**More than 10,000 Killed in Gaza, Hamas-Controlled Health Ministry Says, as Condemnation of Israel’s Campaign Grows**
The war between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza is far from over despite 10,000 deaths, including many civilians, as Hamas-controlled, Gaza-based Health Ministry reports. Condemnation of Israel’s 11-day military campaign in the besieged Palestinian Strip is growing worldwide, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed ‘utterly dismayed’ at the ‘catastrophic humanitarian situation’ in Gaza and Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the destruction as ‘devastating.’
Since the conflict began on May 10th, more than 184,000 Gaza residents were displaced, and the city’s population of almost 2 million people has experienced a number of blackouts. The UN humanitarian coordinator for the region says the death toll is close to 10,000, citing figures provided by the Gaza-based Health Ministry which is under Hamas’s control. According to the ministry, at least 2,365 children and 1,523 women were among the casualties.
The Israeli military has said that at least 700 of those killed either belonged to Hamas’s military wing or to other Palestinian armed groups. On the other hand, the Palestinian Authority and international human rights groups raising alarm on the civilian casualty count, considers only 13 dead people as members of militant groups.
U.S. President Joe Biden and other western administrations have backed Israel’s response to Hamas and voiced ‘rock-solid support’ for the Jewish state, however, these same western nations were counselled by the United Nations to pressure Israel for a cessation of hostilities and to address the underlying causes of the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the wake of fierce criticism from rights groups concerning the campaign, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to commit to halt the ‘war’.
The conflict has further escalated this week with an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip which killed at least 42 civilians. It is believed this attack was a response to a rocket which slammed into an Israeli shopping center, injuring six people including an infant. The attack was condemned by the UN as a ‘grave breach of international law’.
The international community must encourage Israel to pursue an immediate cessation of hostilities and to recognize the grave and mounting loss of human lives, property and infrastructure. International efforts must also focus on reigniting meaningful negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians toward a two-state solution that guarantees the Palestinians self-determination in their own sovereign state. Without action, the violence is certain to continue, resulting in further pain and suffering for both sides.