IRIA News

More than 25,000 Palestinians are now dead in Gaza while thousands remain displaced and injured as Israel continues its relentless attacks in the besieged city of 2.5 million. Most of the casualties were women and children, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, and thousands more bodies were likely to remain uncounted under rubble across.

Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra reported that Israeli attacks on January 21, 2023, resulted in at least 178 deaths within 24 hours, making it one of the deadliest days since the war started. He added that an estimated death toll of more than three months of Israel’s war on Gaza has reached 25,105.

Since October 7, at least 85% of Gaza’s population has been displaced from their homes, with hundreds of thousands seeking refuge in UN-managed shelters and makeshift camps in the southern part of the small coastal enclave. UN officials report that a quarter of the population, totaling 2.3 million, is facing starvation due to the limited flow of humanitarian aid caused by ongoing hostilities and Israeli restrictions.

The Israeli military claims it has killed around 9,000 Hamas militants, without providing evidence, and blames the high civilian death toll on Hamas because it fights in dense, residential neighborhoods. That military also says 195 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of the Gaza offensive.

“Heartbreaking” deaths: UN Chief

Addressing a worldwide summit in Kampala, Uganda, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Israel’s three-month-long assault. Guterres expressed deep concern over the extensive destruction and civilian casualties, stating, “Israel’s military operations have caused unprecedented mass destruction and loss of civilian lives in my tenure as secretary-general.”

While speaking at the opening of the G77+China, a coalition of 135 developing countries, Guterres characterized the situation as heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable. He emphasized the volatile nature of the Middle East, calling it a tinderbox, and urged collective efforts to prevent the escalation of conflict throughout the region.

Protests in Israel

The casualties, devastation, and forced relocations witnessed in the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict are unprecedented. This conflict has created divisions even among Israelis as Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to keep up the offensive until Hamas is wiped out, with Israel also ramping up fighting on other fronts.

Expressing anger towards the Israeli government and calling for the release of remaining hostages, concerned family members and others have established a tent camp outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. They have pledged to remain there until a resolution is achieved.

US urges for a two-state solution

Despite offering diplomatic and military support to Israel’s offensive, the United States has faced challenges in persuading the Israeli administration to agree to a two-state solution to de-escalate the situation and minimize the risk to civilians. The White House has said the US and Israel “clearly see things differently” when it comes to a two-state solution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed calls from the U.S. and the international community for post-war plans that include a pathway to Palestinian statehood. The UN Secretary-General deemed the rejection of a two-state solution as “completely unacceptable.”

Grant Shapps, the British defense secretary, said Netanyahu’s refusal was “disappointing” but not a “surprise”. “I don’t think we get to a solution unless there’s a two-state solution,” he said.

Stakeholders are concerned about the prospect of a fresh conflict along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where tensions have been high for the past few weeks. Analysts note that both Israel and Hezbollah are meticulously gauging their deployment of violence, but there has been a notable escalation, heightening the potential for unintended escalation that could lead to war.