Israel accelerates attack on Hamas, US urges creation of humanitarian corridor

The Israeli military said it attacked 400 militants in Gaza overnight and killed dozens of Hamas soldiers, including three deputy battalion commanders.

In a statement, the Israeli military said that among the targets attacked were a tunnel used by Hamas to infiltrate Israel from the sea and Hamas command centers in mosques.

More than 120 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes on homes in areas of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Ramallah said on Tuesday.

Earlier, Israeli Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said that Israel has no intention of reducing the intensity of airstrikes.

“We want to completely destroy Hamas. We are well prepared for a ground operation in the south.”

The Palestinian health ministry said the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 5,000 in Israeli air strikes over the past two weeks in response to a Hamas attack on October 7.

On Monday, Hamas released two Israeli women among the more than 200 hostages it took in an October 7 attack. They are the third and fourth hostages to be freed.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the hostages' release and stressed the importance of ensuring a "continuous flow" of humanitarian aid into Gaza in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone call with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki that China, along with Russia, has a different view from the United States and has called for the prompt establishment of “an authoritative, inclusive and effective international peace conference.”

A summit in Cairo on Saturday saw Arab leaders condemn Israel's bombing of Gaza, but failed to agree on a joint statement. Israel and the United States were absent from the meeting.

In public, the United States has emphasized Israel's right to self-defense, but two inside sources said the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department are stepping up private calls for countries to exercise caution when dealing with Israel.

The source said the US is still prioritizing buying time to discuss the release of the remaining hostages.

Asked about the possibility of a ceasefire, Mr. Biden said: “We need to get the hostages released, and then we will negotiate.”

The emir of Qatar on Tuesday urged the international community not to allow Israel “freedom to massacre” Palestinians in its fight against Hamas.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in his annual address to the opening of the Gulf Arab country's Shura advisory council, described the conflict as a dangerous escalation that could threaten global security.

At least 10 British citizens have been killed in the conflict and six others are missing, British finance minister Victoria Atkins told Times Radio on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, expected to meet with the Israeli prime minister and other members of Israel's war council.

“We understand the pain of the Israeli people. Thirty of our French compatriots were killed on October 7. Nine others are missing or are being held hostage. Here in Tel Aviv, together with their families, I express my solidarity with your nation.”

Obama warns of civilian casualties

In a rare diplomatic crisis statement from former President Barack Obama, he warned that Israel's military strategy could backfire if it continued to ignore the casualty figures.

In a letter, he urged Israel to limit civilian casualties, saying such actions would alienate future generations of Palestinians, erode international support and damage long-term peace efforts.

“Thousands of Palestinians have been killed in air strikes in Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes. The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to Gaza’s civilian population threatens to do more than exacerbate a humanitarian crisis.”

He also condemned the Hamas attack and reiterated support for Israel's right to self-defense.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East on Tuesday, but it remains unclear what action the council will take, with the five veto-wielding countries divided.

Israel’s bombing of Gaza has allowed China and Russia to project themselves as heroes of the developing world, in contrast to the United States’ unwavering support for Israel. All three countries hold veto power in the Security Council.

With 2.3 million Gazans in dire need of basic goods, European leaders appear set to follow the lead of the United Nations and Arab states in calling for a “humanitarian ceasefire” to ensure aid can reach the people there.

Desperate Gazans are also lacking shelter from relentless bombardment, the United Nations says, as air strikes have flattened large swathes of the Hamas-controlled enclave.

Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)

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