Al Jazeera reported citing a medical source said at least 110 people have been killed including women and children as a result of several Israeli air raids across the Gaza Strip late on Monday and before dawn on Tuesday.
The airstrikes hit northern Gaza’s al-Shati refugee camp and al-Balad in Jabaliya, al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza as well as two areas in the south—Rafah and Khan Younis.
Palestinian news agency WAFA also confirmed the news to Al Jazeera saying that the highest number of casualties was in Rafah with more than 30 people killed.
Arab media reported that at least 23 people were killed, including children, and more than 80 others were wounded in Khan Younis. Many of the victims in Khan Younis were taken to the Al-Nasser Hospital.
2 elderly women released from Hamas captivity as 6 UN workers killed in airstrikes
Two elderly Israeli women were released from Hamas captivity at a time when six UN refugee agency workers were killed in Gaza in 24 hours.
Six workers with the UN's Palestinian refugee agency were killed in just 24 hours in Gaza, the global body said Tuesday, bringing to 35 the total of its staff killed since October 7.
"Since the start of hostilities, at least 16 health workers have been killed while on duty, along with 35 UNRWA staff," the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update sent Tuesday on the situation up to Monday evening.
French President Emmanuel Macron reaches Tel Aviv
French President Emmanuel Macron reached Israel on Tuesday in solidarity with the Israeli people and government against the Hamas.
Blinken meets Jewish, Arab-American and Palestinian-American leaders
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held separate meetings with Jewish community leaders, as well as representatives of the Arab-American and Palestinian-American communities.
"In both discussions, the Secretary condemned Hamas’ horrific terrorist attacks against Israel, reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, outlined his recent engagements and travel to the Middle East, and described the United States’ efforts to see to it that all civilians are protected and to prevent the widening of the conflict. He stressed that no civilian life is worth more than another — whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim – and emphasized ongoing U.S. efforts to facilitate a steady flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, as we work with partners across the region to secure the release of additional hostages," the State Department said.
The meetings come as the Biden administration's Israel policy comes under increasing scrutiny from the Arab community, as well as critics within the State Department.
Biden pledges support for Israel
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early Tuesday morning, reaffirming “his commitment to ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas – including Americans – and to provide for safe passage for U.S. citizens and other civilians in Gaza,” according to a readout of the conversation provided by the White House.
Biden also “underscored the need to sustain a continuous flow of urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
China will do utmost to contribute to Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation, state media says
China will do its utmost when it comes to contributing to Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation, its foreign minister told his Israel counterpart in a phone call on Monday, according to Chinese state media.
China will also firmly support any resolution as long as it is conducive to peace, minister Wang Yi said, calling the conflict a "major choice between war and peace", state media said on Tuesday.
Wang also called for Israel to take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions there, adding that "all countries have the right to self-defense, but they should abide by international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians."
