Israel Launches Ground Offensive on Gaza City Amid International Condemnation
Gaza City – Israel has initiated a ground offensive targeting Gaza City,escalating the conflict that began on October 7,2023,following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. The offensive has drawn swift and varied reactions from the international community.
UK Foreign secretary Yvette cooper denounced the offensive as “utterly reckless and appalling,” warning it would “only bring more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians and endanger the remaining hostages.” Turkey’s foreign ministry characterized the assault as a new phase in Israel’s “genocide plans” and predicted mass displacement. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated it was “the completely wrong path” and urged diplomatic solutions.
In contrast, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, indicated support for israel’s operation, stating that while a negotiated end to the war was preferred, “sometimes when you’re dealing with a group of savages like Hamas, that’s not possible.”
A recent report by the UN commission of inquiry, described as “the strongest and most authoritative UN finding to date” on the war, alleges that Israeli security forces perpetrated “sexual and gender-based violence,” directly targeted children with the intention to kill them, and conducted a “systemic and widespread attack” on religious, cultural, and education sites in Gaza. Navi Pillay, chair of the panel, remarked, “The genocide convention was born out of humanity’s darkest chapters,” adding, “Today, we witness in real time how the promise of never again is broken and tested in the eyes of the world.”
Israel’s foreign ministry has categorically rejected the UN report, labeling it “distorted and false.”
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to the October 7th Hamas attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages. As then, at least 64,964 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces, according to the Gaza health ministry, with nearly half of the casualties being women and children.
The UN has warned that an intensification of the offensive, coupled with existing famine conditions declared in the area by a UN-backed body, will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and push civilians into “even deeper catastrophe.”
