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20-05-2021
Bureau Report + Agencies + Int’l Monitoring Desk
UNITED NATIONS/ GAZA CITY/ JERUSALEM/ ISLAMABAD: Israeli fighter jets continued to pound the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding several more as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied calls for a de-escalation.
At least 230 Palestinians, including 65 children, have been killed in 11 days of violence.
On the Israeli side, 12 people have been killed.
United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday discussed the events in Gaza with Netanyahu, telling the caretaker leader that he expected “a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire”, but shortly after Biden’s phone call, Netanyahu said he was “determined” to continue bombarding Gaza until Israel’s “aim is met”.
The UN Security Council’s efforts for a truce between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers remain stalled, meanwhile, with the US continuing to veto action on the issue.
No unified statement expected from UNGA: correspondent
Reporting from the United Nations headquarters in New York, Al Jazeera’s Kirsten Saloomey says that despite strong statements from individuals, no unified statement is expected from the General Assembly.
“We are seeing individually very strong statements, as a group, we do not expect any unified statement from the General Assembly, just like we have to see yet one from the Security Council,” Saloomey added.
“Efforts are ongoing … to come to some sort of an outcome statement, but we were told by the Palestinian ambassador and representative from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, who called this meeting, that their first priority was to shine a light on the ongoing situation and amplify calls for a ceasefire.”
‘Atmosphere of anticipation’ for Palestinians towards ceasefire: correspondent
Al Jazeera’s correspondent Ramallah Houda Abdel- Hamid reporting from Ramallah said there was an “atmosphere of anticipation” towards a ceasefire and mixed feelings.
“So far we haven’t had any official indication is that the ceasefire is imminent, even though it’s kind of out there,” she said.
“A ceasefire will be welcomed but a lot of Palestinians (are wondering)… what will (we) get out of it, are we going to get the status quo, is nothing going to change?”
‘If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza’: UN Chief
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that “if there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza”.
Guterres called for an “immediate end” to the fighting and said he was “deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment” by Israeli forces on Gaza.
He added that the “indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas” and other groups towards Israel – which have left 12 dead, including two children – was also “unacceptable”.
Netanyahu under pressure to end Gaza bombardment: correspondent
Reporting from West Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan said Israeli Prime Minister Benjami Netanyahu was under pressure to bring this escalation of violence to an end.
“It really depends on who you speak to. If you are speaking to people involved in Israeli politics here, they said the PM Benjamin Netanyahu is under a tremendous amount of pressure to bring this to an end but if you speak to him, or at least listen to his public statements, he says this could go on for as long as absolutely necessary,” Khan reported.
“In fact, just two days ago, he was saying he had options there was deterrence in Gaza or he could conquer Gaza.”
Germany’s Merkel, Palestinian President Abbas back ceasefire efforts
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone on Thursday to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the current Israeli bombardment of Gaza, with both agreeing to support efforts to reach a ceasefire, Merkel’s spokesman said.
The two leaders “agreed that efforts for a speedy ceasefire should continue to be supported,” Steffen Seibert said in a statement.
“The chancellor underlined Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.”
Multiple waves of rockets fired into southern Israel: correspondent
Al Jazeera’s correspondent Safwat al-Khalout in Gaza reported that Israeli artillery shelling was intensifying in response to Hamas’ rockets fire into southern Israel.
“Hamas’ military wing says at least five rounds of rockets were fired into southern Israel including Ashkelon and Ashdod (in the past few hours),” he said.
The Israeli Defense forces said they struck two alleged “Hamas terror tunnels” that were under construction.
ICUs in hospitals packed: journalist
Gaza journalist Youmna Sayed reported that hospitals in the besieged territory were having a hard time coping due to lack of resources and mounting injuries.
“The ICU units are completely overcrowded. The al-Shifa hospital [main hospital in Gaza] has only 10 beds available and now they extended that 35 beds.” she said, adding that 26 people were brought to the hospital so far on Thursday.
