Gaza's Population Facing Dehumanization, While Netanyahu Dismisses Ceasefire Appeals
Gaza population enduring severe dehumanization, warns UN agency, as Netanyahu rejects ceasefire calls IDF offensive escalates, aid workers and journalists among casualties Hospitals overwhelmed, while a distressing hostage video surfaces
The commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, addressed the UN Security Council, expressing concern about the dehumanization of the entire population of Gaza. He emphasized that the thousands of children who have lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes cannot be dismissed as collateral damage. Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to consider a ceasefire, stating that this is a time for war.
Major UN agencies are urging for a humanitarian ceasefire in order to facilitate the delivery of aid to over 2 million civilians who are trapped with limited access to food, water, and medical equipment. Additionally, they are calling for the safe release of 238 hostages believed to be held by Hamas, the militant group in control of the enclave.
Lazzarini emphasized the urgent need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, stating that it is a matter of life and death for millions. Lisa Doughten, the director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), addressed the Security Council, describing the extent of the suffering endured by Gazans, which is challenging to fully convey.
"We simply do not have enough essential supplies to provide for the survival of internally displaced people at this scale," Doughten said.
Palestinians leave their homes following Israeli bombardments on Gaza, on October 30, 2023.
Abed Khaled/AP
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated on Monday that Israel would not accept a ceasefire. This decision comes in response to the recent terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people, primarily innocent civilians, and the taking of numerous hostages. Drawing parallels to historical events such as the United States' response after Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the September 11 attacks in 2001, Netanyahu emphasized that although the Bible acknowledges the importance of peace, the current circumstances call for a focus on warfare.
"Calls for a ceasefire or calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorists, surrender to barbarism, that will not happen," he said.
Heres the latest:
IDF offensive intensifying
Israel vowed on Monday that its ground offensive in Gaza will "intensify," as CNN analysis suggested troops had advanced more than two miles into the Strip.
The IDF maintained its bombardment of Gaza, using artillery rounds, mortars, and seemingly guided munitions. CNN teams on the ground observed fighter jets, drones, and helicopters operating in the vicinity. Notably, a plane circled above the enclave for a significant portion of Monday afternoon.
Israeli military flares light up the night sky in northern Gaza on October 30, 2023.
Abed Khaled/AP
In the early hours of Tuesday local time, a CNN team in Sderot, an Israeli city located approximately one kilometer from the Gaza perimeter, reported hearing ongoing heavy artillery fire near the border.
As part of their expanded ground operations in Gaza, the Israeli military announced on Monday that their troops had successfully eliminated four prominent Hamas operatives.
Dozens of aid workers, journalists killed
In the meantime, Israel's attempts to enter Gaza have been largely unsuccessful, with limited success in only certain areas. A spokesperson for Hamas characterized the situation in the enclave as "disastrous" from a humanitarian perspective.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, Israel's airstrikes in Gaza have resulted in the death of at least 8,260 individuals, with a majority being civilians. The ministry reported that over 70% of the victims belong to vulnerable groups, including children, women, and elderly individuals. Additionally, 64 UN aid workers have also lost their lives, marking the highest number of casualties among UN aid workers in any conflict within such a brief timespan, as stated by UNRWAs Lazzarini.
The latest fatality was Samir, a man who tragically perished alongside his wife and eight children, as shared by Lazzarini during the UN Security Council session.
He emphasized that the survivors have suffered immense losses, including relatives, friends, and neighbors, and find themselves displaced, much like the majority of individuals in Gaza. Despite the constant peril they face, they persistently put in formidable efforts.
Young Palestinians walk in front of a damaged house in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 30, 2023.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has resulted in the highest number of journalist fatalities since records were first kept in 1992.
The CPJ reports that there have been 31 journalists killed since October 7, with 26 Palestinians, four Israelis, and one Lebanese among the victims. The organization also stated that it is currently looking into several unconfirmed reports of missing journalists and others who may have been killed, detained, injured, or threatened.
