EU and Egypt Condemn 'Civilian Massacre'... Palestinian Leader Sends 'SOS' to Security Council
Israel 'Ignores'... "Fewer than 100 Casualties, Don't Know How Many Terrorists"
Israel is facing criticism for killing a large number of Palestinian civilians under the pretext of rescuing hostages. This military operation has sparked controversy over genocide and war crimes, drawing condemnation from both Western and Arab countries.
A woman attending the Gaza Strip hostage release rally held on the 8th (local time) in Tel Aviv, Israel [Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]
Smoke rising from the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, attacked by the Israeli military [Image source: Xinhua News Agency·Yonhap News]
On the 8th (local time), the Israeli military caused hundreds of casualties during the rescue of four hostages held by the armed faction Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to the U.S. CNN network, Gaza Strip authorities reported that at least 236 people were killed and more than 400 injured during the Israeli military operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Local medical personnel said the bodies of the deceased were moved to two hospitals, and there is no way to confirm the exact number of casualties. Intense shelling and airstrikes were witnessed in the operation area. Nidal Abdo, a resident who was shopping in Nuseirat at the time, said, "There was massive bombing," adding, "Within less than 10 minutes, 150 rockets fell, and more rockets hit the market while people were fleeing."
On the 9th of last month (local time), Israeli tanks and armored vehicles gathered near the separation barrier in the southern Gaza Strip, Israel. [Image source=EPA·Yonhap News]
Hamas condemned the operation as a "brutal crime devoid of civilization and human values" and called it a "terrible massacre of innocent civilians." The Israeli military also admitted to conducting airstrikes and shelling to protect special forces units under attack by Hamas.
Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), described Israel's attack as a "bloody massacre" and demanded an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Condemnation also came from the West. Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said, "Reports of civilian massacres in the Gaza Strip are shocking," urging, "We strongly condemn this and call for an immediate end to the bloodshed."
On the 8th (local time), at a protest held in Tel Aviv, Israel, Israeli police fired water cannons at protesters holding posters. The protest was against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and demanded the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. [Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]
Egypt, which has been mediating ceasefire negotiations, also condemned Israel's attack, stating, "This attack flagrantly violates international law and international humanitarian law." The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that "more than 150 Palestinian civilians have died and hundreds have been injured."
Israel maintains that civilian casualties were unavoidable. Daniel Hagari, chief spokesperson for the Israeli military, said, "We are aware of fewer than 100 Palestinian casualties," adding, "We do not know how many of them are terrorists." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the operation, stating, "Israel will not succumb to terrorism."
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 last year, Hamas' health ministry has counted more than 36,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip.
Karim Khan, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), requested arrest warrants in April for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leadership on charges of war crimes.
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