"Deep fear grips all"
The city of Gaza has been the centre of global concern following a ground offensive launched by Israel on Tuesday, with the support of the United States. The offensive has been met with widespread condemnation, as an independent international commission of inquiry on the Palestinian territory has declared that Israel is responsible for the genocide committed in Gaza.
According to the commission, four out of the five criteria that define the crime of genocide are met. The killings, serious attacks on physical or mental integrity, conditions of existence leading to physical destruction, and measures intended to prevent births are in question. The commission concludes that the authorities and military forces of Israel have the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
The UN Human Rights Council-mandated commission's report has been met with strong opposition by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has called for its immediate dissolution. However, the findings have been supported by several Western governments, including nations in Europe, who have criticised the ongoing attacks and the inadequate humanitarian aid. They have also voiced opposition to Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City or forcibly displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
The French government denounced the invasion as a destructive campaign that no longer has any military logic. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has condemned the forced displacement of families from Gaza, stating it is a deadly threat to the most vulnerable. Nutrition centres in Gaza have had to close this week due to military evacuation orders, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation.
Last month, the UN officially declared a famine in Palestinian territory, and among the displaced are 10,000 acutely malnourished children, according to UNICEF. The UN estimates that 70,000 people have fled Gaza in recent weeks, with Palestinians fleeing the city in large numbers.
Israeli Secretary of State Marco Rubio has qualified Hamas as a "group of savages" and does not count on the possibility of a diplomatic solution. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has indicated that Israel is becoming increasingly economically isolated and will have to be increasingly self-sufficient.
In a show of solidarity, 49 Israeli hostages have been held for 711 days, and their families gathered outside Benjamin Netanyahu's residence to protest the Israeli ground assault. Over 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza, some of whom were personally targeted, according to reports. The global community has called for an immediate end to the violence and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
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