GAZA STRIP: Battles and bombardment pounded the Gaza Strip on Thursday after Washington said Israel had agreed to reschedule talks that had been cancelled amid tensions between the allies.

Israel’s military said it struck dozens of targets, including tunnels, over the previous day, and the health ministry in Gaza reported at least 62 more deaths over a similar period.

The United States’ criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mounted over Gaza’s civilian death toll, dire food shortages, and Israeli plans to push its ground offensive into Rafah.

Gaza’s far-southern city is crowded with displaced civilians and world leaders have warned against a Rafah offensive.

Washington intends to present Tel Aviv with a plan that would avoid indiscriminate bombardment of Rafah and limit the civilian toll

They fear it would worsen a catastrophic humanitarian situation for the Palestinian territory’s 2.4 million residents, many of whom are sheltering in Rafah along the Egyptian border.

The United Nations reported late on Wednesday that famine “is ever closer to becoming a reality in northern Gaza,” and said the territory’s health system is collapsing “due to ongoing hostilities and access constraints”.

Bombardment and fighting have not eased despite a binding UN Security Council resolution passed on Monday demanding an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Netanyahu had scrapped an Israeli delegation’s visit called by Washington to discuss the Rafah plan — a protest after the United States had abstained from voting on the UN ceasefire resolution, allowing it to pass.

Israel’s government has since backtracked. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Israel had agreed “to reschedule the meeting dedicated to Rafah”.

US officials say they plan to present Israel with an alternative for Rafah, focused on striking Hamas targets while limiting the civilian toll.

Air strike on hospital

Even without a ground invasion, Rafah is under regular bombardment that on Wednesday left the city’s al-Kuwaiti Hospital coping with the wounded and the dead. A motorcycle cart roared up with a man lying motionless in the back, part of his pants soaked with blood.

After an earlier truce and prisoner release deal, Israel says about 130 captives remain in Gaza, including 34 presumed dead. Israeli forces have so far killed at least 32,552 people, most of them women and children, according to the latest toll issued on Thursday by the health ministry in Gaza.

Troops began raiding Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City early last week, and on Wednesday night carried out an air strike “while avoiding harm to civilians, patients and medical teams,” the army said on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2024