GAZA: At least 500 persons were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a hospital in Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening, a Gazan health ministry official said, the development coming hours before US President Joe Biden’s visit to Tel Aviv.
Biden will reach Israel on Wednesday to express solidarity in the face of Hamas’ attack as also “hear the country’s plan that minimises civilian casualties and enables humanitarian aid”.
The announcement about Biden’s visit was made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after emerging from an eight-hour meeting with PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet at the Israeli military’s headquarters. However, there was no break from rocket attacks and sirens were twice activated in Tel Aviv while Blinken was present. Apparently, the Iron Dome intercepted some rockets while others fell harmlessly.
The fate of 250 kidnapped Israelis and foreigners hung in balance with Hamas stating that they would be freed only if Israel released all the 6,000 Palestinians in its prisons. The Israeli military announced two major “hits”, besides killing civilians in Gaza. It said senior Hamas commander Ayman Nofel and Hazem, son of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, were killed. Hazem and 13 family members who were killed with him were non-combatants.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Israel, meeting with top leaders even as he tweeted, “My visit to Israel is a visit to friends. Germany stands firmly by Israel’s side.” The German leader’s mission is similar to that of Biden: to ensure that Hamas is punished, but the civilians of Gaza do not suffer simultaneously.
Biden will head for Egypt and Scholz will travel to Jordan with the common mission of ensuring humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has been blockading on grounds that it was necessary to smash Hamas’ supply chain.
However, there is a rift in the EU with some countries pointing out that the absence of a two-state solution was behind the frequent bouts of violence. Spain announced an increase in its humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip with a 1 million euro package.