In Gaza. These images are from the Israeli Defense
Forces yet another day of intense assault on the ground
and from the air. Israel's response to the Hamas
attacks on October 7 that killed 1200 Israelis while kidnapping
240 continues. And as the world now knows,
well, a horrifying side effect of the assault.
According to Hamas run health authorities, more than 17,000
Gazans killed since the Israeli response began and nearly 2
million Gazans displaced now struggling for fresh food medicine,
shelter, security. Everything the people of Gaza are
looking into the abyss. United Nations Secretary General Antonio
Guterres is clear what Hamas did is reprehensible and unjustifiable
. The use of civilians as human shields by Hamas
he said is against the laws of war. But
such conduct does not absolve Israel on its own violations
. The brutality perpetrated by Hamas can never justify the
collective punishment of the Palestinian people. And so as
fighting raged on in Gaza and on a day,
these images emerged from Northern Gaza date unverified, showing
Palestinian men stripped to their underwear among them, a
journalist guarded by Israeli soldiers says Israel determining if any
are Hamas say Palestinians a humiliation. Guterres took a
rare step as Secretary General calling a UN Security Council
vote demanding an immediate ceasefire to allow more aid to
get into Southern Gaza. The vote 13 to 1
in favor. The United States used its veto power
to block it and the motion failed. We do
not support calls for an immediate ceasefire. This would
only plant the seeds for the next war because Hamas
has no desire to see a durable peace to see
a two state solution. And Paul apparently the US
is exerting some pressure on Israel. Yeah, I
think it's fair to say some but only some the
White House said today, quote more can be done
to reduce civilian casualties. Yesterday, Secretary of State
Antony Blinken went a bit further than that saying Israel
must do more and he noted there's a quote gap
between the intent to protect and the actual results on
the ground. But on the US blocking of that
resolution, fury from others at the UN, including
the Palestinian representative who called the US veto disastrous and
said it was a terrible day for the security council
. Paul Hunter in Washington.