UN says Gaza is becoming a 'graveyard for children'

Call for ceasefire and hostage release

"The Israeli Defence Forces' ground operations and continued bombardment are hitting civilians, hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches and UN facilities - including shelters. No one is safe," Mr Guterres told reporters.

“Hamas and other militants use civilians as human shields and continue to fire rockets indiscriminately at Israel,” he added, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

A young victim is taken to the emergency room in Gaza. Photo: AP

Israel said 31 soldiers had been killed since it began expanding its ground operation in Gaza on 27 October and reiterated that Hamas was hiding among civilians and in hospitals. Hamas said the suggestion that it had established headquarters in hospitals was a “false narrative that the United Nations needs to verify”.

Health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave say at least 10,022 people have died in Gaza since then, including 4,104 children. “Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children,” Guterres said. “Hundreds of girls and boys are believed to be killed or injured every day.”

International organizations say hospitals are unable to cope with the injured and food and clean water are running low while aid supplies are falling short.

Mr Guterres said 89 people working with the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) were among the dead. UNRWA said five colleagues had died in the past 24 hours.

"We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It's been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now," said an earlier statement by 18 UN organisations.

The United States is working to arrange pauses in the conflict to allow for aid deliveries rather than a full ceasefire. The White House said President Joe Biden discussed such a pause and the release of hostages in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, reiterating his support for Israel and stressing that it must protect civilians.

The Israeli military said the four-hour deadline for civilians to leave the north would be repeated daily. UN monitoring showed fewer than 2,000 people used the corridor on Sunday, citing fear and damaged roads. A US envoy said on Saturday that between 350,000 and 400,000 people remained in northern Gaza.

Israeli infantry approach targets

Regarding the war situation, the Israeli army said its forces had captured a militia area and were ready to attack Hamas militants hiding in tunnels and bunkers in the northern Gaza Strip, after isolating the area with troops and tanks.

Israeli tanks and infantry have begun pouring into densely populated areas in northern Gaza. Photo: AP

They also released video of tanks moving through bombed streets and troops moving on foot. “Now we will start to approach them,” Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht told reporters.

Meanwhile, Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it had destroyed 27 Israeli military vehicles in 48 hours and inflicted significant losses in direct clashes with the Israeli army.

Israel said it was also attacking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to a barrage of rockets fired at northern Israeli cities, escalating the worst clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border since 2006. Hamas said it launched 16 rockets toward Nahariyya and South Haifa in Israel.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, CNN, AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/lien-hop-quoc-noi-gaza-dang-tro-thanh-nghia-dia-cho-tre-em-post271383.html