فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Gaza: The Palestinian Civil Defense reported on Wednesday that at least 80 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, while US diplomacy noted progress in ongoing mediation efforts, on the sidelines of a regional tour by Donald Trump.
During a visit to Qatar, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff stated that the American president discussed the Gaza Strip with the Qatari Emir. “I think it’s going to lead to good things (…) we’re moving forward and have a good plan together,” he told reporters, without elaborating.
Hamas, for its part, called on the US president to “continue his efforts to end the war” triggered by the unprecedented attack launched by the Palestinian Islamist movement against Israel on October 7, 2023.
An Israeli delegation arrived in Qatar on Tuesday – a mediator alongside Egypt and the United States – for negotiations on the hostages taken on October 7 who are still held captive in Gaza. Witkoff also discussed this issue in the morning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On the ground, the Israeli army on Wednesday called for the evacuation of a sector of Gaza City (north), announcing a “high-intensity” attack.
According to a previous toll published by the Palestinian Civil Defense, Israeli raids killed at least 80 people on Wednesday, including 59 in the northern part of the Palestinian territory, particularly in the Jabalia camp.
UN Demands Gaza Ceasefire
AFP images from Jabalia showed weeping women mourning around white shrouds stained with blood.
“This is a nine-month-old baby. What did he do wrong?” one of them cried out.
“Those who don’t die from a missile die of hunger, and those who don’t die of hunger die from lack of medicine,” lamented another Palestinian, Hassan Moqbel, who lost relatives in the bombing.
“There are not enough beds, no medicine, and no way to treat [the injured],” Mohammad Awad, an emergency worker at the Indonesian hospital near Jabalia, told AFP. “Many injured people die due to lack of care,” he said, describing bodies “lying on the ground, in the corridors of the hospital.”
Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday of an upcoming “forceful” entry of the Israeli army into Gaza to “complete the operation and defeat Hamas.”
Israel, he added, is seeking countries willing to accept residents of Gaza, following a plan announced by his government for the “conquest” of the Palestinian territory.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Netanyahu on Wednesday of continuing the war “for personal reasons” and called for a “ceasefire at all costs” in Gaza.
Sixty-seven former hostages, for their part, urged Netanyahu and Trump to find a negotiated solution to secure the release of all remaining captives in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and “unfettered humanitarian access” to the Palestinian territory.
On March 18, the Israeli army broke a two-month truce and resumed its offensive in Gaza, seizing large areas.
Israeli forces have also blocked all entry of vital humanitarian aid since March 2, crucial for the 2.4 million Gazans.
Several NGOs, including Doctors of the World, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Oxfam, have warned of the risk of a “mass famine” if the aid blockade continues.
MSF cautioned against the “eradication of Palestinians in Gaza,” as Palestinians commemorate this week the “Nakba,” their mass exodus linked to the creation of Israel 77 years ago.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounced an “unjustifiable” humanitarian situation.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron described the actions of Netanyahu’s government as “shameful.” The Israeli leader, in turn, accused him of siding with a “terrorist organization.”
The October 7 attack launched from the Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians.
Of the 251 people abducted that day, 57 remain held in Gaza – including 34 declared dead by the Israeli army – after the release on Monday of Israeli-American Edan Alexander.
Israeli retaliatory attacks have killed at least 52,928 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to the latest data from the Hamas-run health ministry, figures deemed reliable by the UN.
