agency report on the situation in Gaza included 156 buildings, 672 homes and commercial units. Hundreds of more homes have been severely damaged and cannot be converted, he added.
Six hospitals and 11 primary health centers were also damaged. The UN and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights have said that the only Covid-19 laboratory on the list is not capable of testing due to an Israeli air strike.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warns that “the impact on civilian lives and infrastructure, including humanitarian organizations and medical facilities, is a serious concern that could be a separate and disproportionate attack under international humanitarian law.” .
A Palestinian humanitarian worker in Gaza said Israeli planes were bombing roads and streets, destroying vital infrastructure such as sanitation and water pipes, power cables and telephone lines.
“The destruction of infrastructure has been the worst of the wars against Gaza,” said an unidentified worker, adding that in some places sanitation is pouring into the streets.
Farmers who cultivate the land near the border have been unable to enter their fields for water or harvest for a week, which could be a threat to vegetable crops, which could lead to a shortage in the dense population of 2 million.
As the death toll rises, diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire have intensified. Biden has come under increasing criticism from Americans progressive, as well as within its democratic party, as the administration wants to put more pressure to stop the enemy.
France, Egypt and Jordan have jointly called for a UN Security Council resolution to end the bloodshed, the French president said on Tuesday.
EU foreign ministers also called for an end to hostilities at an informal meeting on Tuesday, urging all “member states” but Hungary to call for an immediate end to the “general push” of the ordinary statement.
Unrest has spread to the West Bank occupation, and at least four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday, according to territorial health officials. The Israeli army said its forces shot a Palestinian in Hebron, and said it attacked soldiers with an explosive and a knife.
Israeli police said two members of the security forces were shot in the leg during protests in Ramallah, the first incident in the West Bank in years. The city is home to Fatah, a faction of Hamas’s Palestinian rivals.
Israeli forces have killed more than 20 Palestinians in the territory since protests began on Friday, health officials in the West Bank said.
The latest crisis was when police used rubber bullets, tear gas and bleach grenades to protest Palestinian restrictions on al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. More than 600 Palestinians were injured. The mosque is housed in a compound in Jerusalem known to Muslims as the Haram ash-Sharif and the Jews as the Temple Mount, and is sacred to both religions.
The Israeli military said it fired four rockets from Lebanon into Israel on Tuesday, adding that one of its air defense systems had intercepted one and the rest “probably fell in open areas.” In this regard, he said that Israeli forces were pursuing various objectives in Lebanon.
Additional report by Chloe Cornish in Beirut and Andrew England in London
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