9 Israeli soldiers killed as ground offensive continues in Gaza despite US criticism
Deir Al-Balah, Dec 13 (AP) At least nine Israeli soldiers were killed during an ambush, marking one of the deadliest single attacks that Palestinian militants have carried out since the ground invasion of Gaza began, the military said on Wednesday.
The attack in a dense urban neighbourhood came after repeated recent claims by the Israeli military that it had broken Hamas' command structure in northern Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later vowed to press ahead with Israel's Gaza offensive “until the end,” rejecting international pressure for a cease-fire.
The day before, Israel drew international outrage and rare criticism from the United States over the killing of thousands of civilians. The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to demand a humanitarian cease-fire, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but the assembly's message in favor of ending the Israel-Hamas war serves as an important barometer of world opinion.
Just hours before the vote, US President Joe Biden warned that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza.
The Israel-Hamas war has resulted in the deaths of over 18,400 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Israel says 113 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 240 hostages.
Here's what's happening in the war: NETANYAHU VOWS TO FIGHT UNTIL THE END' AND REJECTS CALLS FOR CEASE-FIRE JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to press ahead with Israel's Gaza offensive “until the end,” rejecting international pressure for a cease-fire.
Netanyahu's comments on Wednesday came at a time of rising international criticism of the heavy civilian death toll in the offensive. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden criticized what he described as “indiscriminate bombing” by Israel, and the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly called for a cease-fire in a nonbinding vote.
Netanyahu spoke to Israeli military commanders, a day after at least nine soldiers were killed in Gaza. It was one of the deadliest days for Israel of the operation.
Netanyahu said Tuesday was a “very difficult day,” but that the war will continue.
“We are continuing until the end, there is no question. I say this even given the great pain, and the international pressure. Nothing will stop us, we will continue until the end, until victory, nothing less,” said Netanyahu.
CLASHES AT LEBANON-ISRAEL BORDER DISRUPTING EDUCATION OF CHILDREN BEIRUT — Clashes on Lebanon's southern border against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war have exacerbated an education crisis in the small Mediterranean country that has been in the throes of a major economic meltdown for the past four years, UNICEF said Wednesday.
A survey of Lebanese as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugee households living in Lebanon conducted by the UN agency in November found that 26 per cent of households had school-aged children who were not attending school, up from 18 per cent in April.
Syrians reported the highest prevalence of children out of school, at 52 per cent of households, followed by Lebanese at 13 per cent and Palestinians at 7 per cent.
While the “cost of education materials” was the most-cited reason, UNICEF said, thousands of children were also out of education due disruptions related to ongoing fighting on the border between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
The clashes have killed about 130 people in Lebanon, including 17 civilians, according to a tally by The Associated Press, and have displaced nearly 59,000, according to the International Organisation for Migration. AP
