GAZA CITY: Israel intensified its relentless bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip on Saturday after the United States vetoed an unprecedented United Nations resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. The US move has been met with global condemnation as aid groups warn of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Aid organizations describe the situation in Gaza as dire, with the region teetering on the edge of a crisis marked by disease and starvation. Over the past two months, at least 17,490 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombing campaign, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The veto by the United States of a UN resolution for a ceasefire on Friday drew strong criticism from the global community, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and humanitarian groups. Despite efforts by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who invoked a rarely used measure to call for a ceasefire, the US envoy Robert Wood justified the veto, stating that the resolution was “divorced from reality.”
As Israel continued its airstrikes, Gaza’s health ministry reported a significant number of casualties in various hospitals. Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah received 71 dead in 24 hours, while Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received 62 dead bodies.
US Responsible for Bloodshed of Children in Gaza
Following the veto, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held the United States responsible for the bloodshed of Palestinians, particularly among children, women, and the elderly. Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen argued against a ceasefire.
Humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), expressed dismay at the US veto, describing it as a contradiction to the values the country claims to uphold.
The situation on the ground remains dire in Gaza, with an estimated 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people displaced and facing overwhelming challenges. Displaced people in Rafah, near the crossing with Egypt, have created a makeshift camp as they remain blocked from leaving the territory.
Despite calls for de-escalation and concerns about the broader regional impact, Israeli violence continued. The Israeli-occupied West Bank has also witnessed an escalation in violence as Israeli forces and settlers have intensified attacks on innocent Palestinians.
