31-10-2023 (JERUSALEM) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday, October 30, that a ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with Hamas is unlikely to occur. This statement came as the United Nations expressed concerns about the inadequate delivery of aid to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.
Israeli ground forces engaged in combat within the Gaza Strip, while airstrikes targeted the besieged Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory in response to the October 7 attacks, which were the deadliest in Israel’s history.
The ongoing military operations have raised significant concerns for the 2.4 million inhabitants of Gaza. According to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, more than 8,300 people have been killed.
Netanyahu, during a briefing for foreign press, rejected the notion of a ceasefire, equating it to surrendering to Hamas. He cited figures suggesting that Hamas had killed 1,400 people and taken over 230 hostages.
“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism … This will not happen,” he asserted, pledging that Israel would continue the fight until victory is achieved.
The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, also opposed a ceasefire.
“We do not believe that a ceasefire is the right answer right now,” stated National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, suggesting that “pauses” to facilitate aid delivery into Gaza should be considered instead.
As Israeli forces confronted Hamas militants in the narrow Palestinian territory and deployed tanks to the outskirts of Gaza City, concerns over the deepening humanitarian crisis have intensified.
Kirby expressed confidence in increasing the number of aid trucks entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, aiming for approximately 100 trucks daily. However, the volume of aid delivered from Egypt, under a US-brokered agreement, fell significantly short of the hundreds of daily trucks that humanitarian agencies deemed necessary.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, urged the UN Security Council to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. He argued that the existing aid system would fail unless there was political will to make the supply of resources effective, aligning with the overwhelming humanitarian needs.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office specified that food and medicines entering Gaza are subject to control and inspection by Israeli security personnel and are delivered via Egypt. They clarified that the convoys are intended for the civilian population and will be halted if they are seized by Hamas.
The conflict began with a deadly attack by Hamas, resulting in the bloodiest-ever Gaza war. It featured weeks of relentless aerial bombardment and three consecutive nights of ground operations primarily focused on northern Gaza, where Israel had urged civilians to evacuate.
The Israeli military deployed columns of tanks and armored bulldozers, with snipers taking positions in emptied residential buildings. Air strikes caused significant damage to the road infrastructure and buildings before the tanks withdrew.
The Israeli ground forces received substantial support from air and artillery fire, striking over 600 targets within 24 hours.
Hamas claimed to have fired anti-tank missiles at two Israeli armored vehicles, hindering Israeli troop deployment in Gaza. The Israeli military successfully rescued a female soldier, Ori Megidish, from captivity during a ground operation.
Netanyahu emphasized the need for the international community to demand the immediate and unconditional release of captives still held by Hamas.
Hamas released a video featuring three women hostages, making demands for their release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Netanyahu criticized the video as “cruel psychological propaganda.”
The hostages, numbering over 230 and ranging in age from a few months to over 80, are believed to be held in a network of underground tunnels to shield them from Israeli surveillance and air attacks.
Gaza has been under siege for weeks, resulting in severe shortages of water, food, fuel, and other essentials. Internet access was briefly severed but was later restored following pressure from the United States.
The UN reported that “thousands of people” had looted aid warehouses in Gaza. In Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, donkey carts lined up to obtain scarce safe drinking water.
The situation in Gaza has led to the issuance of evacuation orders for all 10 hospitals in northern Gaza, which currently house thousands of patients and about 117,000 displaced individuals.
Violence has also escalated in the occupied West Bank, where health officials reported approximately 120 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and in settler attacks since the start of the Gaza war.
The conflict has triggered anti-Israel sentiments across the region, including a crowd in Russia’s Muslim-majority Dagestan storming an airport to attack passengers arriving from Tel Aviv. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of responsibility for the “deadly chaos” unfolding in the Middle East.
The United States has warned Israel’s adversaries, particularly Iran-aligned groups, against becoming further involved after a series of attacks in the region. Meanwhile, violence has increased in the occupied West Bank, resulting in casualties among Palestinians due to Israeli fire and settler attacks since the commencement of the Gaza war.
