Israel has pressed forward in the war against Hamas in southern Gaza

GAZA/CAIRO, Dec. 11 (Reuters) – Israeli tanks on Monday tried to advance westward in their battle against Hamas in and around Khan Younis, the main town of southern Gaza, as again called by UN officials for a ceasefire to prevent a humanitarian crisis. .

The battle in Khan Younis comes as Israel refocuses more than two months of fighting in the south after pounding northern Gaza and driving out most of the 2.3 million Palestinians. from their homes.

Amid reports of “catastrophic” health conditions in Gaza from the World Health Organization, Palestinian diplomats called for a global strike on Monday as part of a coordinated effort to force Israel into a ceasefire.

“It’s time – TOGETHER WORLDWIDE,” urged one caller. But it is not clear whether the effort will be found worldwide or have an impact on Israel’s military plans.

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly is likely to vote on Tuesday on a draft resolution calling for a moratorium, diplomats said on Sunday.

On Friday, the United States rejected a request by the UN Security Council to demand an immediate halt on humanitarian grounds.

The US vote was criticized by Arab foreign ministers on Sunday at an international conference in Doha, the capital of Qatar, which played an important role in negotiating the ceasefire at the end of the months ago.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he would “not stop” asking for a halt.

“I urged the Security Council to take action to avoid a humanitarian crisis and I reiterated my request for a humanitarian ceasefire,” Guterres said. “Unfortunately, the Security Council has been unable to do so, but that does not make it any less necessary.”

The war began on October 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. In response, Israel has vowed to destroy the Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza. since 2007.

According to the health authorities of Gaza, about 18,000 people have died in Israeli attacks, and 49,500 were injured. About 100 of the rescued Israelis were released during the week of peace that ended on December 1.

On Sunday, residents of Khan Younis said tanks had arrived on the main north-south road of the town. Fighter planes attacked a group in the west.

According to Guterres, the city, with a population of about 626,000, may be on the decline and the risk of infectious diseases.

Israel and Hamas engaged in a war of words on Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement that many Hamas fighters had surrendered. Hamas denied the claim and said 180 Israeli vehicles had been damaged. No proof was given, however.

Meanwhile, hospitals in Gaza were at maximum capacity with dead and wounded Palestinians, according to Nasser’s main hospital in Khan Younis.

While the world’s attention was focused on the military offensive in the Gaza Strip, fears of an escalation of the war were further fueled by the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which sponsored by Iran.

The Syrian army also reported that they shot down Israeli missiles fired towards the capital of Damascus from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday evening.

Other missiles were not intercepted and caused damage, the army said in a statement. The Israeli army declined to comment.

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, accused Israel of “a general attempt to remove Gaza from its people” and push them to leave the territory.

Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy called the accusation “horrific and false,” saying his country was defending itself “from the monsters who carried out the massacre of October 7” and brought them to justice. in court.

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