DEATH TOLL IN GAZA SOARS TO 188 AS ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT CONTINUES

The death toll in Palestine due to Israeli airstrikes has reached 188 as the conflict entered its seventh day on Sunday. According to the Israeli military, most of those killed in Gaza since the start of the current round of violence were either members of terror groups or were killed by errant Palestinian rockets.

On the other hand, more than 2,500 rockets have been fired from Gaza towards Israel since Monday, killing 10 people in the Jewish nation, including an Indian national, The Times of Israel reported citing the country’s military. This comes as Israel launched the latest round of airstrikes on Gaza earlier on Sunday, which have killed 33 Palestinians, while numerous buildings were destroyed.

The situation on the border between Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip has been deteriorating for the last week. Earlier this month, the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict started when the unrest began in East Jerusalem over an Israeli court’s decision to evict several Palestinian families from the area.

Israeli warplanes on Saturday destroyed a building in Gaza City with offices of various media groups, including Al Jazeera and the American Associated Press. Al-Jala Tower is the fourth multi-storey building targeted by Israeli warplanes since Monday, reported Anadolu News Agency.

The offices of Mayadeen Company for media services, radio station of Voice of Prisoners, and Doha Media Center were among the media offices destroyed by the shelling.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden held telephonic conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed his strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups.

Biden noted in his conversation with Netanyahu that “this current period of conflict has tragically claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children”, according to a readout of the call released by the White House. “The President reaffirmed his strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. He condemned these indiscriminate attacks against towns and cities across Israel,” the White House said in a statement.

He raised concerns about the safety and security of journalists and reinforced the need to ensure their protection. The President shared his grave concern about the inter-communal violence across Israel.

Biden also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and discussed the violence in Gaza, in which he called for Hamas, the authority’s rival, to stop firing rockets into Israel.

It was the first phone call between the two leaders since Biden assumed office.

President Biden “stressed the need for Hamas to cease firing rockets into Israel”, and the two men “expressed their shared concern that innocent civilians, including children, have tragically lost their lives amidst the ongoing violence,” the White House said.

The White House says Biden “expressed his support for steps to enable the Palestinian people to enjoy the dignity, security, freedom, and economic opportunity that they deserve” and highlighted the recent US decision to resume assistance to the Palestinian people, including economic and humanitarian assistance to benefit Palestinians in the West bank and Gaza.