Gaza fighting intensifies, US vetoes Security Council demand for ceasefire By Reuters

By Bassam Masoud, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Michelle Nichols

GAZA/CAIRO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – America stored up stress on Israel to do extra to guard Palestinian civilians throughout a fierce offensive towards Hamas militants throughout Gaza, whilst Washington vetoed a U.N. Safety Council demand for a direct ceasefire.

Combating escalated and the Palestinian loss of life toll rose on Friday, with Israel pounding the enclave from north to south in an expanded part of the two-month-old struggle towards the Islamist group Hamas.

Decrying a “spiralling humanitarian nightmare”, U.N. Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres declared that nowhere in Gaza was protected for civilians, hours earlier than the U.S. vetoed a Safety Council decision backed by the overwhelming majority of its members calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

The vote left Washington diplomatically remoted on the 15-member council. 13 members voted in favor of the draft decision put ahead by the United Arab Emirates, whereas Britain abstained.

Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wooden advised the council: “We don’t assist this decision’s name for an unsustainable ceasefire that may solely plant the seeds for the subsequent struggle.”

America and Israel oppose a ceasefire, saying it might solely profit Hamas, which Israel has vowed to annihilate in response to the militants’ lethal Oct. 7 cross-border rampage.

Washington as an alternative helps “pauses” just like the seven-day halt in preventing that noticed Hamas launch some hostages and the humanitarian help movement improve. The deal broke down on Dec. 1.

Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour advised the council the vote signifies that “thousands and thousands of Palestinian lives dangle within the steadiness.”

Ezzat El-Reshiq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, condemned the U.S. veto as “inhumane.”

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan stated in an announcement: “A ceasefire will likely be attainable solely with the return of all of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas.”

In Washington, the White Home on Friday stated extra may very well be executed by Israel to scale back civilian casualties and the U.S. shared worldwide issues concerning the humanitarian scenario in Gaza.

“We definitely all acknowledge extra might be executed to attempt to scale back civilian casualties,” White Home nationwide safety council spokesman John Kirby (NYSE:) advised reporters.

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sharpened Washington’s language, saying it was crucial that Israel took steps to safeguard Gaza’s civilian inhabitants. “And there does stay a spot between…the intent to guard civilians and the precise outcomes that we’re seeing on the bottom,” he advised a press convention.

Describing the scenario as “at a breaking level,” Guterres stated the collapse of Gaza’s humanitarian system might lead to a whole breakdown of public order. Most Gazans at the moment are displaced, hospitals overrun and meals operating out.

Residents and the Israeli navy each reported intensified preventing in each northern areas, the place Israel had beforehand stated its troops had largely accomplished their duties final month, and within the south the place they mounted a brand new assault this week.

DEATH TOLL

Gaza’s well being ministry reported 350 folks killed on Thursday, and on Friday it stated the loss of life toll from Israel’s marketing campaign in Gaza had risen to 17,487.

Extra strikes have been reported on Friday in Khan Younis within the south, the Nusseirat camp within the centre and Gaza Metropolis within the north. On Friday night, residents reported intensified Israeli tank fireplace in north Gaza, whereas well being officers stated at the very least 10 folks have been killed in an air strike on a home in Khan Younis.

Israel’s navy stated 94 Israeli troopers had been killed preventing in Gaza since its floor invasion of the densely populated enclave started in mid-October in retaliation for Hamas’ rampage in southern Israel during which militants killed 1,200 folks and took greater than 240 hostages.

An Israeli commander, Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfuss, stated in a video message recorded in Khan Younis that his forces have been preventing home to deal with and “shaft to shaft”, a reference to tunnel shafts. As he spoke, gunshots rang out within the background.

For the reason that Israeli navy marketing campaign started, most of Gaza’s 2.3 million folks have been pushed from their houses, and residents say it has turn out to be virtually not possible to search out refuge.

Israel says it’s offering element about which areas are protected and that Hamas is guilty for hurt to civilians as a result of it operates amongst them, an accusation the Islamist group denies.

Hamas reported probably the most intense clashes with Israeli forces have been happening within the north in Shejaia, in addition to within the south in Khan Younis, the place Israeli forces reached the guts of the enclave’s second-biggest metropolis on Wednesday.

Israel’s chief navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated Israel had detained greater than 200 suspects from Gaza within the final 48 hours and dozens have been taken to Israel for questioning.

Reuters journalists in southern Gaza have seen useless and wounded swamping the principle Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, the place there was no room on the ground on Friday for arriving sufferers sprawled throughout blood-smeared tiles.

With the preventing now happening in all instructions, there was no place left to flee, stated Yamen, sheltering at a college in central Gaza along with his household.

“Inside the varsity is like exterior it: the identical feeling of worry of close to loss of life, the identical struggling of hunger,” he stated.