FLASH
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Despite its growing international isolation, demonstrated by the UN General Assembly's decision for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, Israel continues its all-out bombing and ground operations throughout the Palestinian Strip, defying increasingly frequent warnings strictly from Washington.
"Israel will continue its war against Hamas with or without international support. A ceasefire at this stage would be a gift to the terrorist organization Hamas and would allow it to regroup and threaten the citizens of Israel again," Secretary of State Eli Cohen said yesterday.
The day before, Joe Biden had launched the strongest criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu's government since the beginning of the war. Speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser ahead of the 2024 election battle, the US president assessed that Israel is beginning to lose the support of the international community due to the indiscriminate bombing, between fighters and civilians, in Gaza. In addition, he noted that the Netanyahu government is "the most conservative" in the history of the Jewish state and called on the Israeli prime minister to change the composition of the cabinet, stressing that he cannot say no to the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
During the same event, he recalled an incident where Netanyahu told him in a private conversation that America bombed Germany, dropped the atomic bomb, killed innocents. While Biden responded by saying that this is why all these institutions were created after the war. So that these things don't happen again. Don't do what we did after 9/11. The invasion of Afghanistan was a mistake."
Hours later, the US and Israel shared a major diplomatic defeat at the UN. The General Assembly of the international organization voted by a large majority (153 in favor - 10 against - 23 abstentions) a resolution for an immediate ceasefire, presented by Arab and Muslim states, identical to the one voted on Friday the 13th by the 15 members , of the Security Council, but was not approved by the body due to the veto exercised by the Americans.
Who wants a truce?
Among the 153 countries demanding an immediate ceasefire are most of the EU member states, including Albania. Although the decisions of the General Assembly are not legally binding, their political message is hard to ignore, especially as the pro-ceasefire majority expands. An earlier resolution in late October was approved with 120 votes against and 45 abstentions.
Along with the shelling, strong winds and heavy storms that hit Gaza yesterday made life even more difficult in the IDP camps in Rafah and elsewhere in the southern part of the Strip, with torn tents, soaked blankets and children in despair. .
At the same time, deadly street fighting continued in many parts of the Belt. In the Sejaya neighborhood of Gaza City, nine Israeli soldiers were killed in a triple ambush by Palestinian fighters in the rubble created by the sweeping bombardment.
The dead included a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, two majors and a captain. A total of 115 Israeli soldiers have been killed in operations in Gaza. In a statement, Hamas claims that the incident in question proves that the Israeli army neither controls nor will manage to control the Strip. At the same time, fierce clashes were taking place in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza as well as in the southern town of Khan Younis. A poll by an independent Palestinian think tank conducted during the week-long ceasefire shows that 88% of Palestinians want President Mahmoud Abbas to step down, while Hamas's influence is on the rise, reaching 42% in Gaza and 44% in the West Bank. / Reuters
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