The Israel-Hamas war Gaza death toll already reached over 20,000. This was confirmed by Palestinian leaders, saying that tens of thousands of people have been killed ever since the Israel Defense Forces began bombarding the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Dec. 20, Gaza's Government Media Office announced that 6,200 of the victims were women and 8,000 of them were children. The Gaza death toll exceeded 20,000 as the United Nations Security Council decided to delay the aid needed in the affected area. Now, is the UN's Gaza aid-delaying decision to blame for the rising death toll in the Palestinian city?
Gaza Death Toll Reaches Over 20,000 as UN Delays Aid, Again
This picture taken on October 11, 2023 shows an aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City. Israel declared war on Hamas on October 8 following a shock land, air and sea assault by the Gaza-based Islamists.
According to Aljazeera's latest report, the Israel-Hamas war intensified after the seven-day ceasefire between the Israeli government and the Palestinian militant group ended on Dec. 1.
Before the truce, the battle was only happening in the northern half of the Gaza Strip. Now, the war is spreading to other parts of the region.
Because of this, more and more innocent civilians are dying because they got caught up in the war. On Dec. 20, Gaza's Ministry of Health said that around 46 individuals were killed and dozens were injured after Israel conducted air strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp, which is located in the northern Gaza Strip.
Aside from this, IDF also bombarded Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli air strikes killed at least 10 people after hitting a building near a hospital.
"More air strikes are conducted, more victims fall due to the expansion of the Israeli military operations in the areas that are supposed to be safe zones where the majority of Gazans have been urged to flee," said Tareq Abu Azzoum of the Al Jazeera crew.
"The air strike took place in an area considered to be very densely populated, and it's a miracle that no more than this number of people were killed," further stated Azzoum.
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UN Delays Gaza Aid for the Third Time
Relatives mourn over the body of a boy killed in Israeli air strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip early on December 4, 2023. Israel expanded its offensive against Hamas militants in besieged Gaza, as international concern deepened over the mounting civilian death toll.
The grim death toll milestone was announced by Palestinian officials after the UN Security Council delayed a key vote needed for a bid to boost Gaza humanitarian aid.
This is the third time that the United Nations avoided a veto from the United States. CNN reported that the latest military and financial aid for Gaza is a clear sign of U.S. hesitancy toward a resolution that could be interpreted as a disapproval of the military campaign of Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The vote, which was originally scheduled for the fourth week of December, has been delayed until Thursday, Dec. 21. The resolution, which is still a draft version, aims to urge Israel and Hamas to stop hostilities so that humanitarian aid can reach Gaza.
Aside from this, the draft resolution also calls for access to hostages' medical needs, as well as unconditional and immediate hostage releases.
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