Full-scale War Resumed After 7 Years Between Hamas and Israel
109 Dead in Gaza Strip...28 Children Among Victims
US Israel Bias Controversy...UN Security Council Meeting Postponed
On the 13th (local time), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 155mm self-propelled artillery moved to the Gaza border area to bomb the base of Hamas, the armed faction in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel decided to deploy ground troops to the Gaza Strip for the first time in seven years, escalating the armed conflict between the two sides into a full-scale war. Gaza Strip=AFP·Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Israel, which had been exchanging fire with the Palestinian armed faction Hamas for four days, has finally decided to deploy ground forces in the Gaza Strip, escalating the conflict into a full-scale war. Despite international mediation efforts, Israel is reported to have ignored all ceasefire proposals and continued its attacks. The international community is concerned that the "50-day war" of 2014, when Israel deployed large-scale ground forces in the Gaza Strip resulting in over 2,200 deaths, may resume.
According to foreign media including AFP on the 13th (local time), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on social media that "Israeli ground forces and aircraft are attacking in the Gaza Strip." IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus also confirmed in an interview with AFP that Israeli forces had entered the Gaza Strip.
Subsequently, as the IDF's ground deployment sparked international controversy, they issued another statement. According to the Times of Israel, the IDF clarified, "Israeli air and ground forces have entered the Gaza Strip to shell operational targets, but a large-scale ground invasion has not yet begun," adding, "However, ground force deployment will begin soon."
Earlier that day, Israel's Ministry of Defense advanced infantry and armored units to the border area and issued a call-up order for about 9,000 reservists, signaling that Israel was expected to launch a full-scale attack on the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also emphasized in a national address that "Hamas will pay a heavy price" and that "military operations will continue until Israel's security is stabilized."
On the 13th (local time), a girl injured in an Israeli military airstrike is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of Sifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. On the same day, it was reported that 109 people, including 28 children, were killed and about 530 were injured in the Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip = AP·Yonhap News
As the large-scale violent clashes between Israel and Hamas enter their fourth day, casualties are rapidly increasing. So far, seven people have died and about 200 have been injured in Israel, while 109 deaths and over 530 injuries have been reported in Palestine.
The United Nations (UN), Egypt, Qatar, and other Arab countries have stepped in to mediate a ceasefire between the two sides, but the Israeli government is reportedly continuing to reject ceasefire proposals. According to the BBC, Hamas indicated a willingness to accept a ceasefire proposal "based on international mediation efforts," but the Israeli government rejected the proposal, stating that "a ceasefire is not under consideration."
The UN Security Council's public meeting, originally scheduled for the 14th, was postponed by two days due to opposition from the United States. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN, announced on Twitter that "the UN Security Council will meet on the 16th to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza." CNN reports that the US government, which had previously defended Israel's right to self-defense, delayed the Security Council meeting in consideration of international public opinion supporting Palestine.
As a result, it has become difficult to prevent Israel's full-scale attack on the Gaza Strip, raising concerns that the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2014 could be repeated. At that time, the Israeli military deployed over 60,000 ground troops and armored units, conducting a full-scale attack across the Gaza Strip for about 50 days, resulting in severe casualties, including over 2,200 deaths within Gaza alone.
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