During the UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Palestinian Authority's Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki expressed concern, stating that 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of death every day and night. Al-Maliki passionately appealed to the council to intervene and "save them."
"Look at them as human beings. You cannot look only at one side and ignore this tragic humanity completely," Al-Maliki said.
Hospitals bear the brunt
Aid organizations and healthcare workers report that a significant number of hospitals in Gaza have faced the majority of the damage from airstrikes and shelling.
On Tuesday morning, the Palestine Red Crescent Society informed through a social media post that the Al-Quds hospital, situated in Gaza City's Tal Al Hawa neighborhood, was heavily impacted by "artillery and airstrikes."
According to the PRCS, the hospital is trembling, causing fear and panic among those seeking shelter inside. The organization reported that Israeli airstrikes have resulted in significant damage to hospital departments, posing a suffocation risk to residents and patients at Al-Quds. Furthermore, the PRCS accused Israel of deliberately launching airstrikes in close proximity to the facility, with the intention of pressuring an evacuation of the hospital, which is the second-largest in Gaza City.
The agency reported that the facility is currently providing care for hundreds of patients, while also accommodating approximately 12,000 internally displaced civilians. Additionally, according to the hospital director, Sobhi Skaik, Gaza's primary cancer hospital was also affected by an Israeli attack. The hospital's third floor sustained direct damage, resulting in harm to the oxygen and water supplies. Thankfully, no casualties were reported in this incident.
CNN has requested a response from the Israeli military regarding the matter. Israel has consistently made allegations against Hamas, claiming that they conduct operations from underground bunkers and tunnels located beneath hospitals, as well as storing weapons in close proximity to medical facilities.
Video Ad Feedback
CNN forensic analysis suggests what may have caused Gaza hospital blast
02:53
- Source:
CNN
New hostage video
Hamas released a brief video on Monday showcasing three women who are thought to have been held captive by the Palestinian militant group since their attack on October 7. In the video, the women are seen sitting on plastic chairs, facing the camera. One of them directs her anger towards Netanyahu, passionately urging Israeli leaders to "release all of us."
The women named by the relatives of the hostages are Yelena Trupanob, Daniel Aloni, and Rimon Kirsht. However, CNN is unable to confirm any details about their situation or safety, as they are held as hostages. The statement made by the relatives could have been coerced as a result of their captivity.
According to IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Hamas is playing psychological games by releasing the video footage of the women. Additionally, Hagari stated that Hamas is believed to be holding 238 hostages captive.
Negotiations are currently underway involving the USA, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas to secure the release of a group of hostages in Gaza. These talks have become more challenging due to Israel's expansion of its ground operations.
Thai farmers who have been traumatized are now coming forward to share the horrors they witnessed during the Hamas massacre. Meanwhile, families are anxiously awaiting updates about their loved ones who are still being held hostage. In a recent development, the Israeli Defense Forces announced the successful rescue of a female Israeli soldier during their ground operations in Gaza on Monday.
According to IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, Private Ori Megidish was successfully rescued in a targeted special operation in northern Gaza. The Israeli special forces acted on intelligence to locate and retrieve her, and she has been reunited with her family in good mental and physical condition.
Shani Louk, a 23-year-old German-Israeli woman who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival and transported to Gaza, has been officially declared deceased by Israel's Foreign Ministry on Monday. According to a source familiar with the identification process, forensic examiners discovered a bone fragment from her skull, leading to the announcement of Louk's death.
This story is currently in progress and is being continuously updated with contributions from CNN's Akanksha Sharma, Pierre Meilhan, Abel Alvarado, Abeer Salman, Eyad Kourdi, Lianne Kolirin, Amir Tal, Hadas Gold, Adam Levine, Ido Soen, Jake Tapper, Richard Roth, Niamh Kennedy, Hassan Eslayeh, Kareem Khadder, Gul Tuysuz, Ibrahim Dahman, Paul Murphy, and Mihir Melwani.
