'Israel is doing its utmost to prevent loss of lives': Ambassador Naor Gilon as Gaza death toll reaches 9,061
Israel-Hamas war: Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon on Thursday said that Tel Aviv is “doing its utmost to prevent humanitarian suffering and loss of lives". The statement comes at a time when Gaza health ministry has announced that 9,061 Palestinians have lost their lives to Israeli airstrikes since the Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sanctioned bombardment began following a Hamas attack on 7 October. Israel also bombed the Jabalia refugee Camp in Palestine's Gaza thrice killing hundreds of civilians, in the biggest massacre of Israel's fight with Hamas.
Catch LIVE updates of Israel-Gaza war In an interview with PTI, Naor Gilon defended his stance and said, “We took three weeks before we went on ground operation. We told the population in Gaza to go South. Unfortunately, many did not because there was pressure on them by Hamas.
Traditionally, they (Hamas) are hiding behind human shields". Notably, Palestinians were warned by Israel Defense Forces to move towards South Gaza from the North, alerting them of an impending ground incursion. However, in these ‘three week’ Israel did not cease fire or stop bombing the Gaza Strip, leaving the Palestinians vulnerable and scrambling to survive irrespective of their geographical location.
The Israeli ambassador also asserted that his government was in support of providing humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza. Notably, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu declared a complete seize of Gaza, thereby blocking their access to food, fuel, and water, triggering a massive ‘catastrophe’, which has caused 16 hospitals to shut down, Gaza's only cancer hospital to shut down. Israel's incessant bombardment on Gaza also blacked out the latter's internet and phone connection cutting
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