Ceasefire elusive as Israel continues to pound Gaza

Israeli fighter jets continued to pummel the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Wednesday, flattening residential buildings and killing at least four Palestinians, including a journalist.

The latest raids came as Palestinian groups launched more rockets towards cities in southern Israel. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Israeli fighter jets continued to pummel the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Wednesday, flattening residential buildings and killing at least four Palestinians, including a journalist.

The latest raids came as Palestinian groups launched more rockets towards cities in southern Israel. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Earlier, Israeli forces shot dead four other Palestinians and wounded scores more during protests and a historic general strike in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

At least 219 Palestinians, including 63 children, have been killed in Gaza since the latest violence flared on May 10. About 1,500 Palestinians have been wounded.

Twelve people in Israel have died, including two children, while at least 300 Israelis have been wounded.

Despite the escalating violence – now in its tenth day – diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers have failed to make much headway.

The United States continued to block the UN Security Council from issuing a joint statement urging an end to the hostilities, telling diplomats that a public statement would not help calm the tensions.

France, however, says it is working with Israel’s neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, on a new ceasefire resolution. China said it was “supportive” of the French proposal.

58 Palestinians in occupied West Bank arrested

The number of protesters arrested by Israeli police in the occupied West Bank rises to 58, according to Adalah Legal Centre.

Turkey rejects US claims of Erdogan’s anti-Semitism

Turkey rejected accusations by the United States that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made “anti-Semitic” remarks in his criticism of Israeli strikes in Gaza, his party’s spokesman said.

“Accusing our president of anti-Semitism is an illogical and untrue approach. This is a lie said about our president,” Omer Celik tweeted.

Four people killed in Gaza

Israeli air raids killed at least four people in Gaza, destroyed seven residential houses, a youth centre in the southern town of Khan Younis and a charity centre in Rafah, local media reported.

The four Palestinians killed include a journalist in Gaza City’s western area of Radwan and a family composed of husband, wife and son after their apartment was hit in Gaza City.

Members of the al-Astal family, whose house was among the seven destroyed overnight, said a warning missile struck the building five minutes before its bombardment.

Four people killed in Gaza

Israeli air raids killed at least four people in Gaza, destroyed seven residential houses, a youth centre in the southern town of Khan Younis and a charity centre in Rafah, local media reported.

The four Palestinians killed include a journalist in Gaza City’s western area of Radwan and a family composed of husband, wife and son after their apartment was hit in Gaza City.

Members of the al-Astal family, whose house was among the seven destroyed overnight, said a warning missile struck the building five minutes before its bombardment.

UNRWA appeals for immediate humanitarian access

UNRWA is “deeply worried” about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, while it appealed for the immediate opening of the Erez and Karam Abu Salem crossings into the enclave.

The two crossings would enable the movement of critical humanitarian personnel, such as security officers, trauma coordinators and humanitarian supplies.

The ongoing hostilities are also taking place along a COVID-related health crisis in the Palestinian territories. “The pandemic, with people crowding seeking refuge, remains a serious emergency: Gaza and the West Bank just had the highest COVID-19 outbreaks recently, worse than India in terms of rate,” read a statement from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

21 Palestinians arrested in the occupied West Bank

The Israeli police arrested 21 Palestinians protesters in various cities across the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa news agency.

Three were arrested in the city of Hebron, three in Nablus, three in Jenin and four on Bethlehem, local media reported.

Chile’s Palestine community protest against Israeli raids

Chile’s Palestinian community – the largest outside the Middle East, with more than 300,000 people – staged a protest in Santiago on Tuesday, denouncing Israel’s deadly air attacks against Gaza.

More than 1,000 people met at the Club Palestino football headquarters in eastern Santiago, the AFP news agency reported.

Maurice Khamis, president of the Palestinian Community of Chile, said the protesters wanted to add “to the demonstrations that have taken place around the world… and also to support the hundreds of Palestinian civilian victims who have died in these Israeli attacks and bombings”.

Israel dropped 122 bombs on Gaza in 25 minutes

The Israeli military dropped 122 bombs on Gaza during a 25 minute period on Tuesday night, the Times of Israel reported.

The raids, which began at 10pm local time, targeted an underground Hamas tunnel network in Gaza, the website said, quoting military spokesman, Hidai Zilberman.

Radio journalist killed in Gaza

A fourth Palestinian was killed in Israel’s continuing raids on Gaza Strip, according to local media.

Yusef Abu Hussein was a journalist at the radio station, al-Aqsa Voice, according to the Wafa news agency and the Shehab news agency.