CAIRO: Israeli planes and tanks bombarded eastern Gaza City overnight, killing at least 11 people, witnesses and medics said on Tuesday (Aug 12), as Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya prepared to hold talks in Cairo aimed at reviving a US-backed ceasefire plan.
The latest round of indirect negotiations in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July, with Israel and Hamas trading blame over the lack of progress on a proposed 60-day truce and hostage release deal.
Israel has since said it will launch a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war began in October 2023 before later pulling out.
PLAN DRAWS GLOBAL WARNING ON HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to expand military control over Gaza, expected in October, has fuelled global criticism over the devastation, displacement and hunger affecting the enclave’s 2.2 million people.
It has also stirred dissent in Israel, with the military chief of staff warning the move could endanger surviving hostages and prove a death trap for Israeli soldiers. About one million Palestinians are estimated to remain in Gaza City and surrounding areas.
Foreign ministers of 26 countries, including Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Japan, Italy and Latvia, said on Tuesday the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached “unimaginable levels” and urged Israel to allow unrestricted aid.
“Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,” they said in a joint statement, calling for the opening of all crossings and routes to allow a “flood of aid” including food, water, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies.
Israel denies responsibility for hunger, accusing Hamas of stealing aid. It says it has taken steps to increase deliveries, including pausing fighting in some areas and establishing protected routes for aid convoys. Some countries have begun airdropping supplies over Gaza, while Western capitals say far more aid is urgently required.
Source link
#Israel #bombards #Gaza #City #Hamas #leader #due #Cairo #foreign #ministers #warn #unimaginable #suffering