‘Stop before it’s too late’ – Iran warns Israel

On Saturday, Iran issued a stern warning to Israel, urging an immediate halt to what it called “war crimes” against Gaza. The warning was accompanied by a threat of potential retaliation, metaphorically described as “a huge earthquake” of resistance.

The past 24 hours have witnessed a devastating toll, with over 320 Palestinians killed, including numerous women and children, in Israeli air raids on convoys attempting to flee Gaza City, as reported by health officials.

The relentless Israeli bombing of Gaza persists, with the Israeli military informing 1.1 million residents to move south in preparation for a looming ground offensive, prompted by Hamas’s recent attack within Israel.

The toll of the violence is deeply distressing, with at least 2,215 Palestinians killed and 8,714 wounded in Israeli air attacks on Gaza. Conversely, in Israel, the number of casualties has reached 1,300, with over 3,400 wounded. The situation is particularly dire for Palestinian children, with 724 children reported to have lost their lives in the past week.

In the occupied West Bank, the toll continues to rise, with over 50 Palestinians killed, more than 1,000 wounded, and hundreds arrested due to Israeli actions. The Israeli military is planning a comprehensive attack involving land, air, and sea, although the specifics and timing have not been disclosed.

As the conflict escalates, Israel has urged 1.1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate southwards. However, the United Nations deems this evacuation nearly impossible due to the lack of viable destinations. Meanwhile, concerns mount over the safety and wellbeing of Palestinian civilians in densely populated Gaza, given the potential escalation of urban combat.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly emphasized the need to protect civilians during conflicts and condemned the use of civilians as shields, stating, “The situation in Gaza has reached a dangerous new low.”