Israeli ground forces ‘expanding operations’ in Gaza
- Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, particularly in the north of the enclave, increases in intensity as military spokesperson says Israeli ground forces are “expanding operations”.
- UN General Assembly passes non-binding resolution calling for humanitarian truce in Gaza.
‘Children will bear the brunt’ of expanded Israeli operation: Aid group
The Save the Children group said that “children are at heightened risk of loss of life, physical harm, severe emotional distress, and protracted displacement following the announced ‘expanded ground operations’ by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
The group called for an immediate ceasefire.
“This is pure horror for all children and their parents. Across the Gaza Strip, more than one million children are trapped in the middle of an active conflict zone with no safe place to go and no route to safety,” Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territories, said in a statement.
Ilhan Omar warns of ‘disastrous consequences’ of Gaza ground invasion
US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has warned that an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza would have “disastrous consequences”, including risking pulling Washington into an expanded regional conflict.
“We should fully oppose it,” Omar said in a statement.
“A ground invasion would make an untenable humanitarian disaster even worse. It would not only put the lives of more and more Palestinian civilians at risk, but also Israelis, the hundreds of hostages held by Hamas, and the hundreds of Americans trapped in Gaza.”
What aid groups have lost contact with Gaza staff?
An array of humanitarian groups say they have lost contact with their staff in Gaza, as the bombarded enclave has been plunged into a near-total communications blackout.
The WHO and UNICEF – both UN agencies – said they are unable to communicate with their teams on the ground.
“This siege makes me gravely concerned for their safety and the immediate health risks of vulnerable patients,” WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus posted on X.
Here are some of the other groups that say they can no longer reach their teams on the ground:
- The Palestine Red Crescent Society
- Doctors Without Borders
- Quaker American Friends Service Committee
- UK- and Lebanon-based Medical Aid for Palestinians
- ActionAid UK
