At least 2,384 Palestinians died and 10,150 were injured during the new Israeli aggression against the occupied territories, most of them in the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Health announced.

Ramallah.- In its latest report on the subject, the entity specified that 2,329 people died in the coastal enclave, while another 9,714 were injured after nine days of bombing.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, 55 deaths and 1,100 wounded were announced as a result of shooting by the security forces and Israeli settlers.

The new wave of violence began last October 7, when militiamen of the Islamic Resistance Movement attacked the neighboring country, in what they considered a response to the escalation of Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people.

More than 1,300 people died during this incursion, which surprised the army and security forces.

In retaliation, Israel began a wave of bombardments in the Gaza Strip unprecedented in the history of this conflict, causing a severe humanitarian crisis.

Numerous governments, NGOs, and UN agencies condemned Israel’s strategy and demanded an end to the indiscriminate bombing.

On the contrary, its Armed Forces announced an imminent ground invasion against the enclave, in which tens of thousands of soldiers and officers will participate.

POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR RESPECT OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN GAZA STRIP

Vatican City.- Pope Francis called for the respect of humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip, during the current escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian armed conflict.

The Supreme Pontiff, at noon this Sunday, after the usual Angelus prayer, and from the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, expressed before the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that he follows with “great pain what is happening in Israel and Palestine.”

“I think of many, in particular the little ones and the elderly. I renew the appeal for the release of the hostages and I firmly ask that children, the sick, the elderly, women and all civilians must not become victims of the conflict,” the Bishop of Rome added.

“Humanitarian law must be respected, especially in Gaza,” the Pope emphasized, so that “no more innocent blood is shed” because “many have already died”.

In this sense, he pointed out that “it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors and help the entire population”.

Last Sunday, a day after the clashes began, the Pontiff called on both sides to stop the attacks and “understand that terrorism and war do not lead to any solution, but only to the death and suffering of many innocent people”, and asserted that “war is a defeat: all war is a defeat!”.

WFP WARNS OF FOOD CRISIS IN GAZA STRIP

Ramallah.- The World Food Program (WFP) warned today that the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are beginning to starve due to the total blockade imposed by Israel against the area, where 2.3 million Palestinians live.

“Time is running out (…) People are starving,” Corinne Fleischer, regional director of the United Nations humanitarian organization, warned in statements to CNN television.

So far we have not been able to get more food into the area because of the Israeli siege, she said.

Fleischer said WFP has enough supplies to feed 1.3 million people for two weeks, but reported that they are on the Egyptian side of the border.

“We need to be able to cross the border; we need to have safe supply corridors to distribute the food,” she said.

Since the start of the new wave of violence nine days ago, we have provided canned food, bread, and cash to 520,000 people in Gaza, she said. (PL)