Displaced Palestinian children, who fled their house due to Israeli strikes, shelter in a tent camp, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
In the midst of the relentless conflict, Israel firmly rejected allegations on Monday that it intended to force Palestinians fleeing the bombardment in Gaza across the border into Egypt. International relief agencies reported a deepening hunger crisis among the besieged population. Hamas fighters and Israeli troops engaged in intense battles across the territory, with the militants attempting to impede the advance of Israeli tanks through the devastated streets.
The Gaza health ministry disclosed a grim toll, citing 18,205 people killed and 49,645 wounded in Israeli strikes over just two months of warfare. The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, struggling to find shelter and food in the densely populated coastal enclave. Amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation, hunger is spreading, and one Palestinian recounted not having eaten for three days, resorting to begging for bread for his children.
UNRWA, responsible for Palestinian refugees, highlighted the desperate situation, with some arriving at health centers and shelters carrying their deceased children. The agency declared they were on the verge of collapse. Aid agencies warned of a breakdown in social order as conditions worsened.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed fear of mass displacement into Egypt, while UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini suggested attempts to move Gazans over the border. Jordan accused Israel of attempting to empty Gaza of its people, a charge Israel vehemently denied.
Israel’s government, through spokesperson Eylon Levy, refuted the accusations, labeling them “outrageous and false.” Levy emphasized that Israel was defending itself from those who attacked on October 7 in a cross-border assault, the deadliest in Israel’s history, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 240 hostages taken by Hamas gunmen.
The UN Security Council, after witnessing unimaginable suffering during a visit to the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, called for an end to the war. China’s UN envoy succinctly stated, “Enough is enough.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asserted that Israel had no intention of permanently staying in Gaza, expressing openness to discussing alternative control arrangements, as long as the entity in control was not hostile to Israel. Gallant emphasized that Israel’s actions aimed at self-defense against Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and seeks Israel’s destruction.
Accusations of Hamas using civilians as human shields and stealing humanitarian aid were exchanged, with Israel blaming international agencies for aid delays at the Kerem Shalom crossing. The deteriorating situation led to a breakdown of a week-long ceasefire on December 1, prompting an Israeli ground offensive and ongoing clashes across Gaza.
As the conflict escalated, fears of a wider regional conflict grew, with hostilities reigniting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The death toll mounted, and the specter of a broader, uncontrollable conflict loomed over the region. Defense Minister Gallant expressed openness to a possible agreement with Hezbollah, provided it included a safe zone along the border and proper guarantees.
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