Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, sent on Wednesday at night an urgent letter to the Security Council, currently convening in India, asking the International Community to act on stopping the Israeli military escalation against the Gaza Strip. Eight Palestinians, including children, have been killed, and more than 85 have been injured, in a series of Israeli Airstrikes targeting Gaza.
Abbas sent his letter via the Permanent Palestinian Observer at the UN, Riyadh Mansour, at his New York office.
He tasked Mansour with contacting Arab representatives at the United Nations, in order to discuss the means to respond to the latest Israeli military escalation against the civilian population in the coastal region.
On Wednesday evening, Abbas asked Arab League Secretary-General, Nabil Al-Arabi, to call for an urgent meeting of the Arab League in order to discuss the Israeli war on Gaza.
Furthermore, Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt, Palestine’s Permanent Envoy to the Arab League, Barakat Al-Farra, told the government-run Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) that Abbas contacted Al-Arabi requesting an urgent meeting of the Arab league.
On the ground, medical sources in Gaza reported, on Wednesday at night, that eight Palestinians have been killed by Israeli shells in different parts of the Gaza Strip, while more than 85 have been injured, some seriously.
The slain Palestinians were identified as Hamas leader, Ahmad Al-Ja’bary, 52, his deputy, Mohammad Al-Hamss, 30, Ranaan Yousef Arafat, 3, Mohammad Hani Kaseeh, 18, Isam Mahmoud Abu al-Ma’za, 19, Hiba Adel al-Mash-Harawi, 19, Omar Jihad al-Mash-Harawi, 11 months; and Mahmoud Abu Sawaween, 65.
Eighty-five Palestinians, including 17 children and 12 women, have been injured by Israeli fire and shells, while 14 of the wounded suffered very serious injuries and are currently in intensive care units in different hospitals in Gaza.
Israel said that the war on Gaza, dubbed as “Pillar of Defense”, is just starting and will be expanded. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, and Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, have officially approved the offensive, and are guiding it.
Israel threatened to assassinate all Hamas leaders, including political leaders, and leaders of resistance groups in the coastal region.
Palestinian resistance groups continued to fire shells and missiles into adjacent Israeli areas in retaliation to the ongoing Israeli offensive, and managed to fire dozens of shells targeting different areas in the Negev, Asqalan, and several other areas.
Armed resistance groups in Gaza said that they will not sit idle while Israel continue to pound civilian areas leading to dozens of casualties among the civilians, including infants and children.
Israel also claimed that four Katyusha shells have been fired into southern Israel from the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. No Injuries were reported.
