At Least 48 Palestinians Killed as Israeli Attacks Continue
HAVANA TIMES – In Gaza, the death toll has risen to at least 48 Palestinians, as Israeli forces continued their bombing attack on the besieged territory. At least 14 children have been killed. Hundreds have been wounded. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have killed two Palestinians, including a Palestinian teenager who was shot dead during a raid. Israel reported six deaths and at least 100 injured in Hamas-led strikes.
On Tuesday, a 13-story residential tower block in Gaza collapsed after an Israeli air raid, but no casualties were reported, as residents were able to vacate the building before it was hit. Israeli rockets attacked a nine-story building in Gaza early today. This is a resident of Gaza City, speaking in front of a car that was hit by Israeli rocket fire earlier today, killing multiple people.
Abed Aldayah: “What should I say? This is a crime. They were civilians: a woman, her children, a barber, a shop owner. These are the people who were at the scene. It didn’t hit a militant, nor an official. We are civilians sleeping at our homes.”
The deadly attacks come after hundreds of Palestinians were injured in Jerusalem and the West Bank by Israeli security forces on Monday and over the weekend, including during crackdowns at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and over ongoing protests to stop the expulsion of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. The International Criminal Court has said recent violence in the Occupied Territories may constitute war crimes.
On Tuesday, the U.S. blocked a U.N. Security Council statement calling for a ceasefire. The Security Council is holding more meetings today. President Biden has yet to publicly address the situation, but an increasing number of Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about abuses committed by Israel. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said that “evictions of families in East Jerusalem would violate international law. If the Biden Administration puts the rule of law and human rights at the heart of its foreign policy, this is not a moment for tepid statements.”
Meanwhile, protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people have been taking place across the U.S. and the world. These are two protesters who attended a massive rally here in New York City Tuesday.
David Roush: “I’m here in solidarity with the people of Palestine, who are obviously under brutal subjugation from the occupation and the pointless acts of terrorism perpetrated by the Israeli military.”
Maher Abdeluader: “Israelis, they are going above and beyond, harassing Palestinians. So this gathering today among Palestinian and solidarity people from all different groups of lives — you know, Hispanic, Latino, Blacks, Chinese, everybody here, Arab, Muslims — in demonstrations and in support of the Palestinians. Palestinians are no longer alone.”
What a TOTALLY biased report! I have lost faith in the so called Havana Times. (Little news of Cuba. 14Ymedio is the place for real Cuba news.) No mention that the terrorist group Hamas initiated the fighting firing Iranian rockets by the hundreds at civilian targets in Israel. Disgusting! You should be ashamed and embarrassed.