An Israeli airstrike has killed "at least 33 people" in the deadliest single attack in seven days of fierce fighting in Gaza, Palestine's health ministry says.
May. 16, 2021 6:58 PM
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Sunday that hostilities in Israel and Gaza were utterly appalling and called for an immediate end to the deadliest flare-up since the 2014 Gaza war.
Opening the 15-member council s first public meeting on the conflict, Guterres said the United Nations is actively engaging all sides toward an immediate cease-fire and called on them to allow mediation efforts to intensify and succeed.
The death toll in Gaza jumped to 188 overnight, including 55 children, amid an intensive Israeli air and artillery barrage since the fighting erupted last Monday. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children, in thousands of rocket attacks by Hamas and other militant groups.
Gaza: Israeli air strikes killed 33 Palestinians, including 13 children, in Gaza early on Sunday, Gaza health officials said, and militants fired rockets into Israel as hostilities stretched into a seventh day.
The pre-dawn attacks were on houses in the centre of Gaza City, health officials said. A spokesman for the Israeli military said he would look into these reports.
The death toll in Gaza jumped to 181, including 52 children, since the fighting erupted last Monday. In Israel, 10 people including two children have been killed in rocket attacks by Hamas and other militant groups.
With no sign of an end to the worst outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence in years, the United Nations Security Council was due to meet later on Sunday to discuss the situation.
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PARIS â A media watchdog group is asking the International Criminal Court to investigate Israelâs bombing of buildings housing The Associated Press and other media organizations in Gaza as a possible war crime.
The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders says in a letter to the courtâs chief prosecutor that the offices of 23 international and local media organizations have been destroyed over the past six days.
The group says the Israeli militaryâs âintentional targeting of media organizations and intentional destruction of their equipmentâ could violate one of the courtâs statues. It says the attacks serve âto reduce, if not neutralize, the mediaâs capacity to inform the public.â
U.S. says ready to help Israel, Palestinians if they seek a ceasefire
FILE PHOTO: New U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield holds a news conference to mark the start of the U.S. presidency of the U.N. Security Council for March, at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar reuters tickers
This content was published on May 16, 2021 - 17:49
May 16, 2021 - 17:49
By Michelle Nichols
NEW YORK (Reuters) -The United States told the United Nations Security Council on Sunday it has made clear to Israel, the Palestinians and others that it is ready to offer support should the parties seek a ceasefire to end the worsening violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.