AHEAD of an imminent ground assault on Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday convened the first meeting of the emergency cabinet. “If Hamas thought we would fall apart, then no: We will tear Hamas apart,” he said. The Israeli troops are waiting at the border for the green signal to march to Gaza City, from where hundreds of thousands have fled to southern Gaza Strip.
Describing the situation in Gaza Strip as ‘catastrophic’, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency working for Palestine refugees said there is acute shortage of food, water, and medicines for children, pregnant women and elderly in the UN shelters.
According to reports, hospitals in Gaza are packed with wounded people and are running low on fuel and other basic supplies. Medics have warned that thousands could die if power is not restored. Meanwhile, Israel on Sunday reiterated its demand that those in northern Gaza must move to the southern part. It is also planning to resume water supply to southern Gaza.
“This will push the civilian population to the southern (part of the) Strip,” said Israel’s Energy Minister Israel Katz. The move comes a week after Israel had stopped supplying water to the entire territory as part of a “complete siege” imposed on the Palestinian enclave.
On Sunday, Iran and China slammed Israel for escalating the conflict, which has claimed at least 3,600 lives so far. Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned the situation would go out of control if Israel sends its soldiers into Gaza. China said Israel’s actions have far exceeded “the scope of self defence. SpiceJet on Sunday brought in 320 Indian passengers from Israel under Operation Ajay. The airline will operate another flight from Tel Aviv to Delhi on Monday morning.
