One month has passed since Hamas attacked Israel, an unprecedented incursion into the country that caused the death of 1,400 Israelis and the kidnapping of 240 hostages, who remain in the hands of the organization. The Israeli declaration of war in Gaza has caused the displacement of 70% of the population of 2.2 million inhabitants, due to the bombings and the order to evacuate to the south of the territory. More than 10,000 Gazans have been killed by Israeli attacks in the last month, of which 4,000 are children.
As the offensive in Gaza progresses, the Israeli army’s operations in West Bank. This morning two Palestinians died and twelve others were arrested in raids in the Jenin refugee camp. The army raids have been numerous, especially in Hebron. In the last month, The Israeli army has killed 164 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while 2,200 Palestinians have been detained. “Since the atrocities committed by Hamas, settlers have taken advantage of the lack of public attention in the West Bank, as well as the general atmosphere of anger against Palestinians, to intensify their violent attacks,” denounces the Israeli NGO, BT’Selem.
Last night, the UN denounced that Gaza is ‘becoming a graveyard for children’ and that it is a “crisis of humanity.” It is the deadliest conflict for its personnel, with 89 deaths in the last month. Also for journalists, with the death of 37 informants in attacks by the Israeli army in Gaza.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interview to ABC radio station, in which he gave no hint of a truce in the war. In recent days, leaders in the region have demanded a ceasefire in Gaza, while Tel Aviv’s main partner, the United States, called for a “humanitarian pause.” Netanyahu noted that only “small breaks” are open. “An hour here, an hour there. Like the ones we’ve had before”, he pointed. The objective of these pauses is to allow the entry of goods, humanitarian aid and to allow hostages to leave the Strip. The Israeli prime minister also ventured to talk about post-war scenarios and assured that Israel will have “general responsibility for security” in Gaza for an “indefinite period.”
In the last month there have been massive protests around the world, condemning the Israeli bombings against the civilian population and calling for a ceasefire. Leaders of countries in the region, mainly Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, continue to join diplomatic efforts to avoid an escalation of the conflict. One of the main fears is an open war between Israel and Hezbollah, the influential Lebanese Shiite party, which supports – along with Iran – Hamas. For a month now, hostilities have increased on the border between Lebanon and Israel, causing the displacement of thousands of citizens on both sides of the border. Yesterday Hezbollah threatened Tel Aviv again, after an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon killed four civilians.