Israel launched a series of airstrikes in Gaza on Saturday, resulting in numerous casualties and overwhelming hospitals, according to health authorities in the area. These attacks followed the United States’ veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an immediate cease-fire.
Some of the strikes targeted the southern Gaza Strip, where civilians have been instructed by the Israeli military to seek refuge in order to avoid bombardment, highlighting the fact that there is no safe place in Gaza.
Videos released by Reuters from the city of Khan Younis in the south displayed buildings engulfed in flames after being hit by Israeli airstrikes. Local media also showed footage of rescuers and civilians using flashlights and cellphones to dig people out from under rubble. Other images depicted injured patients receiving treatment on bloody hospital floors.
The U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres, invoked a rarely utilized rule on Wednesday that allows him to bring attention to matters that could threaten international peace and security. Mr. Guterres argued that a cease-fire was necessary due to the suffering of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and the potential risk of a humanitarian catastrophe destabilizing the world.
This led to the U.N. Security Council vote on Friday for a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, which was vetoed by the United States. The United States justified its veto by stating that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas. Israel initiated its military assault on Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s two-month-long aerial and ground offensive in the besieged Gaza Strip has reportedly killed at least 15,000 people, with potentially thousands more, according to the Gaza health ministry. Palestinian leaders and Arab nations argue that Israel’s military campaign is a grossly disproportionate response to the events of October 7.
The United States’ veto of the cease-fire resolution shocked many Gazans who had hoped that the airstrikes and their suffering would come to an end. The day before the Security Council vote on the cease-fire, the Biden administration, Israel’s closest ally, had begun to voice concerns that the Israeli military had not done enough to prevent harm to civilians in Gaza.
“People were optimistic that the war might end,” said Muhammad al-Masri, a local journalist in the town of Rafah in southern Gaza. “The last few days, we thought that America was going to stop this and give Israel a deadline to end the war,” he added. “But it ended up being the opposite. It is the one that opposed the cease-fire.”
Mr. al-Masri is currently living in a tent encampment that has been flooded by winter rains, causing further hardship for its residents. He recounted that on Saturday, Israel “fired two rockets near the shelter where we are staying and many people were killed and injured.”
The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment regarding reports that it had targeted Rafah after urging Gaza civilians to seek shelter there.
Ahmed al-Qayed, a 31-year-old carpenter, expressed his hope that the U.N. would find a resolution to the conflict so that he and his family could return to their home in Gaza City. Alongside thousands of other displaced individuals, Mr. al-Qayed and his family have been living in a makeshift tent in Rafah, where basic necessities such as access to a bathroom are often unavailable.
“Tell America we want to go back to our homes,” he pleaded. “What is our guilt? We are sick and tired.”
Gaza is currently facing shortages of food, blankets, and other essential items. Many, including Mr. al-Qayed, have been relying on expired canned food and have not had access to fresh fruits or vegetables for weeks. He also mentioned the financial constraints preventing him from buying firewood, resulting in his family collecting branches and twigs to keep warm.
Abdullah al-Nems, a 41-year-old taxi driver in Rafah, stated that he has stopped working due to the fuel shortage in Gaza and the fear of leaving his home amidst frequent Israeli airstrikes. Even within the confines of his home, he and his family live in constant fear of bombs and missiles, which have destroyed entire neighborhoods and claimed the lives of entire families, according to Gaza residents and authorities.
“My whole life is horror,” Mr. al-Nems lamented. “Why should my son and daughter live in constant terror? Why should I remain terrified within the confines of my own house?”
The war has displaced approximately 85% of Gaza’s population of over 2 million Palestinians, with most seeking shelter in tent encampments, overcrowded schools, and other public buildings. With the arrival of winter, the situation has become increasingly dire, according to Gazans.
U.N. officials are struggling to deliver essential goods like food, medicine, and cooking gas to desperate civilians.
“People are talking about how the U.N. has not distributed any edible items to those taking shelter in schools,” explained Mohammed Aborjela, a project coordinator with the development organization Youth Without Borders. “The United Nations cannot force Israel to take any action.”
Mr. Aborjela used to document daily life and culture in Gaza on his Instagram account before the war. Rather than posting videos of seaside cuisine in Gaza, he now highlights the struggle to find drinking water and food.
“People were hopeful that the war would end within a few days,” he said. “Now, everyone is wondering if it will end before the year’s end.”
Raja Abdulrahim and