2023-12-18 08:43:59
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 2 hours ago, Updated 2 hours ago
Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip (photo released on December 18). ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES / REUTERS
UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – The Jewish state is facing growing indignation from the international community over the heavy toll of civilian victims.
Ten days after an American veto, the UN Security Council must decide this Monday, December 18 on a new text, prepared by the United Arab Emirates, which “calls for an urgent and lasting cessation of hostilities to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip”.
The text demands in particular that the parties to the conflict facilitate the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, “by land, sea and air”. The draft also affirms its support for the two-state solution and “underlines the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority”. Security Council resolutions are binding, but regularly ignored by the countries concerned.
129 hostages still held in Gaza
Like the previous one and the one adopted by the General Assembly, this text does not name Hamas, an absence castigated by the United States and Israel. On the other hand, he condemns “all indiscriminate attacks against civilians”, “all acts of terrorism”, and demands the release of the hostages – Friday evening, in the north of the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers killed three hostages they were supposed to free. To date, 129 hostages are still being held in Gaza.
Since the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, the Council has been under fire from criticism, having only succeeded in adopting a text in mid-November calling for “humanitarian breaks”. Five other draft resolutions were rejected, including two due to US vetoes. Negotiations continued on Sunday to avoid a new impasse, while US President Joe Biden estimated a few days ago that Israel risked losing the support of the international community due to its bombings “blind” on the Gaza Strip.
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18,800 dead in Israeli bombings, according to Hamas
After the October 7 attack which, according to Israeli authorities, left around 1,140 people dead, mostly civilians, Israel vowed to“annihilate” Hamas, shelling Palestinian territory, besieging it and carrying out a vast ground operation since October 27. The Hamas Ministry of Health reported 18,800 deaths in Israeli bombings, mostly women, children and adolescents.
“In the face of such atrocities, there is only one moral position, one defensible position: a ceasefire now”pleaded Friday to the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour at the podium of the General Assembly. “Calling for a ceasefire now, while (the hostages, editor’s note) are still detained, is the most immoral thing”replied his Israeli counterpart Gilad Erdan.
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Five IDF soldiers killed on Sunday
The Israeli army said five of its soldiers were killed on Sunday, bringing the number of soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip since ground operations began in late October to 126.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Israel
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is visiting Israel this Monday, December 18. The latter should, according to information from the British daily The Guardian , announce the creation of a new maritime protection force after repeated attacks by pro-Iranian Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Lloyd Austin was in Bahrain yesterday then in Kuwait.
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