Israel's Attack on Gaza: Latest Updates and Global Response

Thea Fathanah Arbar, CNBC Indonesia

Thursday, 11/09/2023 05:19 IWST

Photo: Israeli attack on Gaza November 6 (REUTERS/STRINGER)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Attacks on Gaza are still being carried out by Israel. As of Thursday (9/11/2023) a number of reports said missiles were still raining down on the Palestinian enclave.

In the update Al-Jazeera, Wednesday evening, it was stated how the number of victims continued to increase, reaching 10,500 people. From CNBC International it was reported how Israel claimed to have destroyed hundreds of Hamas underground tunnels.

On the other hand, CNN International mentioning how Gaza residents flocked to wave white flags when Israel issued an evacuation order. Following is CNBC Indonesia’s summary:

10,569 Gaza Residents Killed

The number of victims in Gaza continues to increase. From the latest data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, 10,568 people died due to Israeli attacks while 4,324 were injured.

Of the total victims, the majority were children and women. However, until now, Israel has said it will not implement a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, more than 155 people have been killed and 2,250 injured in the West Bank. In Israel alone, 1,400 people were killed and more than 7,198 people were injured.

Israel Destroys Hamas Tunnels

Israel claims to have destroyed 130 tunnels in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said this was the total number during military operations carried out in the Palestinian territory.

In a series of posts on social media, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari shared video footage showing some of the destruction. Unfortunately the report cannot be independently verified.

It is known that Hamas has spent decades building these underground tunnels. The tunnel is believed to be more than 300 miles long.

Gaza Children Are Starving

Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera contains how children in Gaza face hunger, disease and dehydration. Children who survive Israeli bombardment face the highest risk of death.

“The situation is dire. Civilians, especially children, continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing violence,” said Alexandra Saieh of Save the Children, speaking from Washington, US.

“Last week, Save the Children warned that the total number of children killed in just a few weeks in Gaza is higher than the annual number of children killed in all conflicts combined since 2019,” he firmly announced even after the data was releasedş 1,000 children others have been killed.

“We know that more than 1,000 children are missing or trapped under rubble and there is almost no way to save them,” Saieh said.

“If we don’t have a ceasefire, the numbers will continue to get worse,” he added.

Netanyahu wish There is no ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu has again rejected the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza. The comments come amid reports of “talks to temporarily halt fighting”.

“I want to put to rest all kinds of false rumors that we hear from various directions, and reiterate one thing that is clear,” he said.

“There will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages,” he said again.

Rafah Crossing Gate Closed

The Rafah crossing gate is now closed. Even though the gate was important for Gaza residents, Palestinians saved themselves.

US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel did not provide additional details regarding the exact cause of the closure of the crossing between Gaza and Egypt. However, security is said to be the cause.

“The US hope is when the situation [keamanan] resolved, the crossing will be opened periodically to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and allow foreign nationals and other people to leave Gaza,” he said.

Hundreds of US Congressional Staff Strike to Call for a Ceasefire

More than 100 US Congressional staff are on strike to demand a ceasefire. Staff stood guard in front of the US Capitol building and said in a statement that they were “no longer comfortable remaining silent”.

“Our constituents are asking for a ceasefire, and we are the staff who are responding to their call,” they said.

“Most of our bosses on Capitol Hill are not listening to the people they represent. We demand that our leaders speak up,” he added.

A Data for Progress poll released on October 20 showed 66% of US voters want President Joe Biden to call a ceasefire. It is known that 80% of Democratic Party members support this step.

But the Biden administration has resisted pressure to back calls for a ceasefire. He instead said his party was trying to get a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting.

Only a handful of legislators in the US House of Representatives (DPR) have called for a ceasefire despite growing support for a humanitarian pause. Last week, Dick Durbin became the first US senator to call a ceasefire.

Calls for a ceasefire in Gaza are getting louder

Not only in the US, calls for a ceasefire are also strong in the UK. The Walsall Union of Muslim Organizations (UMO) is urging the British government and world leaders to facilitate an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after more than a month of Israeli attacks on the territory.

“In support of calls for a ceasefire, a number of organizations that are part of the UMO will raise the Palestinian flag on November 11 and plan to keep it there for at least a week, or until a ceasefire is reached,” he said in a statement.

Gaza Residents Fly the White Flag

Gaza residents wave white flags and hold identity papers, Tabu. This was done when they flocked to follow Israel’s orders to move from the north to the south.

Videos from the scene, including those published by the Israeli military, show a number of Palestinians heading south. Including children, women and the elderly.

Talk to CNN International, the refugees said they had been walking for hours. Some of them carried nothing but water bottles, while others carried white flags, signifying their hopes for a safe journey.

“I brought my ID because I was told it (the road) would be safe, I didn’t know if I would be allowed to enter or arrive south,” he said.

“I am a resident of the Al-Shejaiya neighborhood… We saw death with our own eyes, the floor exploded from under us. I only have one son and three daughters, I can’t walk, where should we go? There is no house, nothing food, no water; they left us nothing,” said Zaher, a mother of four.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, around 5,000 people fled to southern Gaza on foot over four hours on Monday. Israel has claimed to open a “humanitarian corridor” for four hours every day for Gazans to move south.

UN Says Israel Commits War Crimes

The UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing has warned that Israel’s “systematic” bombing of housing and civilian facilities is illegal. This refers to international humanitarian law.

“Such acts constitute war crimes and if directed against civilians, they also constitute crimes against humanity,” Balakrishnan Rajagopal said in a statement, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

He added that even when fighters take refuge in civilian housing, as Israel alleged in its attack on the Jabalia refugee camp, those buildings are still not legitimate targets.

According to the UN, Israel has destroyed 45% of all housing units in Gaza since October 7 and displaced around 1.5 million people internally.

Backup Generator at Indonesian Hospital Runs Out of Fuel

Medical facilities in northern Gaza will stop functioning as fuel for their backup generators will run out within a day. This news was conveyed by the director of the facility.

“The generator will run out of fuel in 24 hours,” said Atef al-Kahlout. He said the main generator at the hospital was dead.

“If the hospital does not receive fuel supplies in the next 24 hours, its operations will come to a complete halt,” he said.

The Indonesian Hospital Director called on the UN, WHO and ICRC to intervene to secure safe passage for injured Palestinians to be transported to the southern Gaza Strip, and from there to Egypt for treatment.

G7 Minister Warns Iran

Foreign ministers from the G7 have warned Iran of escalation during Israel’s war on Gaza, and said that Tehran must rein in its allied armed groups.

“We call on Iran to refrain from providing support to Hamas and taking further actions that destabilize the Middle East, including support to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other non-state actors, and to use its influence over such groups to defuse regional tensions,” they said. ministers in a joint statement following talks in Japan.

Iran has emerged as one of the most vocal countries opposing Israel’s bombing of Gaza, and has warned Israel and its closest allies that the war could spill over into the US.

Israel Attacks the International Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed shock at Israel’s attack on its convoy on Tuesday. Two trucks were damaged and a driver was slightly injured when an ICRC convoy carrying life-saving medical supplies to a health facility was engulfed in flames.

“We strongly emphasize that humanitarian convoys, medical convoys, facilities and personnel enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law,” said ICRC spokesperson Alyona Synenko.

“International humanitarian law says that civilian facilities, critical infrastructure, civilians must be distinguished from military objects, military personnel. We have spoken to those parties and we have called publicly for respect for international humanitarian law, because of the number of humanitarian victims in the conflict “What we see now in the field is very surprising,” he stressed.

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