Gaza/New York | US rejects ceasefire in Gaza

Gaza/New York (dpa) – Despite the devastating situation of civilians in the Gaza war, a draft resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire has failed in the UN Security Council. Although 13 of the 15 members of the UN body voted in favor in New York, the USA, as Israel’s ally, vetoed the draft introduced by the United Arab Emirates. Great Britain abstained.

According to the World Food Program (WFP), the supply of basic necessities to the Palestinian civilian population is now on the verge of collapse.

WFP: People are starving

«There isn’t enough food. People are starving,” WFP Deputy Director Carl Skau wrote on X. His team has reached more than a million people, “but the situation is untenable. We need our relief supplies and a humanitarian ceasefire,” said Skau, after personally seeing the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip on Friday.

Israeli soldiers wounded while attempting to rescue hostages

Meanwhile, two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded while trying to free hostages kidnapped by Hamas. During the operation in the Gaza Strip, numerous Hamas terrorists who were said to have been involved in the kidnapping of the hostages were killed, Israel’s military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Friday evening. However, the soldiers were unable to free any hostages. The wounded are being treated in hospital.

Guterres warns of a collapse in humanitarian supplies

As the Times of Israel reported, Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant is now seeing signs that the Islamist Hamas is “beginning to collapse.” There is reason to believe that, according to the army, more Hamas people have surrendered. Meanwhile, Israel sharply criticized UN Secretary-General António Guterres for once again urging the UN Security Council to support a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

The “limit of resilience” in the Gaza Strip has been reached, Guterres told the committee in New York on Friday. “There is a high risk that the humanitarian support system in Gaza will collapse completely, which would have devastating consequences.” WFP Deputy Director Skau experienced how terrible the situation is in the coastal strip sealed off by Israel: Since only a fraction of the necessary food reaches the coastal area sealed off by Israel, there is a lack of fuel and no one is safe, “we cannot do our work.” , the WFP said in a statement.

Thousands of desperate, starving people crowded the distribution points for humanitarian aid. There is confusion in the camps and the emergency shelters are overcrowded. The toilets are in a corresponding condition. In addition, every day in the background there was the dull thunder of the bombing raids, said Skau.

USA continues to oppose ceasefire

But attempts in the Security Council for a ceasefire repeatedly fail due to resistance from the USA. The US has always stood behind Israel and stated that such advances through a resolution could jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts on the ground. According to the Times of Israel, Israel welcomed the fact that the USA had vetoed the draft resolution on Friday.

The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, carried out by terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7th in Israel near the border with Gaza. As a result, more than 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side, including at least 850 civilians. According to the latest figures from the Hamas-controlled health authority, almost 17,490 people have now been killed in Israel’s counterattacks. The number cannot currently be independently verified.

The Gaza war is also overshadowing the presidential election in Egypt that begins this Sunday. The country, which is struggling with a severe economic crisis, has strengthened security barriers on the border with the Gaza Strip. Egypt is concerned that large flows of refugees could come from the area via the Rafah border crossing, through which aid supplies reach Gaza.

As the portal Axios reported, citing government officials in Israel and the United States, Egypt has warned the United States and Israel that the flight of Palestinian refugees to the Sinai as a result of the Israeli military operation in southern Gaza could lead to a rupture in relations between Egypt and Israel . President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is expected to be re-elected, previously warned his country could become a new war front.

What will be important on Saturday

The humanitarian situation for civilians in Gaza is getting worse. Nevertheless, Israel’s army continues the fighting against Hamas.