The death toll from starvation in Gaza has risen to 212, including 98 children, as Israeli forces continue to pound the region. The United Nations Security Council is set to hold a rare weekend session to discuss Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City, a move that has drawn widespread criticism from world leaders. Tens of thousands of Israelis have protested in Tel Aviv, calling for an end to the war and the release of captives held in Gaza.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has reportedly threatened to bring down the government and force a new election, amid growing tensions over the direction of the war in Gaza. “From my perspective, we can stop everything and let the people decide,” Smotrich said, highlighting the deep divisions within the Israeli government.
World leaders have condemned Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City, with the United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk stating that it would cause more deaths and suffering and must be halted immediately. The European Union, Germany, and the United Kingdom have also expressed their opposition to the plan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Muslim nations to work in unison and mobilize the international community against Israel’s plan, describing it as “crazy, irresponsible, dangerous, [and] vicious”. The Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin has demanded action to end Israel’s Gaza genocide, saying the international community must take concrete steps to end Israeli impunity for abuses.
Protesters have gathered in major cities across the world, from Buenos Aires to London and Istanbul, urging world leaders to take action and end Israel’s war on Gaza. In London, police arrested more than 466 people who were protesting a government ban on the Palestine Action Group.
The war in Gaza has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with at least 61,369 people killed and 152,850 wounded. A 15-year-old Palestinian boy, Muhannad Zakaria Eid, was crushed to death by a falling pallet during an aid airdrop into Gaza, highlighting the dire situation.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah criticized UEFA’s tribute to the late Suleiman al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pele”, saying “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?” Al-Obeid was killed in an Israeli attack on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that at least 61,258 people have been killed, including at least 18,430 children, and 40,004 people have been injured since the start of the war. The Ministry of Health also reported that at least 11 more Palestinians had starved to death in the previous 24 hours, taking the toll from starvation since the war began to 212.