Netanyahu rejects calls for pause in Gaza military campaign despite growing humanitarian disaster

This photo taken on Nov 9, 2023 from a position along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, shows a view of destroyed buildings in Gaza. (PHOTO / AFP)

JERUSALEM — Despite international calls of “Enough is enough” amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel will not agree to a cease-fire in Gaza unless the hostages seized by Hamas on Oct 7 are freed.

He made the remarks in a meeting with officials of the West Bank settlements, according to a statement released by his office. The armed wing of Hamas, meanwhile, reiterated that “the only path is a deal on exchanging prisoners fully or partially.”

Netanyahu was quoted as saying, “I would like to put aside all kinds of idle rumors that we hear from all kinds of directions, and repeat one clear thing: there will be no cease-fire without the release of our hostages.” 

The prime minister’s statement came after media reports of Qatar brokering negotiations, in coordination with the United States, in an attempt to reach a deal to release 10 to 15 hostages in Gaza in exchange for a one to two-day humanitarian pause in Israel’s fatal attacks.

On Nov 8, Abu Obaida, a spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement that “Israel refused to create conditions for the release of hostages and thwarted the process of releasing 12 of them.”

He accused Israel of being “the one who hinders efforts to release detainees and foreigners and puts their lives in danger.”

A Palestinian source on Nov 8 told Xinhua News Agency that the chances of reaching an agreement on a temporary cease-fire in Gaza under the condition of the release of hostages were increasing with intense mediation efforts made by Qatar, Egypt, and the US.

Israeli forces intensified air, ground, and underground attacks against Hamas militants at the “heart of Gaza City” in recent days. Yet the Al-Qassam Brigades announced on Nov 8 that it had attacked at least 136 Israeli military vehicles, forcing them out of service.

In a televised statement, Abu Obaida, the Al-Qassam spokesperson, said “our fighters are confronting the Israeli forces … on all fronts”. 

At least 10,569 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct 7, the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry said on Nov 8. The death toll included 4,324 children, said Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesperson of the Hamas-run ministry, adding that the ongoing conflict has led to the injuries of more than 26,000 people. An unidentified number of hostages in Gaza also fell victim to Israeli bombings.

The humanitarian disaster prompted United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to join 17 heads of other agencies and organizations to issue a rare joint statement on Nov 5: “We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough.”

The heads of organs including UNICEF, UN Women, the World Food Program, the World Health Organization, and Save the Children, described the killings of both Israelis and Palestinians over the past month as “horrific”.

“For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiraling numbers of lives lost and torn apart,” the statement said.

The UN and NGO heads called on all parties to respect the “obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law”, including protection of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and schools, and allow aid into Gaza.

It is “unacceptable” that the population of Gaza is being denied essential goods and services as well as being “bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship,” the statement said.

The pivotal role of the UN and its agencies in providing relief services for Gaza was highlighted by Jordanian King Abdullah II, who called for sustained support for the operation of international organizations in the conflict-torn enclave during a phone call with Guterres on Nov 8. 

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven called for urgent action to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on Nov 8, saying that the G7 will support humanitarian pauses in fighting and a corridor to facilitate aid. 

During a two-day meeting of the G7 top diplomats in Tokyo from Nov 7, members of the group agreed to seek the immediate release of hostages and stressed that further escalation of the conflict in Gaza or its expansion into larger areas must be prevented, Yoko Kamikawa, minister for foreign affairs of Japan, said at a news conference on Nov 8.

“All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel, and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers,” the G7 foreign ministers said in a statement.

Jiang Xueqing in Tokyo contributed to this story.