West News Wire: Many in the world community have condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians and children during Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
The most recent round of attacks on Gaza had claimed the lives of at least 25 Palestinians. On Thursday, the third day of the strikes, by the afternoon, four individuals had already passed away.
In a statement on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an urgent end to the “unacceptable” civilian killings in Gaza.
Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesperson, commented on Guterres’ behalf and stated, “Israel must comply by its commitments under international humanitarian law, including the proportional use of force and taking all practicable precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.
The Arab League also slammed the “barbaric Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, which targeted civilians, children, and women in residential neighbourhoods”.
The attacks were denounced by a number of national governments as well.
In a statement, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was “with amazement” that they had learnt about Israel’s bombing campaign: “These bombings resulted in the deaths of Palestinian residents, including civilians, especially children.
“The Brazilian Government expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and expresses its solidarity with the people and administration of the State of Palestine.”
The attacks were denounced by Jordan and Turkey as well, with the latter calling them “unacceptable”.
Israel’s attack, dubbed “Operation Shield and Arrow,” began on Tuesday after nighttime raids by Israeli aircraft resulted in the deaths of 13 individuals.
In retaliation, the Palestinian Joint Command, an umbrella organisation of armed groups in Gaza that includes Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, launched missiles towards Israel on Wednesday under the banner of “Operation Revenge for the Free”.
Following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza on Wednesday night, hundreds of Palestinian rockets were fired at southern and central Israel.
Although Egypt had been at the forefront of efforts to mediate a ceasefire, fierce fighting persisted into the early hours of Thursday.
According to reports, Israel has reportedly refused to promise to stop assassinating Palestinian leaders inside their homes, which the Palestinians have stated would be a crucial requirement for any ceasefire.
A number of countries have also condemned Palestinian rocket fire, with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reaffirming Washington’s “ironclad support for Israel’s security”.
Germany also hit out at “indiscriminate” Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel that it said should “stop immediately”.
