12- November-2023
Guterres says Hamas attacks don’t justify collective punishment
Speaking to CNN, the UN Secretary-General has said: “You cannot use the horrific things that Hamas did as a reason for collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
He said that 101 UN personnel have been killed so far in the bombardment of Gaza.
Pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian groups clash in South Africa
South African police fired stun grenades and water cannons in Cape Town to quell clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Numerous demonstrations in support of both sides have been held for weeks in South Africa’s major cities where the ruling ANC party has been a fervent supporter of the Palestinian cause for decades.
But the country also boasts the largest Jewish community in Sub-Saharan Africa, some of whom have organised vigils and demonstrations in support of Israel.
Turkey’s Erdogan calls for US to stop Israel’s attack
The United States must use its influence to halt Israel’s offensive in Gaza, Turkey’s leader says.
“The US should increase its pressure on Israel. The West should increase pressure on Israel… It’s vital for us to secure a ceasefire,” said Erdogan. “The most important country that needs to be involved is the United States, which has influence on Israel.”
Erdogan said the US must accept Gaza as Palestinian land. “We cannot agree with Biden if he approaches [the war] by seeing Gaza as the land of occupying settlers or Israel, rather than the land of the Palestinian people.
About 500 people cross Rafah into Egypt: Reports
About 500 foreigners and dual nationals, as well as several wounded Palestinians, have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Egypt, news reports say.
Rafah is the only crossing out of Gaza not controlled by Israel and had been closed on Friday and Saturday.
Since November 1, dozens of wounded Palestinians have been evacuated to Egyptian hospitals, with hundreds of dual nationals and foreigners, including Americans, French, Russians and Poles, also leaving through Rafah.
650 patients in danger at al-Shifa Hospital: Director general
The director general of hospitals in Gaza has warned that the lives of hundreds of patients are at risk due to the catastrophic situation at al-Shifa Hospital.
About 650 patients, including 36 children, have their lives in danger, Muhammad Zaqout said at a press conference, calling on Egypt to save their lives.
Zaqout also confirmed the presence of “about 1,500 displaced people in the al-Shifa Medical Complex,” warning that “accumulation of garbage and medical waste, lack of water, and power outages threaten everyone’s life”.
Number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks surpasses 11,100: Health Ministry
The number of deaths in the ongoing Israeli military attacks since October 7 has surpassed 11,100, including more than 8,000 children and women, the government media office in Gaza said on Sunday.
“Due to the targeting of hospitals and the prevention of entry of any of the bodies or wounded, the Ministry of Health was unable, on Saturday, to issue accurate statistics for the numbers of dead and injured during the past hours,” the media office said in a statement.
“We recall that the occupation [forces] committed more than 1,130 massacres, and the number of casualties reached more than 11,100 dead, including more than 8,000 children and women, and the number of wounded was more than 28,000,” it said.
Earlier this week, Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told a House panel that the number of those killed in Gaza is likely “higher than is being cited
Enough’, says Pope Francis, calling for the war to end
Pope Francis has called for the fighting between Israel and Hamas to end.
“May the weapons fall silent, they will never bring peace, and let the conflict not spread. Enough, enough brothers, enough!” he said while offering prayers at the Vatican.
The Pope also said that the injured in Gaza should be helped and more humanitarian aid should be sent to the besieged enclave.
He added that the people taken as captives by Hamas on October 7 should also be released.
“Every human being, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, or whatever religion, every human being is sacred, is precious in the eyes of God, and has the right to live in peace,” he said.
