On the same day President Joe Biden first criticized how Israel is conducting its war against Hamas, the U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to demand a cease-fire in Gaza.
Though the vote on the resolution – 153 in favor and 10 against with 23 abstentions – is not binding, it reflects the growing international opposition to a war that has left about 18,000 Palestinians dead and large parts of Gaza in tatters, creating a humanitarian crisis. The U.S. and Israel opposed the measure, whose passage was applauded by many of the diplomats at hand.
The U.S. vetoed a similar Security Council resolution Friday, the only member to vote against it.
Tuesday’s push for a cease-fire drew stronger backing than the Oct. 27 General Assembly resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce,” which received 120 votes in favor, 14 against and 45 abstentions.
At a fundraiser earlier Tuesday, Biden chastised the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for its “indiscriminate bombing’’ in Gaza, saying Israel risked losing support from other countries.
Amid the increasing resistance to the war, the Biden administration is sending two of its top officials to the Middle East. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is scheduled to visit Israel later this week and talk to Netanyahu about an endpoint to major combat in Gaza. Next week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to travel to Israel, Bahrain and Qatar.
Hamas captivity like ‘Russian roulette,’ recently released hostage says: Live updates
Developments:
∎ Israeli airstrikes killed at least 23 people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where civilians had been told to seek shelter, The Associated Press reported. In central Gaza, 16 women and four children were among the 33 bodies that arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah after overnight strikes.
∎ The Israel Defense Forces said it recovered the bodies of two hostages taken during Hamas’ attack of Oct. 7, but two Israeli soldiers were killed in the operation. One of them was Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, the son of former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot.
∎ Israeli forces stormed into Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on Tuesday after shelling it for days, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Hamas called the attack a war crime and a “desperate attempt − many times failed − to force our people to leave Gaza’s northern areas.”
∎ Puma, a German-based athletic shoe and apparel maker, said its will end its sponsorship of Israel’s national soccer team, adding that the decision was made months before the war. Still, the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee said the announcement “shows the power of the solidarity movement.”
Netanyahu says dozens of Hamas militantssurrendering; Blinken defends veto on UN cease-fire resolution: Updates
Israel starts pumping seawater into some Hamas tunnels
Israel has begun flooding some Hamas tunnels in Gaza with seawater from the Mediterranean, The Associated Press confirmed Tuesday, citing a U.S. official who requested anonymity.
It’s not clear how effective pumping in the water will be in flushing out Hamas fighters from their vast underground hiding areas. The tactic, which could take weeks and comes with environmental concerns, was employed in 2015 by Egypt in an attempt to curb smuggling and it prompted complaints about damaged soil in the area, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The relatives of some hostages have expressed concern about the fate of their loved ones if the tunnels are flooded, considering at least some of the captives are believed to be held in them.
Biden was asked at a news conference about the report on the tunnels and said he knows of assertions that there might not be any hostages in those ones, but added: “I don’t know that for a fact.”
Netanyahu says he and Biden clash over ‘day after Hamas’
Netanyahu admitted Tuesday he and Biden have failed to reach agreement on the future of Gaza but said he appreciates U.S. support for crushing Hamas and freeing more than 100 hostages still held by the militants.
Netanyahu, in a video statement translated by the Times of Israel, said he received full support for a military operation and for curbing international pressure to end the war from Biden and other White House officials.
“Yes, there is a disagreement when it comes to ‘the day after Hamas,’” Netanyahu said. “I hope we will come to an agreement there, too.”
Biden’s comments later in the day suggested more differences than just that one.
Netanyahu has insisted Israel must maintain security control of Gaza for an indefinite time after it drives Hamas out of power, but the Biden administration has made it clear it opposes reoccupation of the territory.
After the “enormous sacrifice” made by Israeli citizens and soldiers, Netanyahu said he would not allow Gaza to be run by those who teach, support or finance terrorism. “Gaza will not be Hamas-stan,” he said.
More than 10% of Israeli soldiers killed in war were victims of friendly fire
The death toll of Israeli soldiers in Gaza has surpassed 100, and 20 of those killed were victims of friendly fire or other accidents, the Israeli military said Tuesday. Thirteen of the deaths were from friendly fire due to mistaken identification during shelling, gunfire and airstrikes, the Israeli military revealed to multiple Israeli media outlets. Most of the other deaths involved weapon misfires.
At least 1,645 soldiers have been injured since “Operation Swords of Iron” began in response to a militant attack that Israel says killed about 1,200 people in communities bordering Gaza, the military says. The militants then dashed back to Gaza with over 240 hostages, more than half of whom remain captives.
More than 18,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s assault on the enclave.
Freed hostage fears exhaustion could kill those still held
Former hostage Yocheved Lifshitz, who surprised the world by shaking hands with one of her captors when she was released in October, warns that some hostages won’t survive if they are not released soon. Lifshitz, 85, and husband Oded Lifshitz, 82, were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7. She said Oded was injured in the attack and has high blood pressure and lung disease.
Yocheved Lifshitz told NBC News she was brought to Gaza on the back of a moped and led through a tunnel system to a large room where she saw other members of her kibbutz. Together they listened, terrified, to the pounding of the Israeli bombardment.
“The lack of air in the tunnels, as well as the shortage of food and medicine, could bring people to complete exhaustion,” she told NBC News. “And they just won’t make it.”
Hamas captivity like ‘Russian roulette,’ recently released hostage says: Live updates
Zara ‘regrets misunderstanding,’ walks back ad campaign
The Spain-based international clothing chain Zara has removed photos from an ad campaign called “The Jacket” amid criticism they resembled images from the war in Gaza. The photos, showing a model against a background of damaged statues and other wreckage, fueled days of social media backlash.
Zara posted a statement Tuesday on Instagram saying the company “regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone.” The company said the campaign was conceived months before the war and photographed in September. The images, it said, were unfinished sculptures in a studio.
“Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created,” the statement said.
Harvard President Claudine Gay to keep job amid antisemitism controversy
“We today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University,” the Harvard board said in a statement posted Tuesday morning. “Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing.”
On Saturday, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, who appeared before the congressional committee, resigned after similar criticism.
− Nirvi Shah and Zachary Schermele
