Israel seething over controversial UN listing

Funeral-in-Nuseirat-Refugee-Camp-in-Gaza

Palestinian mourners cry during the funeral procession of the victims of an Israeli attack on Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Gaza on June 7, 2024. The Israeli airstrike killed at least 15 Palestinians in Nuseirat Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip, including the Mayor Iyad al-Maghari. Source: Getty / SAEED JARAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty

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Dozens more have died in Gaza, as Israel continues its attacks, focused on the central and southern part of the enclave. And, as the war continues, a fresh diplomatic conflict has erupted over the conflict between Israel and the United Nations.


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TRANSCRIPT

The fighting continues- and so do the tears.

Israeli attacks- both from the air and on the ground- have targeted central and southern Gaza.

This time, the crying comes from Deir Al Balah.

Local medical personnel say 23 people were killed in night-time Israeli attacks.
 
Amongst the bodies brought to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is that of the mayor of Al-Nuseirat, Iyad Al-Maghari.

One woman on the scene, Yahya Al-Hasanat, had a grandson killed in these strikes.

She says she's now lost six members of her family in this war.

“Before this, five of my children were martyred, the house was brought down on them. Another relative was martyred today when he was leaving. People told us about him.”

She says the situation is shameful.

“The Israelis do not spare anyone, as long as America has their back, they will not spare anyone. God is our suffice and he is the best disposer of our affairs on America and Israel. The Arab nations are looking at us. This is shameful.”

Hamas claims its fighters in Deir Al Balah have shelled a house where Israeli troops were barricaded, killing some, and wounding others.

Elsewhere, Israeli tank forces have reached the western edge of Rafah.

Just to the north of there, an Israeli air strike has killed eight people in Khan Younis.

Further north, rescue workers report three people have been killed in an air strike on a school building that was being used as a shelter for displaced people- much like the school building bombed in Al-Nuseirat earlier this week.

In both cases, Israel says it was targeting Hamas militants who were using the school building as cover.

In Rafah itself, the Israeli tanks are reported to be in the al-Izba district, near the Mediterranean coast.

Residents have told news agency Reuters that Israeli snipers have commandeered some buildings and high ground, trapping people in their homes.

They say Israeli machine gun fire has made it unsafe to go outside.

Abu Fadi Hammad is a displaced Palestinian trying to leave Rafah.

But he says there's simply nowhere to go.

 "It's all lies. It's all nonsense. They all tell you to go to the south, you get to the south and they tell you to go back to the north - where are the safe places?"

Gaza's health ministry says 77 people have been killed there in the past twenty-four hours.

That takes the total toll since the resumption of hostilities in October to nearly 37,000.

The fallout from the conflict in Gaza has led to another conflict of the diplomatic kind.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has added Israel's military to a global list of offenders that are failing to protect children.

The list is provided to the U-N Security Council annually.

It covers things like killing, maiming, sexual abuse, abduction, denial of aid access, and targeting of schools and hospitals... although it hasn't been made clear yet exactly which of these things Israel is being formally accused of.

A U-N staff member phoned Israel's Ambassador the U-N, Gilad Erdan, to notify him of the listing.

Israel recording part of Ambassador Erdan's response on the phone- and posting it to social media.

"I am utterly shocked and disgusted by this shameful decision of the Secretary-General. Israel's army is the most moral army in the world. So, this immoral decision will only aid the terrorists and reward Hamas. The only one who is blacklisted today is the Secretary-General. Because this decision, shameful decision of the Secretary-General will only give Hamas hope to survive and will only extend the war and extend the suffering. Shame on him."

The U-N says Israel's leaking of that phone call is grossly unacceptable.

Mr Guterres' spokesman is Stephane Dujarric.

"The call was a courtesy afforded to countries that are newly listed on the annex of the report. It is done to give those countries a heads-up and avoid leaks. Ambassador Erdan's video recording of that phone call and the partial release of that recording on Twitter is shocking and unacceptable. And frankly, something I've never seen in my 24 years serving this organisation."

Mr Dujarric refutes any suggestion the U-N is biased against Israel.
 
"I think the Secretary-General has been very clear in speaking out since October seventh on issues of violations of international law, on issues of violation of human rights, which includes the condemning of the terror attacks by Hamas."

The report will be submitted to the U-N Security Council next week.

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