Israeli shelling and bursts of rockets from Palestinian Hamas claimed additional lives on Tuesday, and violence rekindled on the west bank of the Jordan River.
Palestinians in the West Bank staged a day of general strike and "anger" in solidarity with Gaza on Tuesday, which was widely followed.
On the sidelines of these rallies, which degenerated into clashes with the army, two Palestinians were killed and Israeli soldiers shot and wounded.
Since the start of the new round of armed violence between the Jewish state and groups in Gaza on May 10, at least 230 people have been killed, the vast majority Palestinians (at least 213 victims).
Israeli raids continued on the Palestinian enclave in the Gaza Strip, leaving more and more apartment buildings gutted.
"There is no more electricity or water, no more roof, the windows and the doors are broken", testifies Kamal Harzallah, whose house was destroyed in a bombardment.
In addition to the security crisis, there is the risk of a humanitarian crisis, with nearly 40,000 Palestinians displaced and 2,500 people losing their homes in the bombings, as well as a risk of food and health shortages, according to international humanitarian agencies.
Israel closes crossing point to Gaza
A crossing point to the Gaza Strip, through which humanitarian aid was channeled, was closed after a few hours by Israel on Tuesday, the Palestinian authorities reported.
The UN considered it "indispensable after nine days of crisis".
Cogat, the Israeli body in charge of civilian operations in the Palestinian Territories, indicates that shells were fired at the Kerem Shalom crossing point "as trucks entered carrying civilian aid given by international humanitarian organizations. ".
The organ of the Hebrew state specified that on board these trucks were in particular medical equipment and fuel tanks "intended for international organizations" in Gaza.
Five Lebanese wounded near the border
For several days, daily demonstrations have been taking place on the Lebanese-Israeli border, in solidarity with the Palestinians, to denounce the deadly Israeli bombings against the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, a Lebanese protester was killed by Israeli gunfire.
This Tuesday, in the border region of Adaisseh, demonstrators, according to the ANI agency (national news agency), "climbed the concrete border wall to hoist the flags of Hezbollah", a Lebanese Shiite movement and sworn enemy of the Hebrew state.
They also "cobbled the fence and an enemy tank" from Israel.
"The enemy fired tear gas and smoke bombs, leaving five wounded in addition to cases of fainting and suffocation," according to the same source, who did not give more details on the identity of the wounded.
Two Thai workers died on the Israeli side
In southern Israel, also on Tuesday, two Thai workers lost their lives after rocket fire from Gaza, reports Israeli police.
Several people were also injured.
"A place where foreign workers live was hit directly by a rocket," police said in a statement.
“There are two deaths, one seriously injured, one moderate and three light,” she continues.
Seven foreign workers were injured by shrapnel and hospitalized in Beersheva, a large city in southern Israel, for its part said Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross.
EU, without Hungary, calls for ceasefire
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell calls on Tuesday for "an immediate end to all violence and the implementation of a ceasefire" between Israel and the Palestinians, a statement supported by 26 of the 27 member states, but not Hungary.
“The aim is to protect civilians and allow access for humanitarian aid to Gaza,” continued Josep Borrell after an urgent meeting of EU foreign ministers.
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"We condemn the rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups on the territory of Israel, and we fully support Israel's right to self-defense […] but it must be done in a proportionate manner and by respecting the law international humanitarian aid, ”he adds.
Finally, he said that the security of both Palestinians and Israelis "requires a real political solution".
Even if the priority is to put an end to the violence, the EU's foreign minister asserts that it will then be necessary to "restore a political horizon".
Still no joint declaration at the UN
And four.
The UN Security Council has held another urgent meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for eight days without issuing a joint statement, with the United States continuing to believe it would not help de-escalation, according to reports. diplomats.
"We do not believe that a public statement at this time will contribute to de-escalation," US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said in the closed-door session, according to her remarks reported by a diplomat.
According to several other diplomatic sources, the three countries at the origin of the meeting and the mobilization of the UN for more than a week, China, Tunisia and Norway, had not shared in advance with their Council partners a draft new declaration to be adopted for this new meeting. Since May 10, the United States has already refused three draft texts calling for an end to violence drafted by these three countries.