However, with power and electricity shortage, the hospital was “having lots of difficulties in running equipment”, Sayed added.
UNWRA calls for $38m aid for Gaza, occupied territories
The United Nations agency UNRWA appealed for help revealing it needed nearly US $40 million in order to assist with humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the occupied territories.
Human Rights Council to meet next week on Palestinian territories
The UN Human Rights Council will hold a special session on May 27 to address “the grave human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”, the UN body said.
“The special session is being convened per an official request submitted late yesterday jointly by Pakistan, as Coordinator of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the State of Palestine,” it added in a statement.
Gaza doctors recount experiences as war rages
For more than 10 days, Palestinian doctors in the Gaza Strip’s main al-Shifa hospital have been working around the clock to save lives during the Israeli army’s relentless bombardment of the besieged enclave.
Al Jazeera spoke to doctors at the hospital about what it means, physically and emotionally, to work amid a raging conflict.
Norway fund dumps firms linked to occupied West Bank settlements
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, has decided to dump two companies involved in the development of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing concerns about potential rights violations.
The fund will divest its holdings in the companies “due to unacceptable risk that the companies contribute to systematic violations of individuals’ rights in situations or war or conflict”, Norway’s central bank said in a statement late Wednesday.
The companies are Shapir Engineering and Industry, a home builder, and Mivne Real Estate, which rents industrial premises in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel, Norway’s central bank said in a statement late Wednesday.
Gaza officials: Estimated costs of damage $322m
The Government Media Office in Gaza said the material losses the Gaza Strip has suffered during Israel’s current offensive amounts to more than $322m.
At least 184 residential towers, houses, and 33 media centers have been completely demolished, with a loss value of $92 million.
Additionally, more than 1,335 housing units were completely or severely demolished, and about 13,000 were partially damaged.
Israeli soldier wounded in by anti-tank missile
An Israeli soldier has been “lightly wounded” by anti-tank fire from the northern Gaza Strip directed at an empty military bus, according to an Israeli army spokesperson.
According to the army, the soldier was injured by shrapnel while standing near the bus.
Gaza death toll rises to 230
The ministry of health in Gaza said 230 Palestinians have been killed by Israel over the past 11 days, including 65 children and 39 women.
At least 1,710 others have been wounded.
Thousands of dollars raised for Gaza bookstore destroyed in Israeli attack
A GoFundMe page that has been set up to help the owner of the Samir Mansour bookshop rebuild his store has raised over $70,000.
The bookshop, destroyed after Israel targeted the Kuhail building in Gaza City on Monday, was known and beloved by many Palestinians. Images of tattered books lay in the street, their covers ruined.
Shaaban Aslem, the owner, was interviewed in the aftermath and fought back tears as he said he lost his dream.
“I’ve gone without many meals to make this dream come true,” he said.
Israeli air raid kills disabled man, pregnant wife & child
An Israeli air raid on a Gaza family home has killed a Palestinian man with disabilities, his pregnant wife and their three-year-old daughter, the Gaza health ministry.
Eyad Salha, 33, his pregnant wife of the same age Amani, and their daughter Nagham were getting ready to eat lunch on Wednesday when a missile tore through the seaside building’s facade and destroyed all three rooms in their Deir el-Balah flat, in the central Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Pakistan demanded an immediate ceasefire in between Israel and Palestine.
Pakistan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed the 67th plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to highlight Israeli atrocities against Palestinians on Thursday.
“There are times in history when decisions of nations are remembered by posterity. This is one such moment,” Qureshi said, as he began his address.
“What we do today or cannot do will be recorded in history. Driven by arrogance and emboldened by impunity, Israel has mounted a relentless onslaught on the occupied and beleaguered people of Palestine,” he said.
He said that one week of Israeli attacks have led to more than 250 Palestinians being killed and thousands injured – one third of which are women and children.
“Death echoes in every home in Gaza,” Qureshi said, to lay stress on the gravity of the situation. He also recalled one such tragedy, in which all ten members of the Abu Hattab family had perished in Israeli strikes.
