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| Israeli bombing in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 20, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by AFP) |
NEWSLINE PAPER,- Six women and five children were among the at least 22 people who died after Israeli warplanes bombarded the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight into Monday, according to Palestinian health authorities. An child of five days old was among the victims, cruelly raising the number of civilian deaths in the continuing fighting.
Near the Egyptian border, in Rafah, a key Hamas stronghold, residential neighbourhoods were the focus of the attacks. Citing the city as a vital Hamas bastion and an affront to Israeli security, Israeli authorities have threatened to conduct a ground offensive there on several occasions. The growing violence has forced over a million Palestinians to seek safety in Rafah, raising questions from foreign observers about the possible humanitarian ramifications of more military action.
The most recent airstrikes occur in the middle of intensified diplomatic attempts to mediate a ceasefire in the area. With the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas conflict more than six months ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his seventh diplomatic trip to the Middle East. The need of figuring out a diplomatic solution to the growing violence is highlighted by Blinken's visit, which includes visits in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel.
Prospects for a truce are still hazy, though, as Israel and Hamas keep exchanging fire, which is aggravating worries about the humanitarian situation developing in Gaza. President Joe Biden's most recent phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasises how serious the situation is and how quickly tensions must be defused.
Health officials in Palestine reported a terrible toll on civilian casualties following the attacks, with families grieving the loss of loved ones. Women and children among the many casualties of the strikes that targeted residential areas were women. International observers have denounced the indiscriminate character of the attacks and demanded an instant end to hostilities in order to avert more casualties.
The number of civilian casualties rising as the fighting approaches its seventh month and the cycle of bloodshed showing no signs of stopping. While there is increasing pressure on the international community to step in and negotiate a long-term truce, there are still major obstacles in the way of resolving the underlying reasons of the war and developing a long-term settlement that all sides can live with.
Critics of the Biden administration's handling of the issue, however, are casting doubt on the effectiveness of American support for Israel and its contribution to a peaceful settlement. Everyone is watching Blinken's diplomatic trip to the Middle East to see how his talks turn out and if they can stop the violence and misery in Gaza.Six women and five children were among the at least 22 people who died after Israeli warplanes bombarded the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight into Monday, according to Palestinian health authorities. An child of five days old was among the victims, cruelly raising the number of civilian deaths in the continuing fighting.
Near the Egyptian border, in Rafah, a key Hamas stronghold, residential neighbourhoods were the focus of the attacks. Citing the city as a vital Hamas bastion and an affront to Israeli security, Israeli authorities have threatened to conduct a ground offensive there on several occasions. The growing violence has forced over a million Palestinians to seek safety in Rafah, raising questions from foreign observers about the possible humanitarian ramifications of more military action.
The most recent airstrikes occur in the middle of intensified diplomatic attempts to mediate a ceasefire in the area. With the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas conflict more than six months ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his seventh diplomatic trip to the Middle East. The need of figuring out a diplomatic solution to the growing violence is highlighted by Blinken's visit, which includes visits in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel.
Prospects for a truce are still hazy, though, as Israel and Hamas keep exchanging fire, which is aggravating worries about the humanitarian situation developing in Gaza. President Joe Biden's most recent phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasises how serious the situation is and how quickly tensions must be defused.
Health officials in Palestine reported a terrible toll on civilian casualties following the attacks, with families grieving the loss of loved ones. Women and children among the many casualties of the strikes that targeted residential areas were women. International observers have denounced the indiscriminate character of the attacks and demanded an instant end to hostilities in order to avert more casualties.
The number of civilian casualties rising as the fighting approaches its seventh month and the cycle of bloodshed showing no signs of stopping. While there is increasing pressure on the international community to step in and negotiate a long-term truce, there are still major obstacles in the way of resolving the underlying reasons of the war and developing a long-term settlement that all sides can live with.
Critics of the Biden administration's handling of the issue, however, are casting doubt on the effectiveness of American support for Israel and its contribution to a peaceful settlement. Everyone is watching Blinken's diplomatic trip to the Middle East to see how his talks turn out and if they can stop the violence and misery in Gaza.Six women and five children were among the at least 22 people who died after Israeli warplanes bombarded the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight into Monday, according to Palestinian health authorities. An child of five days old was among the victims, cruelly raising the number of civilian deaths in the continuing fighting.
Near the Egyptian border, in Rafah, a key Hamas stronghold, residential neighbourhoods were the focus of the attacks. Citing the city as a vital Hamas bastion and an affront to Israeli security, Israeli authorities have threatened to conduct a ground offensive there on several occasions. The growing violence has forced over a million Palestinians to seek safety in Rafah, raising questions from foreign observers about the possible humanitarian ramifications of more military action.
The most recent airstrikes occur in the middle of intensified diplomatic attempts to mediate a ceasefire in the area. With the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas conflict more than six months ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his seventh diplomatic trip to the Middle East. The need of figuring out a diplomatic solution to the growing violence is highlighted by Blinken's visit, which includes visits in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel.
Prospects for a truce are still hazy, though, as Israel and Hamas keep exchanging fire, which is aggravating worries about the humanitarian situation developing in Gaza. President Joe Biden's most recent phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasises how serious the situation is and how quickly tensions must be defused.
Health officials in Palestine reported a terrible toll on civilian casualties following the attacks, with families grieving the loss of loved ones. Women and children among the many casualties of the strikes that targeted residential areas were women. International observers have denounced the indiscriminate character of the attacks and demanded an instant end to hostilities in order to avert more casualties.
The number of civilian casualties rising as the fighting approaches its seventh month and the cycle of bloodshed showing no signs of stopping. While there is increasing pressure on the international community to step in and negotiate a long-term truce, there are still major obstacles in the way of resolving the underlying reasons of the war and developing a long-term settlement that all sides can live with.
Critics of the Biden administration's handling of the issue, however, are casting doubt on the effectiveness of American support for Israel and its contribution to a peaceful settlement. All eyes are on how Blinken negotiates and whether they will be able to stop the violence and misery in Gaza as he sets out on his diplomatic journey to the Middle East.