Ignoring calls for ceasefire: Israeli strikes kill 85 Palestinians

At least 85 Palestinians were killed in a single day in fresh Israeli strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip. Among them were 12 displaced people sheltering at a stadium in Nuseirat refugee camp, including seven women and two children.

Despite appeals for a ceasefire at the United Nations General Assembly, Israel has continued its attacks. According to Al Jazeera, Al-Ahli Stadium had turned into a temporary refuge for displaced families, but instead became the scene of a massacre.

The UN warned that Israeli forces are spreading fear in Gaza City and forcing thousands to flee. However, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir claimed this was part of efforts to push Palestinians southwards for “security reasons”. The UN Commission of Inquiry, meanwhile, stated that Israel’s true aim is to establish permanent control over Gaza and ensure a Jewish majority in the West Bank.

Since the war began on October 7, 2023, at least 65,419 Palestinians have been killed and more than 167,000 injured. Many more remain trapped under rubble.

At the UNGA in New York, world leaders strongly criticised Israel. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said: “Those who kill children and terrorise people are not worthy of humanity.” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa demanded an immediate ceasefire, declaring: “We stand with the people of Gaza; this war must stop now.”

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said quiet negotiations had made “some progress” towards peace, based on the July “New York Declaration” signed by 142 nations. US envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism that a new initiative could be announced within days, adding that President Donald Trump’s 21-point peace plan had already been circulated among world leaders.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly derailed peace efforts. Earlier this month he ordered strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha while they were discussing Trump’s plan. On March 18, he unilaterally broke a ceasefire and resumed heavy bombardment, imposing a full blockade that caused famine and deaths from starvation. The International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant against him on charges of war crimes.