US and Arab partners disagree on the need for a ceasefire as Israeli airstrikes kill more civilians
The United States and Arab partners disagreed Saturday on the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as Israeli military strikes killed civilians at a UN shelter and a hospital, and Israel said the besieged enclave’s Hamas rulers were “encountering the full force” of its troops.
Palestinians look for survivors of the Israeli bombardment in the Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (AP)
Large columns of smoke rose as Israel’s military said it had encircled Gaza City, the initial target of its offensive to crush Hamas. Gaza’s Health Ministry has said more than 9,400 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in nearly a month of war, and that number is likely to rise as the assault continues.
“Anyone in Gaza City is risking their life,” Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Arab foreign ministers in Jordan a day after talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insisted there could be no temporary ceasefire until all hostages held by Hamas are released. (Read more)
