The offensive on Gaza saw no respite as Israeli forces continued their air strikes and shelling, killing and injuring many more civilians. The Strip has been reeling under the barbaric attacks by the occupation force for more than eight months leading to dire humanitarian conditions prompting repeated warnings by international agencies about malnutrition among kids and famine if aid doesn’t reach the displaced people on an urgent basis.
In a statement, the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva H E Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah said that in its aggression on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli forces employed policies of killing, starvation, siege, and the complete destruction of infrastructure and civilian facilities such as hospitals and schools, as well as cutting off water, electricity, fuel, food, and medical supplies, which clearly reflect Israel’s desire to continue its collective punishment of and revenge on the Palestinians, along with rendering the Gaza Strip uninhabitable.
The number of martyrs in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli aggressionhas reached 37,396 as of yesterday. There were 85,523 injured in these mindless attacks. And a majority ofthe deceased and injured are children and women.
Instead of following international laws and listening to the saner voices of the mediators, the occupation force is trying to escalate the war by attacking Lebanon in a “total war” pushing the region deeper intouncertainty. There were reports by Lebanese media about strikes along the border.
The onslaught on the border towns and villages has claimed many civilian lives and caused many to flee their homes. Implementing a permanent ceasefire has become very important as escalating the war will create chaos in the whole region and will only create more misery and suffering.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has warned that “no place” in Israel would be spared in case of full-blown war.Lebanon’s Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that Beirut does not seek escalation, stressing that stopping the persistent Israeli aggression on Lebanon is required immediately to maintain calm and stability in the south of Lebanon.
The time is now to stop the suffering of millions, to stop the escalation of the conflict, to start providing the much-needed aid to the Gaza Strip, to start rebuilding and to reach a final solution for the good of all. The international community has to act NOW and bring this mindless and endless violence against civilians including children to a halt before it gets completely out of hand and consumes more innocent lives.
