 "Israeli soldiers take up position next to buildings destroyed by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip on Friday. AP")
Amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, Gaza’s civil defence agency said that an Israeli strike on a mosque-turned-shelter in central Deir al-Balah killed 21 people. The Israeli military stated that it targeted the mosque because Hamas was using it as a command and control centre.
“The number of deaths rose to 21 and a large number of wounded as a result of the occupation (Israel) bombing of a mosque sheltering displaced people in front of the gate of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip,” said agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal. Meanwhile, the Israeli military made it clear that they conducted the “precise strike” on the Hamas control centre and tried to avoid civilian casualties.
The recent strikes came days before the first anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas in Southern Israel which was the catalyst to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
UN chief shares message on the eve of Oct. 7 attack
On Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres released a video message on the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 attack. “On this day we remember all those who were brutally killed and suffered unspeakable violence, including sexual violence as they were simply living their lives. This is a day for the global community to repeat in the loudest voice our utter condemnation of the abhorrent acts of Hamas including the taking of hostages,” Guterres said in a statement.
The UN chief said that he met with the families of the hostages and “shared their pain and anguish”, demanding again the immediate and unconditional release. “Since October 7th a wave of shocking violence and bloodshed has erupted. The war that has followed the terrible attacks of a year ago continues to shatter lives and inflict profound human suffering for Palestinians in Gaza and now the people of Lebanon,” Guterres averred.
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More Shorts“I have spoken out about this often and clearly. It is time for the release of the hostages, time to silence the guns, and time to stop the suffering that has engulfed the region. Time for peace, international law and justice,” he added. “Let us never stop working for a lasting solution to the conflict, where Israel, Palestine and all other countries of the region can finally live in peace and dignity and with respect for one another," the UN chief concluded.
Last week, Guterres addressed the UN Security Council, demanding an end to what he called a “deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence”. The address came after Israel’s foreign minister declared him persona non grata and barred him from entering Israel. The Israeli authorities also accused him of failing to “unequivocally” condemn Iran’s missile attack.
With inputs from agencies.