“Hundreds of such tragedies are being enacted every hour in Gaza and other parts of the Palestinian territories. So far over 50,000 Palestinians have fled their homes in Gaza,” he said, adding that these people have very poor and limited access to water, food, hygiene and health services.
The foreign minister said hospitals and sanitation services rely on electricity but fuel for power plants “has almost run out”.
“Gaza has plunged in darkness […] the only light is that of Israeli explosions,” he said.
Qureshi said such is the existence of Palestine, where “in full view of the world Israeli airstrikes bring down entire buildings to kill and terrorize innocent Palestinians and even silence the media”.
“It is time to say enough. The voice of the Palestinian people cannot and will not be silenced,” he said.
The foreign minister said the representatives of the Islamic world are there to speak with and for Palestine.
He said it is “appalling” that the United Nations Security Council has been unable to do what it is tasked with – to maintain international peace and security. He said it has even failed to demand a cessation of hostilities, and warned that those preventing it from doing so “bear a heavy responsibility”.
He said the United Nations General Assembly, must then, assume its own responsibility. “We must not fail the Palestinian people at this critical juncture.”
A few hours prior to the joint debate, Qureshi told Geo News that the foremost aim of representatives of Muslim countries gathered for the session will be to demand an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.
The Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri also issued a statement ahead of Qureshi’s address, following his weekly briefing to the media.
“We hope the special meeting of the UN General Assembly will help send a strong message on behalf of the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] to the international community to help end the Israeli aggression and to take concrete steps to find a solution to the Palestinian issue,” Chaudhri said.
As part of Pakistan’s intensive diplomatic outreach efforts to mobilize international support, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is currently in New York to participate in the UN General Assembly meeting on the Palestine issue today, he said.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said in clear violation of all humanitarian norms and international human rights laws, Israel had staged series of heavy airstrikes in Gaza, attacked innocent civilians in and outside Al-Aqsa Mosque, forced evictions, and imposed restrictions on fundamental freedoms of the Palestinian people.
“The indiscriminate use of force by the Israeli forces has resulted in deaths and injuries to a large number of innocent Palestinians, including women and children,” he added.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said since the current escalation in Palestine, Pakistan was at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to highlight the worsening situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“Our outreach efforts are aimed at formulating a unified and unequivocal response from the international community against the Israeli aggression,” he maintained.
The foreign minister had arrived a day earlier along with his counterparts from Turkey, Palestine, Sudan and Tunis.
‘Address at 8pm’
PTI’s Farrukh Habib had shared details of Qureshi’s address to the UNGA.
“Tonight at approximately 8pm FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi will address UNGA focused only on the devastating situation Palestinians are facing and serious concerns of the Muslim ummah,” Habib wrote.
‘Immediate ceasefire’
“As soon as I reached New York, I invited all the foreign ministers and their PRs for dinner at the Pakistan House.
“We had a very fruitful meeting and we decided on our action plan for the address tonight,” Qureshi told media.
He said the gathering “deliberated upon what it is that we seek to achieve with a session of the United Nations”.
“Our first aim is to demand an immediate ceasefire. If we are able to achieve this, it will be a big success for us, “but this matter is perplexing and for a lasting solution we will need to continue our struggle,” the foreign minister noted.
He said Pakistan has” begun to fulfill its role” in the United Nations’ Human Rights Council and a special session of the forum will now be held.
Qureshi said that with the human rights violations that are occurring in Palestinian territories, the way Israel is committing genocide and war crimes, “Pakistan will try from the platform of the OIC to awaken the conscience of all those Western countries who are champions of human rights and will ask them why it is they are turning a blind eye to the violations in Gaza”.
He said all the OIC foreign ministers – there are 11 or 12 – will “meet the UN secretary general and record our protest with him”.
“We have decided to present to him a joint resolution,” he said.
He said a discussion also took place on a General Assembly resolution and a strategy has been adopted but that he does not wish to discuss the matter at this point in time.
