THE Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said that 241 people were killed in the past 24 hours as Israel’s army chief vowed fighting would continue for “many more months”.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas (below) has called the war a “grave crime" against his people as Israel said it hit more than 100 sites on Tuesday.
According to the health ministry, at least 20,915 Palestinians have now been killed in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Palestinian medical sources said six Palestinians were killed in an overnight Israeli drone strike in the Nur Shams refugee camp.
Speaking to an Egyptian TV channel, Abbas described the war as “beyond a catastrophe” and “beyond a war of annihilation”.
He said the area had become unrecognisable and accused the US of prolonging the war by vetoing UN draft resolutions calling for a ceasefire.
Elsewhere, Israel’s army chief Herzi Halevi told a news conference the war would “continue for many more months” to ensure that Israel’s “achievements are preserved for a long time”.
He added: “There are no shortcuts when it comes to thoroughly dismantling a terrorist organisation except being stubborn and determined in the fighting. There are no magic solutions.”
There have been reports that Egypt has proposed a plan for a ceasefire that would see the phased release of all Israeli hostages and a number of Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Office has said it is “gravely concerned about the continued bombardment of Middle Gaza by Israeli forces, which has claimed more than 100 Palestinians since Christmas eve”.
In response, Israel said it would no longer grant automatic visas to UN employees and accused it of being “complicit partners” in Hamas’s tactics.
Government spokesman Eylon Levy said Israel would consider visa requests on a case by case basis which could potentially limit further aid efforts in Gaza.
