The death toll in Gaza Strip touched 17,700 on Saturday (Dec 9), according to Hamas-run health ministry as Israel continued to bombard targets in the blockaded Palestinian enclave, Aid groups have said that Gaza faces an “apocalyptic” humanitarian situation and is at the brink of being overwhelmed by starvation.
Earlier, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire on Friday. Washington cited the absence of any plan for return of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since October 7 as one of the reasons behind its opposition. But its veto was strongly condemned by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, as well as Islamin nations and humanitarian groups.
Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, said the US veto in the UNSC made it complicit in Israel’s “genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes” against Palestinians, Reuters reported. (WION)