Title: International Pressure Mounts on Israel Over Gaza Bombing
Whoa, the international community's putting the heat on Israel over that Gaza bombing, and U.S. President Joe Biden's hopping on the bandwagon too. In a campaign event in Washington, Biden observed that nearly the entire world backed Israel after the Hamas attack. But he warned, "But they're about to lose that support because of the indiscriminate bombing that's taking place."
During a later press conference, Biden took a more measured tone, asserting that while the USA stands with Israel, there's genuine concern for the "safety of innocent Palestinians." The President also took under the proverbial microscope Benny Boy Netanyahu's government, stating they're the most conservative in Israel's history. And guess what? They ain't down for a two-state solution, according to Biden.
Before speaking, Biden had a chin-wag with Netanyahu. Following their convo, Netanyahu shared that Israel and the USA were on different pages regarding how to proceed after the end of the Gaza conflict. And you know what his allusion was to? The Oslo Accords. Dude was trying to say that Israel wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past.
Now, the USA often sides with Israel, but Biden's Democrats are raising eyebrows over Israel's military actions in Gaza. The Biden administration's been harping on Israel to show some compassion towards civilians for weeks now. And guess what? The USA still vehemently supports Israel – even in the face of a UN call for a ceasefire.
Now, the UN General Assembly vote was nifty. 10 countries voted against the ceasefire resolution, including the USA and Israel. The USA and Israel argued that a ceasefire would suit Hamas's fancy. 23 countries sidestepped the thorny issue by abstaining, like Germany.
Germany justified its choice to abstain, stating the draft resolution overlooked Hamas's "barbaric" attack on Israel and at least implicitly doubted Israel's right to defend itself. Germany also didn't want to stiff-arm Hamas, referring to the suffering of Palestinians and the release of hostages.
Australia, Canada, and New Zealand's leaders got all up in arms, advocating for a ceasefire. Their public statement read, "The price of victory over Hamas cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians." Tough talk, huh?
Hamas clobbered Israel on October 7 – with the worst attack since its inception 75 years ago. According to Israeli reports, the death toll hovered around 1200, and 240 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Yikes, see what I mean? The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip tallied up the fatalities – over 18,400, with most females and children.
Y'all, it's no picnic keeping track of these figures. The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health reported that, overnight, at least 50 more people were killed in Israeli air strikes. And hold onto your hats – the Israeli army disclosed that eight of its soldiers were whacked during the skirmish on Tuesday.
Conflict rages on in Gaza. Let's hope the world's leaders can pull some strings and broker a peaceful resolution soon. Hash tag, "World Peace Now!"
