Outraged by a wave of airstrikes that blasted UN-run shelters, an official from the United Nations has condemned the move by the Israeli forces.
The airstrikes, which began Saturday morning, have been targeting areas near and around Gaza City as the fight between Israel and Hamas militants continues to escalate. Reports from Gaza suggest that anywhere between twelve and fifteen people have been killed and an additional fifty-seven have been injured.
“The shelling of these civilian shelters is only further deepening the humanitarian crisis here,” said the UN official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity. “The UN is working hard to relocate civilians to safer shelters, but it’s been made increasingly difficult and dangerous by these strikes.”
The official also noted that despite many calls for the international community to “broker an armistice”, it seemed all but certain that the violence would only improve in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu took to television to speak about the violence, announcing that they had successfully “encircled Gaza City and we will not let anyone escape”.
The move by Israel was seen as a significant show of force, as the country has long held the view that Hamas militants should not be allowed to “continue their attacks on Israeli citizens”.
The violence, which has been escalating for the past ten days, shows no signs of ending and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
The UN, meanwhile, has said they are “deeply concerned” about the situation and are calling for “both sides to cease hostilities”.
