Gaza accuses Israel of 47 truce violations; Netanyahu limits Rafah aid
Gaza authorities have accused Israel of violating the armistice with Hamas 47 times since it came into effect, with 38 Palestinians killed and 143 others injured, The Guardian reports.
The Gaza authorities have called on the United Nations and the agreement’s guarantors to urgently intervene, demanding Israel end the ongoing aggression and protect unarmed civilians.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Rafah crossing – a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid – would only be reopened after Hamas hands over the bodies of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza.
His office said: "Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered the Rafah crossing to remain closed until further notice. Its reopening will be considered based on how Hamas fulfils its obligations to return the hostages and the bodies of the deceased and implements the agreed terms."
Eleven members of a Palestinian family were killed by Israeli forces on Friday in what was described as the most serious violation of the fragile truce since it took effect a week earlier. The Gaza Civil Defence Agency said the family were trying to reach their home in the Zeitoun district of Gaza City when their bus was attacked for allegedly crossing the "yellow line" that marks areas controlled by the Israeli army.
Images released by the Gaza Civil Defence Agency show the family’s bodies during the recovery operation, carried out in collaboration with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Among the dead are seven children and three women.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said a suspicious vehicle was identified crossing the yellow line and approaching troops in the northern Gaza Strip. They said: "The troops fired warning shots at the suspicious vehicle, but it continued to approach the troops in a manner that placed them in imminent danger. The troops opened fire to eliminate the threat, in accordance with the agreement."
Israel and Hamas have continued to accuse each other of violating the truce. Israel accused the militant group of breaking the ceasefire agreement by not returning the remains of deceased hostages. On Monday, Hamas returned the last 20 surviving hostages, but handed over only 10 of the 28 deceased captives, stating that it would require specialized equipment to recover the rest from the ruins in Gaza.
Turkey has sent dozens of disaster relief specialists to help search for bodies under the rubble, Digi24 reports. Body recovery efforts continue after one week of the truce, with the Palestinian death toll now exceeding 68,000, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The Gaza Civil Defence Agency estimates the bodies of about 10,000 people are trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The task facing rescuers is immense, given that an estimated 60 million tonnes of debris remain across the territory.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
