Israel-Gaza live: More than 52,000 Palestinians ‘displaced by airstrikes’ as Biden shows support for ceasefire

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Harrowing footage shows Palestinian father’s final moments before he is killed in Israeli air strikes.mp4

More than 52,000 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli airstrikes, the United Nations aid agency said on Tuesday.

About 47,000 of the people displaced people have sought shelter in 58 UN-run schools in Gaza, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters, according to Reuters.

It comes as the Israeli army unleashed a fresh wave of airstrikes on Gaza overnight.

Israel’s army said it was once again targeting an underground “metro” system it says is being used by Hamas operatives to evade surveillance.

The residences of five Hamas commanders were also struck, with the Israeli military asserting that some of the homes had been used as command and control centres, while an anti-tank squad in Gaza City was also targeted.

On Monday, President Joe Biden expressed support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas rulers in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US leader stopped short of demanding an immediate end to the violence, but “expressed his support for a ceasefire” and “encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians,” the White House said.

Mr Biden also renewed his “his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks,” a readout of the call said.

At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes so far, including 61 children, with more than 1,400 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children, Israeli authorities have said.

• A brief history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict
• Israel-Palestine map: Gaza’s conflict hotspots and a history of violence at the border
• Gaza ‘days away’ from blackout as fuel running out after week of bombardment
• ‘I lost my entire family, in an instant’: Miracle baby is sole survivor of Israeli airstrike that kills 10

Key Points

• Israeli army unleashes fresh wave of airstrikes ‘targeting tunnel system'
• Biden expresses support for ceasefire
• More than 52,000 Palestinians displaced amid fighting, UN says
• Islamic Jihad commander reportedly killed by Israeli airstrike
• Netanyahu vows to continue campaign at ‘full force’
• ‘If Israel does not want to stop, we will not stop,’ Hamas official says
• Q&A: Bel Trew answers readers’ questions on conflict

[18 May 2021 16:30 · Chantal Da Silva]

US senator under fire after accusing AP of colluding with Hamas

US senator Tom Cotton is facing heavy criticism after suggesting that the Associated Press was acting in collusion with Hamas after an Israeli airstrike on a building housing a number of media offices, including AP.

After the incident, Israel claimed that the building was a base for Hamas.

In a statement, AP president and CEO Gary Pruitt said the press agency had “called on the Israeli government to put forward the evidence”.

“AP’s bureau has been in this building for 15 years,” he said.

On Monday, however, Mr Cotton appeared to accuse AP of colluding with Hamas, without any evidence, asking: “Why is the AP sharing a building with Hamas? Surely these intrepid reporters knew who their neighbours were.”

“Did they knowingly allow themselves to be used as human shields by a US-designated terrorist organisation?” the senator asked.

[18 May 2021 16:33 · Alastair Jamieson]