Hamas war enters 11th week: International leaders deliberate on the crisis
Israel is intensifying efforts to gain complete control of the northern Gaza Strip from Hamas militants, prompting discussions between American and Israeli leaders on the 11-week-long conflict, as reported by Reuters.
The United Nations Security Council has appealed for increased aid to the Palestinian enclave, according to Reuters.
On Saturday, thick smoke filled the skies above the northern city of Jabalia as residents reported persistent airstrikes and tank bombardments from Israeli forces, reaching deeper into the city.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the "objectives and phasing" of Israel's military operations, emphasizing the need to protect civilian lives and ensure the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group, as stated by the White House.
Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would continue the war until all its objectives were fully achieved, his office conveyed. Despite expressing concerns about the rising casualties and the humanitarian crisis in the densely populated Gaza Strip, the U.S., Israel's main ally, maintained its support. American officials anticipate a shift to a lower-intensity phase targeting Hamas leadership and infrastructure. Biden told reporters he "has not called for a ceasefire," while Netanyahu's office thanked the U.S. for its position at the UN Security Council.
On Friday, the Council, after days of disputes, avoided a U.S. veto threat by removing an immediate ceasefire call from a resolution and diluting Israeli control over aid deliveries. Both the U.S. and Israel oppose a ceasefire, arguing it would allow Iran-supported Hamas to regroup and rearm.
The U.S. abstained from the final statement, which urges measures for "safe, unimpeded, and extensive humanitarian access" in Gaza and conditions for a "sustainable cessation" of hostilities.
The Palestinian toll reached 20,258 deaths, as announced by the Palestinian Ministry of Health on Saturday, with thousands more believed to be trapped under rubble. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced.
Israel reported on Sunday that 154 of its soldiers have been killed since launching the ground incursion in response to Hamas' October 7 attacks in Israel, which left 1,200 dead and 240 hostages in the militants' hands.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
