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The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Thursday for a delayed resolution addressing the urgent need for aid in Gaza, where the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has resulted in a severe humanitarian emergency.
Tens of thousands of people are crammed into shelters and tent camps amid shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. Israel’s foreign minister traveled to Cyprus to discuss the possibility of establishing a maritime corridor that would allow the delivery of large amounts of humanitarian aid.
A senior official from the Health Ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, reported that on Wednesday, Israel attacked the Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City, resulting in the death of at least 46 individuals and over 100 injuries.
According to the Israeli military, their soldiers have discovered a large network of tunnels underneath Gaza City. The tunnels were equipped with command and control centers, meeting rooms, and secret apartments used by high-ranking Hamas officials.
According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, approximately 20,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since Israel declared war against Hamas. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties. Israel reports that over 130 of its soldiers have died in the ground offensive, which was launched after a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7th. This attack resulted in the death of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the capture of approximately 240 hostages.
Currently:
The United States and Arab countries are using diplomacy to prevent a veto of a UN resolution regarding aid for Gaza.
Israel has revealed the discovery of a hidden Hamas headquarters in Gaza City.
The United States defense secretary paid a surprise visit to an aircraft carrier located in close proximity to Israel.
Israel is seeking to expedite the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza by establishing a sea route through Cyprus.
“The infant sister of a Palestinian child born during the conflict in Gaza was tragically killed in an airstrike by Israeli forces, along with her brother.”
Please visit https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war for additional coverage by AP.
This is the current situation in the war:
A Lebanese woman was killed by Israeli shelling directed at Hezbollah.
The state-run National News Agency of Lebanon reported that an elderly woman in her 80s was killed and her husband was injured due to Israeli shelling in the border town of Maroun El-Ras on Thursday.
The Israeli armed forces declared that they conducted artillery and aerial attacks on Hezbollah militant sites in southern Lebanon during the late hours of Wednesday and early hours of Thursday. They have not yet addressed the reported strike that resulted in the death of a civilian in Lebanon.
Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants have engaged in frequent battles along the Lebanon-Israel border since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to reports from Lebanese media, Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes late on Wednesday, targeting a heavily wooded area over 20 kilometers away from the border.
Earlier today, Hezbollah reported that they had fired surface-to-air missiles at Israeli military helicopters. Later, they stated that one of their members had died in an Israeli attack on a residence in Markaba.
Over 110 members of Hezbollah and at least 16 innocent civilians have lost their lives on the Lebanese side of the border. On the Israeli side, there have been nine soldier deaths and five civilian deaths during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Israeli soldiers have entered a large network of tunnels beneath Gaza City.
The Israeli army reported that soldiers discovered an extensive underground tunnel system beneath Gaza City, containing areas for commanding and controlling operations, holding meetings, and providing shelter for top Hamas officials such as Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh.
On Wednesday, Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for the Israeli army, stated that the rooms were located 20 meters (60 feet) underground and had elevators, stairs, separate water and electricity passages. These rooms were also stocked with water, food, weapons, and communication devices for an extended period of time. Lerner mentioned that one of the rooms was a 150-meter (yards) wide “underground hall”.
The military has released footage allegedly showcasing the subterranean facilities, revealing passageways lined with concrete, blast-resistant doors, air circulation systems, surveillance cameras, electronic devices, and lengthy staircases leading deep into the ground. These underground structures are believed to be centered around Palestine Square in the heart of Gaza City, located beneath shops, government establishments, and residential complexes.
Hamas has constructed extensive tunnels, referred to as the “Gaza metro”, beneath the coastal enclave in order to protect themselves from Israeli airstrikes.
The visit of the Hamas leader to Cairo raises optimism for a potential ceasefire.
The leader of Hamas made a trip to Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This is part of a series of diplomatic efforts to reach a new cease-fire and negotiate the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Despite these efforts, Israel’s offensive continues without any indication of slowing down.
Hamas fighters in Gaza have fiercely resisted as the Israeli military boasts of significant advancement in eliminating them. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s trip to Cairo followed a day in which the group launched rockets that triggered air raid alarms in central Israel.
The country of Israel has urged the global community to designate Hamas as a terrorist group, stating that it must be ousted from control in Gaza following its destructive actions on October 7 that led to the outbreak of war.
However, the parties have recently restarted discussions through intermediaries such as Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
“We are engaged in significant discussions and negotiations, and we are optimistic that they will yield positive results,” stated John Kirby, the national security spokesperson for the White House. He made these remarks on Wednesday while accompanying President Joe Biden on Air Force One.
Source: independent.co.uk
