Status: 28.10.2023, 06:41 a.m.
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Palestinians mourn the death of a child killed in the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip in Deir al-Balah. © Ali Mahmoud/AP/dpa
Three weeks ago, the world was shocked by Hamas' terrorist attacks. Since then, Israel has been defending itself with more and more attacks on the Gaza Strip. A UN resolution has little more than a symbolic effect.
New York/Tel Aviv - Three weeks after the devastating massacre by Islamist terrorists, new counterattacks by the Israeli army point to an intensification of the Gaza war. After several air strikes during the night, there were increasing suspicions that the expected ground offensive might have begun.
Israel's army did not initially confirm this - but had previously announced that it would expand its ground operations against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian situation and an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. There, the situation has been further exacerbated by the collapse of the communication network.
Germany abstains on UN resolution
The UN resolution adopted yesterday (local time) in New York achieved the necessary two-thirds majority in the General Assembly. 120 countries voted in favour, 14 against - Germany was among the 45 that abstained.
Resolutions of the UN General Assembly are not legally binding, they are rather considered to have a symbolic signal effect - and in this case, the vote also provides information about the mood of the international community in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The more powerful UN Security Council, whose decisions are binding, had previously failed several times to pass a resolution focusing on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
Among other things, the resolution condemns all violence against Israeli and Palestinian civilians, calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all "illegally detained" civilians, and calls for unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. It also calls for an "immediate, permanent and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire" that would lead to a "cessation of hostilities."
Israel reacts indignantly, Hamas welcomes UN decision
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock justified Germany's abstention by saying that the paper was not balanced enough. "Because the resolution does not clearly mention Hamas terror by name, does not call for the release of all hostages clearly enough, and does not affirm Israel's right to self-defense, we have decided, along with many of our European partners, not to vote in favor of the resolution in the end," she said after the vote.
People gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to demand the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza. © J. Scott Applewhite/AP/dpa
As expected, the parties to the conflict themselves reacted very differently to the vote in New York. "We firmly reject the UN General Assembly's despicable call for a ceasefire," said Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. "Israel intends to eliminate Hamas." This is how the world dealt with the Nazis and the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS). Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, spoke of a "dark day for the UN and for humanity" that would go down in history with shame. Hamas, on the other hand, welcomed the adoption of the resolution and called on the UN to take immediate action to implement it.
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Hamas speaks of Israeli ground operations
The Islamist organization's military-terrorist wing claimed that there had been Israeli army ground operations and violent clashes in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and east of the Al-Bureij refugee camp. Both places are close to the border. The information provided by the Al-Qassam Brigades late on Friday evening could not be independently verified. Israel's army had previously announced that it would expand its ground operations in the densely populated coastal area.
It was initially unclear whether the announcement marked the beginning of the expected ground offensive. The army had previously made sporadic advances on the ground for a limited period of time. Jordan's Foreign Minister Aiman Safadi expressed conviction: "Israel has just launched a ground war against Gaza," he wrote on X. "The result will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions for years to come."
No Communication in the Gaza Strip - Concern for Reporting
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is already catastrophic - and could worsen in the event of a ground offensive, with bloody street fighting between residential buildings, even more airstrikes and possibly artillery fire. The Palestinian Telecommunications Company also said that all communications services and the Internet had now been shut down. The heavy bombing by the Israeli army was to blame, the West Bank-based company Paltel announced.
An Israeli soldier who is not on duty carries her weapon during a walk through Tel Aviv. © Francisco Seco/AP/dpa
Several aid organizations reported losing contact with their employees. The Palestinian Red Crescent lost contact with all operations centers and teams in the Gaza Strip. It is to be feared that the emergency services will no longer be able to provide emergency medical services. The emergency call center was also affected by the outage. The World Health Organization (WHO) also says it no longer has any contact with its staff and institutions.
A pro-Palestinian group demonstrates in downtown Frankfurt/Main. © Andreas Arnold/dpa
The situation in the combat zone is also highly dangerous for journalists who risk their lives to report from there. The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said more than 29 media workers had been killed since Hamas' terrorist attack three weeks ago. In addition, the organization warned that a failure of the communication network could also prevent further news from being spread from there.
Solidarity with Palestinians and protests for ceasefire
In Jordan, thousands of people protested in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In the capital, Amman, crowds marched through the city center after Friday prayers, according to Al-Ghad television.
In the evening, after the announcement of the expanded ground operations by Israel, demonstrators also gathered in front of the Israeli embassy. Police used tear gas to disperse them, according to videos posted on social media. In other Arab countries, too, there were renewed expressions of solidarity for the Palestinians.
In the West Bank, numerous Palestinians also protested last night, Israeli media reported. In Ramallah, Hebron and many other places in the West Bank, people also took to the streets to show their solidarity with the largely Gazan residents. At Grand Central Station in New York, hundreds of people demonstrated for a ceasefire.
This will be important today
It remains to be seen if and when the Israeli army will officially announce the start of its ground offensive. Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, people continue to endure in the most miserable conditions. Rallies on the Middle East conflict have also been announced for this weekend in several German cities. One focus is Berlin, where various demonstrations, rallies and vigils are scheduled today and tomorrow - both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli. Dpa