At least 25 Palestinians died on Tuesday in two bombings by the Israeli Army in the Gaza Strip, one targeting a displaced persons camp in the north and the other hitting a group of people waiting to receive humanitarian aid in the south of the enclave.
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According to the Palestinian newspaper Filastin, at least 16 people lost their lives and more than 50 were injured following an attack on tents used by displaced people in the Al Shati refugee camp, located west of the city of Gaza.
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On the other hand, medical sources cited by the official Palestinian agency WAFA pointed out that seven other people died in an attack near the Netzarim corridor, where eleven civilians had already died on Monday under similar circumstances.
Both incidents are part of the Israeli military offensive launched after the attacks on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people died and around 250 were kidnapped, according to data from the Israeli government. Since then, the authorities in Gaza, controlled by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), have reported more than 59,000 deaths, although international organizations fear that the actual number may be even higher.
The EU increases pressure on Israel
After the new bombings were known, the European Union described as “indefensible” the deaths of civilians who were waiting for help and warned Israel of possible reprisals if it fails to comply with the recently reached humanitarian agreement.
“The killing of civilians who were collecting aid in Gaza is indefensible,” said the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, on social media, following a conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar. Kallas urged Israel to fulfill its commitments and reminded that “all options are still on the table” if humanitarian access is not improved.
“I have spoken again to remind you of our agreement regarding the flow of aid, and I have made it clear that the Israel Defense Forces must stop killing people at distribution points,” he emphasized.
The spokesperson of the European bloc’s Foreign Affairs, Anouar El Anouni, reiterated in a press conference the urgency of a ceasefire and increasing humanitarian assistance. “It shows that it is extremely urgent to facilitate access and increase aid,” he stated, while also confirming that the member states will soon receive an evaluation of Israel’s compliance with the agreement.
“It’s not that nothing is going to happen in the next six weeks,” he warned, referring to the upcoming meeting of European foreign ministers, as internal pressures grow to take concrete action regarding the situation in Gaza.