Article: “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues: the latest developments on the ground”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his refusal of a ceasefire on Monday, saying it would be a “surrender to Hamas.” This statement comes as the Israeli army announced that it had struck more than 600 targets in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. For their part, Hamas militants launched anti-tank shells towards the Israeli army during the ongoing ground incursion.
In a video published by Hamas, three women presented as hostages call on the Israeli Prime Minister to negotiate an exchange of prisoners to obtain their release. Benjamin Netanyahu called the video “cruel psychological propaganda,” emphasizing Israel’s determination to continue its military operations.
However, this conflict also has consequences outside the Gaza Strip. In the occupied West Bank, five Palestinians were killed during Israeli army raids. According to Israeli authorities, more than 1,400 people were killed in Israel, mainly civilians, during the October 7 attack.
At the same time, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is causing increasing concern. Humanitarian aid arriving through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is insufficient to meet the needs of more than 2 million people trapped in the region, says the head of the UN refugee agency Palestinians. Warehouses and food aid distribution centers were even looted, endangering civil order in the region.
This complex and deadly conflict therefore continues to wreak havoc, with devastating humanitarian consequences for civilian populations trapped in the violence. The international community must redouble its efforts to work towards a cessation of hostilities and promote a peaceful and lasting solution to this conflict which has persisted for decades.