At least 200-300 people were killed in an explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday. Israeli and Palestinian officials have traded accusations over who was responsible for the blast, with Israeli officials saying it was a rocket launched by Islamic Jihad and Palestinian officials blaming an Israeli airstrike. In response, President Joe Biden has directed his national security team to gather information and the UN has called for an independent investigation and for all sides to exercise restraint.
Posts tagged as “Palestinian”
President Joe Biden is set to visit Israel on Wednesday to demonstrate America's commitment to Israel's security, while the planned summit between Biden and Arab leaders in Amman, Jordan, was called off after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas withdrew in protest of the attacks. The U.S. and Israel have agreed to develop a plan to enable humanitarian aid from donor nations to reach the Palestinians in Gaza, in the wake of a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital.
Republican presidential candidates have come out against the U.S. welcoming Palestinian refugees, claiming their culture is incompatible with American values and that they could be terrorists. However, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has not called for raising the number of Palestinians admitted to the U.S., and they remain committed to providing support to refugees entering the U.S., regardless of their nationality or religion. Palestinians may be coming from other parts of the world while they retain their Palestinian citizenship, or they may have been referred as refugees to the U.N. refugee agency by nongovernmental organizations.
The US is working to develop a framework to provide humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken having met with Israel's wartime cabinet for seven hours. The situation in Gaza has become increasingly dire, with an Israeli airstrike hitting al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, and the UN calling for an immediate ceasefire. The US is hoping to provide food, water, and medicine to those in need, as well as arrange for those who want to leave the region to do so safely.
An Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah destroyed a residential neighborhood, leaving a scene of devastation and crowds of people waiting for hours at the Rafah crossing. Emilee Rauschenberger described the scene as "frustrated and exhausted," with no electricity for the rest of the night.
Adar Eylon, sister of a woman killed in a Hamas terror attack in Israel, has spoken out about the difficult aftermath of the tragedy. Israel is conducting precision strikes on known Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian officials report that Major Gen. Fouad Abu Butihan has been killed in Israeli strikes. The tragedy of Shira's death serves as a reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict in the region.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered at the Rafah crossing on Monday morning, hoping for access to the only non-Israeli-controlled exit out of Gaza, which has been closed since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. A convoy of aid trucks from Egypt is waiting to enter Gaza, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated Israel's right to defend itself, while cautioning against harming civilians. The situation remains tense as the conflict continues.
Key takeaways: House Democrats have called on President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take action in response to the ongoing conflict…