The Israeli war in Gaza entered its 33rd day on Wednesday, November 8, killing hundreds more and destroying civilian infrastructure. On Tuesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that their convoy carrying humanitarian aid to hospitals in the besieged Palestinian territory came under attack.
“The convoy of five trucks and two ICRC vehicles was carrying lifesaving medical supplies to health facilities, including to Al Quds hospital of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, when it was hit by fire. Two trucks were damaged, and a driver was lightly wounded,” the ICRC statement said.
“These are not the conditions under which humanitarian personnel can work” William Schomburg, head of the ICRC mission in Gaza, stated.
Israel has imposed a complete blockade on the supply of basic commodities leading to a scarcity of medicine, food, and fuel in Gaza. International aid agencies have been supplying limited humanitarian aid through the Egyptian border at tremendous risk. Israeli war planes have bombed medical personnel and other aid staff, killing a record number and it has refused to lift its ban on such supplies.
We’re mourning the loss of one of our team members in Gaza, Mohammed Al Ahel, who was killed along with several members of his family on Nov 6th.
He was at his home in Al Shati refugee camp when the area was bombed and his building collapsed, reportedly killing dozens of people.… pic.twitter.com/wJ8kRvrHiT
— Doctors w/o Borders (@MSF_USA) November 7, 2023
According to the UN, over 89 of its staff have been killed in the Israeli bombings since October 7, the highest ever in any conflict in the UN’s history. Other aid agencies, including the Palestinian Red Crescent, a part of the ICRC network, too have lost dozens of their workers in the Israeli bombings.
Israeli bombings on health and other humanitarian service providers constitutes a war crime as per international law.
“With a military siege in place, people in Gaza are deprived of food, water and medicine. Sparse aid is arriving leaving communities without the essentials to survive. Safe and sustained humanitarian access across Gaza is urgently needed,” the ICRC said in a separate statement released on Tuesday, as the Israeli war in the Palestinian territory completed a month.
No ceasefire, No fuel to Gaza
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again dismissed calls for a ceasefire. He claimed that Israeli forces are carrying out a ground offensive deep inside Gaza and will take control of the territory soon, the Times of Israel reported.
Netanyahu has also already admitted that Israel will take control of Gaza after the war and run it as another occupied territory like the West Bank and East Jerusalem. He also rejected repeated appeals issued by aid agencies for allowing humanitarian aid inside Gaza.
“There will be no ceasefire” and no supply of fuel and other essential commodities inside Gaza “without return of our kidnapped.” Netanyahu reiterated his stand claiming the message is for both “our enemies and our friends alike.”
The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu was responding to the news of the US President Joe Biden finally making a call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
The G7 meeting held in Japan on Wednesday also issued calls for “humanitarian pause” while completely supporting the Israeli war in Gaza.
Gaza, a besieged enclave with over 2.3 million Palestinians, totally depends on the supply of fuel, food, medicines and other essential commodities through Israel and Egypt. Following operation Al-Aqsa Flood, it imposed a ban on those supplies and has refused to lift it despite the escalating humanitarian emergency in the region.
Over half a million people in northern Gaza are facing an imminent threat of starvation as severe food shortages and life-threatening illnesses are being reported due to the acute lack of food and water, according to ActionAid International.
In a press statement, ActionAid… pic.twitter.com/NCUJY6J1Tc
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 8, 2023
Israel has been bombing Gaza indiscriminately, targeting residential areas, hospitals, schools, shelters, and other civilian infrastructure since October 7. Its forces launched a ground offensive on October 28.
Israeli bombings and ground offensives have killed over 100 Palestinians in a 24-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Israeli warplanes targeted yet another UNRWA school shelter at Al-Ansar junction located west of Gaza city on Wednesday morning, killing dozens of Palestinians.
The total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli war since October 7 has crossed over 10,400 with over 27,000 wounded.
A majority of those killed in the Israeli attacks are children and women. According to the Defence of Children, Israel has killed over 4,237 Palestinian children since October 7 which is more than the number of all Palestinian children killed by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967.
Children of Gaza in a press conference:
"We want to live. we want peace. We want food, medicine and education."#CeasefireInGazaNOW pic.twitter.com/Nyw1rYEPmC
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) November 8, 2023
On Wednesday morning, Israeli occupation forces arrested 55 more Palestinians from across the West Bank. Israeli forces have arrested over 2,300 Palestinians from across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7.
