The United States has rejected the call for ceasefire in Gaza. The European Union plead a request for a humanitarian halt, stating that any truce by Israel in Gaza would be advantageous to Hamas.

According to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, a cease-fire would “give Hamas the ability to rest, to refit, and to get ready to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel.”

“It is understandable why that is an intolerable situation for Israel, just as it would be for any other country that has experienced such a horrific act of terrorism and still perceives a terrorist threat directly adjacent to its borders,” the speaker remarked.

Josep Borrell, the head of EU foreign policy, stated earlier on Monday that he anticipated support from the leaders of the bloc for a request for a ceasefire to allow supplies to enter.

More than 5000 people have died in Gaza, 40% of which are children after Israel bombing began in retaliation of the Hamas attack.

Humanitarian Aid for Gaza

US President Joe Biden “underscored the need to sustain a continuous flow of urgently needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza, during a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinians are already struggling for clean water, food, medical aid amid rising strikes. UN Officials report about 100 aid trucks with essential aids are required per day for a population of now homeless, 1.4 million.

In addition, the president expressed his gratitude for the release of two hostages from Hamas and reiterated his resolve to ensure the release of the remaining hostages and the safety of US residents and other civilians residing there.

UK British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced more humanitarian support, stating that the government would provide the region an extra 20 million pounds ($24.4 million).

In a report to lawmakers on the situation in Israel and Palestine, Sunak stated, “We need a constant stream of aid pouring in, bringing the water, food, medicine, and fuel that is so desperately needed.”

“We are providing an additional 20 million pounds of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, more than doubling our previous support to the Palestinian people.”

Aid workers claimed that the 20 trucks that were permitted in were not enough to handle the extraordinary humanitarian catastrophe. Days have passed while more than 200 trucks loaded with 3,000 tons of relief have waited nearby.

Amid a widespread power outage, hospitals report that their stock of medical supplies and gasoline for emergency generators is running short.

Fuel shortages and bomb damage have forced five hospitals to close, according to the Health Ministry, which is governed by Hamas.

Paramedics described using vinegar as a disinfectant and sewing needles to close wounds until the stores ran out. During surgery, patients could be heard screaming because their anesthetic was running short.

According to UNICEF, the trucks contained 44,000 bottles of drinking water, which is sufficient for 22,000 people to have for a single day. “The needs are urgent and great, but this first, limited water will save lives,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Four of the vehicles, according to the World Health Organization, were loaded with medical equipment, including trauma medication and first responder-friendly portable trauma bags.

According to UNICEF, the trucks contained 44,000 bottles of drinking water, which is sufficient for 22,000 people to have for a single day. “The needs are urgent and great, but this first, limited water will save lives,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Four of the vehicles, according to the World Health Organization, were loaded with medical equipment, including trauma medication and first responder-friendly portable trauma bags.

Cindy McCain, the director of the United Nations World Food Program, stated, “We need many, many, many more trucks and a continual flow of aid.”

Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the situation in Gaza has “reached a dangerous new low” following Hamas’s surprise strike. As of October 23, Israel’s reaction had killed over 5000 Palestinians and injured 10,700 more, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The true number is probably higher because these are the only confirmed casualties. In addition, 3,400 Israelis were injured and over 1,400 Israelis died as a result of the Hamas attack. Before the war, 2023 was already the bloodiest year for Palestinians in nearly 20 years.

Concerns about the possibility of a second front emerging have been raised by Israel’s exchange of gunfire with Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon along its northern border. In reaction to recent rocket launches and anti-tank missile attacks, the Israeli military claimed on Saturday that it has launched strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “We are exacting a heavy price for Hezbollah’s decision to participate in the fighting,” while on a visit to the border.

Six Hezbollah militants were killed on Saturday, the organization announced, and Sheikh Naim Kassem, the deputy commander, threatened to punish Israel severely if it launched a combat operation in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Jews and supporters demonstrated in favor of Palestinian rights on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, carrying Palestinian flags.

Two dozen rabbis led the sit-in, during which they read testimonies from Palestinians suffering in Gaza and blew shofars, a traditional horn fashioned from ram’s horn used in Jewish rituals. They held signs calling for a “ceasefire” and donned shirts that said, “Not in our name.”

Numerous Jewish Americans are still congregating in rallies across the country, urging President Joe Biden and other government officials to rein in Israel. They contend that increasing the number of civilian casualties is not the solution to Hamas’s horrific attack.

“IfNotNow” political director Eva Borgwardt condemned of recent remarks made by Israeli officials, “As Jews whose ancestors went through the Holocaust, when we hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant use words like ‘the children of darkness’ and ‘human animals’ to describe Palestinians, we feel the resonances of that in our bones.”

Former US President Barack Obama shared his opinions about Israel and Gaza in a statement on Monday. The former president issued a statement denouncing the attack by Hamas and reaffirming his support for Israel’s right to self-defense, however he also issued a warning regarding the dangers such wars pose to civilians. He claimed that certain of Israel’s tactics in the conflict with Hamas, such as denying Gaza access to food and water, may “harden Palestinian attitudes for generations” and erode support for Israel among other nations.

President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, made calls for resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, negotiating a cease-fire, and providing supplies to Gaza during the summit on Saturday. These talks had been put on hold more than ten years ago. In addition, he declared that the conflict would never be settled “at the expense of Egypt,” alluding to worries that Israel would attempt to drive Gaza’s people into the Sinai Peninsula.

Israel’s attacks on Gaza, according to Jordan’s King Abdullah II, were “a war crime,” and he denounced the international community’s reaction.

He declared, “Anywhere else, it would be condemned to attack civilian infrastructure and purposefully starve an entire population of food, water, electricity, and basic necessities.”

Israel-Gaza history

Over half of Gaza’s population is made up of refugees whose ancestors were driven from their homes in modern-day Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, known to Palestinians as al-Nakba, or “the catastrophe,” by armed Jewish factions.

Many of them have lived in poverty ever since Israel forbade them from ever going back to their own homes.
After winning the Six-Day War in 1967 with Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, Israel took control of Gaza and maintained it for almost 40 years until removing its inhabitants and forces in 2005.

Since then, critics claim that Israel and Egypt have coordinated to create a siege that has turned Gaza into “the largest open-air prison in the world.”

Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza, particularly Hamas, which was voted to power in 2006 and expelled its opposition in 2007, have frequently been at odds.