UN condemns Gaza conflict as 'stain on humanity', Israel affirms fighting for right to life, Palestinians won't be able to go home soon

The conflict in Gaza is "stained humanity", the United Nations said on January 13, on the eve of the 100th day as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his vow to defeat Hamas.

Palestinians and their homes destroyed by bombing in Rafah, on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip, on January 13. (Source: AFP)

The brutal conflict has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and fears of a regional escalation grew after US and British forces struck Yemen's Hamas-backed Houthis on January 12 following attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

The conflict erupted on October 7 when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack from the Gaza Strip that killed some 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Hamas also holds about 250 hostages, 132 of whom Israel says are still in Gaza, including at least 25 believed to have been killed.

AFP news agency on January 13 quoted Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Herzi Halevi as saying that Israelis are fighting in Gaza for the right to live in safety and will never forget the attack Hamas caused.

As the conflict nears 100 days, Herzi Halevi said increasing military pressure on Hamas is the only way to secure the release of the hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. Continuing operations in Gaza is the only way to win.

During the attack on southern Israel on October 7, Hamas militants captured about 250 people. Of those, 132 have yet to be released, including at least 25 who are believed to have died.

According to AFP on January 13, in a statement referring to South Africa's lawsuit against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague and an alliance of Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East known as the "Axis of Resistance", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared: "No one, the Hague Court or the Axis of Evil, can prevent Israel from achieving victory in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip."

The Israeli prime minister said the military operation in Gaza had “eliminated most of the Hamas battalions”. However, Palestinians displaced in northern Gaza will not be able to return home anytime soon. “International law states simply that it is not permissible to return as long as the danger exists,” Netanyahu said.

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