Posted 20/05/2025 11:38 | Edited 20/05/2025 12:55
The air and terrestrial attacks led by Israel in different regions of the Gaza Strip left at least 91 dead on Monday (19), according to the Hamas Civil Defense. Among the targets were a school that housed Palestinian families in Nusorde, downtown Gaza, and a house in Deir Al-Balah, south of the Enclave.
The Israeli army said it had reached hundreds of targets, including underground structures and points used for weaponry storage. The information could not be verified independently.
During the combat in northern Gaza, the death of Sergeant Yosef Yehuda Chirak, a member of the 601 Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was also confirmed.
The new phase of the massacre in Gaza was officially baptized by the Israeli government as Operation Gideon (Operation Gideon’s Chariots), and was approved by the Netanyahu Security Office on May 5.
Launched last Sunday (18), it combines land raids in the north and southern Gaza with a new wave of air attacks and intensified bombings.
According to IDF, the operation seeks to “expand operational control over the territory”, destroy Hamas infrastructure and ensure the permanence of Israeli troops at strategic points.
Since it started, at least 160 people have been killed, including in moved camps and densely populated areas.
The offensive occurs in parallel to indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha, which follow without concrete advances. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the reports of Israel’s plan to expand land operations are “alarming” and described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “indescribable, atrocious and inhuman.”
Even inside Israel, the offensive has generated strong dissension. Hostly relatives accuse Netanyahu of putting the continuity of war ahead of the negotiation for the life of the captives. For the UN, what happens in Gaza is “besides inhuman.”
Allied countries threaten to impose sanctions on Israel
In response to the new Israeli offensive in Gaza, the United Kingdom, France and Canada released on Monday (19) a joint statement warning that the continuity of military operation and blockade to humanitarian aid may represent a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
“The refusal of the Israeli government to allow essential assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and can violate international humanitarian law,” says the document, released by the British government.
The three countries promised to adopt “concrete actions,” including targeted sanctions, if Israel does not retain.
The statement adds to the growing international pressure, also visible in positions from 22 donor countries-including Germany, Japan, Portugal and Australia-which required the full resumption of humanitarian aid entry into Gaza.
The statements occur at a time when images of destruction, hospital collapse and hunger in Gaza circulate widely on international networks and vehicles, deepening the political isolation of Netanyahu.
The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, for example, said that “he cannot passively assist what has become a systematic violation of humanitarian obligations by Israel.”
Hamas greeted the position of the Western powers and said that the attacks on displaced civilians represent “a brutal crime” with political coverage from the United States.
In a statement, the group stated that “by granting the government of military and political coverage occupation, the US directly shares the responsibility for this insane scaled against civilians in Gaza, including children, women and the elderly.”
Netanyahu promises full control of Gaza and hardens speech
The threat of sanctions by UK, France and Canada came a few hours after the publication of a video in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip.
The declaration, made in a challenge, was interpreted by analysts as a response to international pressure and an end to the end to Israeli.
In the video released on Monday (19), Netanyahu stated that Israel’s “complete victory” requires both the liberation of hosts and the destruction of Hamas and the continuous military rule over Gaza.
According to him, “we have a problem – we need states that receive these people”, in reference to the proposal to reset Palestinians outside the enclave.
The speech caused immediate reactions. “Israel’s closest friends are starting to question our actions,” Netanyahu himself would have warned of conversations with US parliamentarians, as reported by local vehicles.
The premie has admitted that the pressure of historical allies motivated the decision to release limited food entry into Gaza.
Netanyahu also countered the joint statement of London, Paris and Ottawa, accusing the three countries of being “rewarding the terror of 7 October.” Rhetoric coincides with the strengthening of ultranationalist sectors in its government, which oppose any ceasefire or humanitarian concession to the Palestinian people.
Help enters Gaza under international pressure and with Netanyahu isolated
After three months of total blockade, Israel authorized the entry of nine trucks with food through Kerem Shalom’s passing point in the triple border between Israel, Egypt and Palestinian territory.
The UN classified the measure as “positive development,” but warned that it represents only “a drop in the ocean” given the dimension of the humanitarian crisis.
According to the Israeli press, the release occurred after military recommendation and pressure from allied governments. In a statement, Netanyahu acknowledged that American parliamentarians considered allied historical of Israel warned him that hunger images are eroding political support to the country.
Donald Trump did not include Israel on his recent visit to the Middle East, gesture played by analysts as a sign of distancing. Trump’s special envoy for hostage issues, Adam Boehler, stated that the US could negotiate with Hamas if the group has a concrete liberation proposal.
Source: vermelho.org.br
