Israel launched a series of air attacks on the Gaza Strip that killed nearly 90 people, including many children in their sleep, as its main ally, the United States, once again vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire.
At least 66 people were killed Thursday morning in an attack that hit a residential neighborhood in Beit Lahiya in besieged northern Gaza, Palestinian health officials said.
Hussam Abu Safia, director of the nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital, told Tel Aviv Tribune that most of the victims were “sleeping when they were killed”.
“A very large number of victims have arrived, and there are still many bodies hanging from the walls and ceilings. It’s mostly children and women,” he said in a voicemail.
Abu Safia said hospital staff rushed to the site, recovering the bodies, salvaging the remains and rescuing those trapped.
“We are already operating with bare minimum resources, which is why most of our staff are now busy rescuing the injured… due to the lack of ambulances and resources,” the pediatrician added.
“Honestly, the situation is very dire. We cannot cope with this massive number of injured and casualties arriving at Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Separately, on Thursday, at least 22 people, including 10 children, were killed in Israeli bombardment of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, a civil defense spokesperson said.
1-14: Ceasefire resolution blocked by the United States
More than 13 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed some 44,000 people, including more than 17,000 children, and injured 104,000. With aid largely cut off, many people living in the densely populated territory now face to the threat of famine.
Israel launched its fierce military campaign after around 1,139 people, mostly civilians, were killed in an attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on October 7 last year, and some 250 people were been captured. About 100 of them were released a year ago after a truce and a prisoner exchange deal, but negotiations have since largely stalled.
Thursday’s nighttime attacks came hours after a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives failed to pass when permanent member the United States , voted alone against it in the 15-member body.
It was the fourth time since the start of the war that the administration of US President Joe Biden had vetoed such a resolution.
Deputy envoy Robert Wood said the United States, which provides Israel with at least $3.8 billion in military aid a year, could not support the measure because it was not linked to immediate release. people detained in Gaza.
“We have made it clear throughout the negotiations that we cannot support an unconditional ceasefire that does not allow for the release of the hostages,” he said.
While the latest international attempt to end the fighting has failed, civilians in Gaza continue to pay the price, particularly in the northern governorate, which has been under siege by Israel for more than six weeks. Israel says it wants to prevent Hamas from regrouping in the area.
In addition to ongoing bombing, Gaza residents are struggling to cope with a humanitarian crisis that is worsening as winter approaches.
Most Palestinians, who have been forced to flee wave after wave of Israeli attacks, live in tents and makeshift shelters that cannot withstand the cold wind and rain. The Norwegian Refugee Council has warned that more than a million Palestinians in Gaza will not have sufficient shelter for the coming months.
Food supply is another problem.
Some pockets of this territory of 2.2 million people are on the brink of famine and a growing number of civilians are suffering from an acute lack of food.
The entry of humanitarian trucks has been severely hampered by Israeli authorities and, latterly, by criminal gangs operating in areas under Israeli control, according to reports.